Chapter 30 - The End
Eight and a half years later
Ginny watches a male house elf shrink the last pile of boxes and Disapparate away with them with a loud crack. She looks around their now-empty flat and is hit with a wave of nostalgia. She's going to miss this home. The eighteen months they'd spent in this Parisian flat was the longest they'd lived in one place in the past decade.
But Ginny is excited to be moving back to England. When she was younger, she never thought she'd miss it, if she ever had an opportunity to leave. But now, even the thought of the awful weather gave her an odd feeling of comfort.
She would kill for a proper meal at a pub, with the barman telling a dry, self-deprecating joke. And being able to read the Daily Prophet the day it was printed, rather than a few days late would feel like a luxury. Not to mention the convenience of being able to Floo or Apparate to the Burrow, Grimmauld Place, or Ron's house in seconds.
Their family would be living in one of the Malfoy Summer homes, just outside Brighton, that had been sitting empty for years. The Malfoy house elves had been cleaning it up for them for months, (happy to have some hard work to do for a change) so Ginny was sure it would be lovely when they arrived there later today.
Ginny would miss living within walking distance from the city's best stores and cafés, but their new home would have a large garden where they could all fly every day if they wanted to. Cecelia could play in the forest next to the house, and they'd be close to the shore, too.
Their new home was also just a few miles from a small wizarding town, but Ginny didn't know how often they'd visit it. They were unsure what their reception was going to be like when they returned to England.
Lucius still received hate mail almost weekly. But again, he had been Voldemort's right-hand man and had never turned spy. It was well-known by now that Draco had worked for the Order (thanks to Harry), and that he'd gone to prison to work off both his and his father's crimes. But how would everyone react when they learned he'd been released five years early? And was the assistance he'd given the Order at the end of the war enough to forgive all the evil he'd done?
The only other Death Eater turned spy they could compare to was Theo, and he didn't have many problems. Then again, he'd never killed anyone, so there weren't any families holding personal grudges against him. This was not true for Draco.
Ginny sighs and tries to push the thoughts to the back of her mind. There's nothing to be done for it. All they can do now is wait and see and hope for the best.
Ginny turns and sees Draco looking out of the window at the city, lost in thought. She crosses the room and slides her arms around his torso, laying her head against his back. He pulls her arms tighter against his chest. "All done?"
"Yeah, the last elf just left. I was thinking we could go out for one last lunch at Pierre's, and maybe take a final walk along the river. By the time we're done the elves should be finished unpacking."
Draco turns around and looks at Ginny sternly. "You can't tell Granger we used house elves for the move."
Ginny snorts. "Yeah, we haven't seen her and Harry in months, so the first thing I'm going to do at dinner this weekend is incite a violent debate about creatures' rights." She pats him on the chest. "Your secret is safe with me. You know I didn't want to pack all that up and move it any more than you did."
Draco and Hermione are always arguing about politics. At first, Ginny was concerned about Draco alienating Hermione, who was the most supportive of their relationship out of all her friends, but she realized quickly that arguing vehemently was something they both enjoyed. Even though there was a lot of yelling in the middle of it, by the end, they both seemed oddly relaxed.
Harry and Ginny didn't get it and preferred to leave them alone when they got into their big debates. They'd usually go to another room and play chess and Ginny got to enjoy beating someone for a change. She's never beaten Draco, and only defeated Ron a handful of times, typically on nights he'd had too much to drink. And while Ginny was usually able to win against Cecelia, she let her daughter win most times, to boost her confidence - something Draco refused to do.
Draco slides his hands around Ginny's hips and places them in her back pockets, pulling her closer to him. "I like your plan," he says in response to her earlier statement about lunch.
"When did you tell your father we'd pick Cecelia up today?"
"Not until after dinner. I thought it would give us time to get the house ready, and I knew she wouldn't mind."
"No. She's the only one in this family who likes him."
Draco smirks. "I like him. When he's not berating me for marrying a Weasley, having a child out of wedlock, ruining my life by agreeing to ten years of exile to keep his arse out of prison, or for holding flawed opinions about how to run our estate."
"Oh, so ten minutes out of every year?" Ginny quips.
"Also, when he's asleep," Draco adds seriously.
Ginny smiles. Lucius was certainly a difficult wizard. At first, he absolutely hated her, and she hated him right back. She'd thought once Draco told him how she'd rescued him from Voldemort, Lucius would soften toward her, but he just blamed her for putting Draco in danger in the first place.
Since Cecelia was born, however, Ginny and Lucius had moved past overt hatred to begrudging acceptance. Lucius tolerated Ginny because he realized that if she wasn't in Draco's life, he wouldn't have the perfect granddaughter he adored more than anything. And it was hard for Ginny to hate someone who loved her daughter as wholeheartedly as Lucius did.
"Well, there's no question why Cecelia likes him." Draco's voice cuts into her thoughts. "It's easy to like someone who dotes on you obsessively."
"If he tries to send her away with another lavish gift-"
"I know. Don't worry," he bends down to place a soft kiss on her lips. Just then, Ginny's stomach growls and they both laugh. She remembers that in the chaos of packing, she'd forgotten to eat breakfast.
"Well, that's our cue to leave."
She begins to pull away, but he tightens his grip, forcing her to stay in his arms. "Wait." His grey eyes are serious now and Ginny nods for him to say what's on his mind. "Tell me honestly, are you nervous?"
"Yes," she sighs. "Not for us. We've been through so much worse. But, well, you know."
He nods sadly. They've discussed this at length. They're worried for Cecelia and how she'll be treated by strangers. Will people try to punish her for Draco's crimes?
They've told Cecelia a lot about the war, much more than an eight-year-old should ever have to know, but they wanted to be sure she heard it from them, and not a random stranger on the street. She knows her father was on the wrong side of the war and that he was forced to kill a lot of people. She also knows he turned spy and helped them win, but that he had to pretend to be in a foreign prison for ten years, working off his and her Papa Lucius's crimes.
They also had to ask her to lie for them, which was the part they hated most. But they couldn't let it get out that Draco hadn't spent the past decade in jail. Draco's eyes are sad, and Ginny raises a hand to his face.
"I'm-" he starts.
Ginny moves her hand down and presses her fingers to his lips, cutting him off. "Don't even think about apologizing. You have given me everything I could have ever wanted, and a lot of things I didn't even know I wanted."
"Even one thing that took you several years to realize you actually wanted," he teases, obviously referring to Cecelia.
When Ginny had first found out she was pregnant in the middle of her first season playing Quidditch in America, she'd been filled with dread. Her parents already disliked Draco and now they'd be having a child before they were married? And it wasn't like having a baby was going to change that situation. Ginny wasn't ready to get married, and Draco wasn't ready to ask.
To make things worse, Cecelia was awful for the first few years of her life, causing Ginny to hate motherhood. She loved her child in a dutiful sort of way, but she didn't like her one bit. Cecelia was a very demanding baby, and an even worse toddler and Ginny yearned for the days when it had just been her and Draco. During that time, they traveled more than ever and one of them always had Cecelia strapped to them in a sling, since being carried around to new and interesting sights seemed to be the only thing that calmed her.
Then, around the time Cecelia turned five, she finally mellowed out. All that work they'd done with her to help her identify and process her extreme emotions finally seemed to click. She turned her insatiable energy inward and became an intense, thoughtful child. After that, Cecelia became Ginny's favorite person in the entire world (besides Draco), and she was glad she'd never gone through with her plan to find a time turner, go back to before Cecelia was born, and take that dose of Contraceptive Potion she's accidentally skipped.
Ginny focuses back on Draco. "I never would have made it through those years without you. You are an incredible father, and an even better husband. And whatever awaits us back home is going to be fine. We're going to be fine."
Draco pulls her hand away from his mouth and kisses her hard. She can feel the fear and desperation in his touch and moves her hands to his back, dragging her fingernails gently along the top in an attempt to soothe his nerves. When he pulls away, he places a final kiss on her cheek before pulling her tightly against his chest. "I hope you're right, Ginny."
Four Months Later
Ginny is in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner and wondering if she could get away with employing a house elf without Hermione ever finding out, when she's interrupted by a tap at the window. It's an owl. She almost ignores it, assuming it's just more hate mail for Draco, when she recognizes the unique markings on the owl's face. This was the one she saw in Mr. Brown's office - the owner of the Tornados who she'd met with earlier today.
Ginny lets the owl in and takes the letter out of his beak before sending him on his way. She opens the letter quickly.
Mrs. Malfoy,
I'm sorry to inform-
Ginny tosses the parchment on the stove and lights it swiftly with her wand, watching in satisfaction as the letter burns. She sighs and turns off the stove. She's fine, she reminds herself. She'd sort of expected this. She'll just have to move on to "plan B."
After being refused a job as a scout from all the major Quidditch teams in the UK, despite the fact that she had a long list of references from a number of prestigious, international teams, her only course of action was to do scouting work for the next season as a free agent. She'd track all of the potential players, write up their skills, and draft up detailed scouting reports for each team for free. Once they saw her undeniable knack at picking out young talent, someone would surely hire her for the next season.
This had been Theo's idea. He knew a good bit about fighting your way into a job. After the war, he hadn't been hated by the public, like Draco was, but Theo still found it very difficult to find work. So, he'd gone to work in the Muggle world. Unlike Ginny, he didn't have the luxury of working for free for a year. His family had lost all their money in the war and he needed a steady salary.
He worked in banking and climbed the ranks with surprising speed. Several years later, a few Wizarding firms sought him out. Not only had he proven his prowess in understanding financial markets, he had developed a deep knowledge of the Muggle corporate world. So he was finally able to get a real job in their world, but he had to work a lot for it up front. Ginny could do the same.
Ginny lifts her wand and directs the clean plates back into the cabinet, then turns and goes upstairs to Cecelia's room. She hears Draco and Cecelia speaking as she approaches the open door. Ginny hopes Draco will finally be able to coax Cecelia into telling him what's been bothering her for the past few weeks.
Draco's return to Britain has not gone smoothly. The hate mail and nasty articles in some of the magazines had been expected. Draco had also expected to be stopped on the street a few times. But they'd hoped people would leave their daughter alone. However, nasty whispers seemed to follow them anytime they went out in public as a family.
And a month ago, when they'd been in Diagon Alley buying new robes, there had been an incident with an elderly witch who was selling sweets off a cart. Cecelia had been delighted to finally have a chance to taste some of the sweets Ginny and Draco had told her about, but that they hadn't been able to find in other countries. She had approached the witch and politely asked for three chocolate frogs and three boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored beans.
"I'm not servin' the spawn of a Death Eater and his whore," the old witch had croaked before turning away from Cecelia.
Cecelia's large grey eyes had filled with tears and Draco nearly snapped. He was shaking with rage and Ginny could tell it was taking all his restraint to keep from hexing the witch. Ginny had sent them both home and finished up their errands on her own. Then, before returning home, she'd stopped by Honeydukes to pick up a pile of sweets for Cecelia.
Later that night, Cecelia had asked Ginny what a "whore" was. It was one of their more awkward conversations, but at least she'd asked Ginny, and not Draco.
Draco refused to talk about the incident and after that day, he didn't go out in public with Cecelia anymore. Occasionally he and Ginny would go out to dinner, or to a Quidditch match, but only if they were able to secure a private room or box ahead of time.
Hermione had been urging Ginny to go out more, arguing that it wouldn't get better until everyone got used to seeing them. She also suggested they make some very public appearances with her and Harry, saying it would be good to remind the world that Harry supported Draco. Ginny hadn't broached the subject with Draco, yet. She knew he'd hate having to rely on Harry like that. And they had time; they had only been in Britain a few months.
They'd enrolled Cecelia into the posh primary school Draco had attended when he was younger. It was mostly patronized by Pureblood families, and they'd chosen it since they reasoned the Purebloods were less likely to be offended by Draco's role in the war. However, Cecelia had been down the past few weeks, and they suspected she was having a hard time at school. But every time they asked her about it, she said school was fine.
They'd tried asking the teachers and the school administrator if they'd noticed anything, but they said Cecelia was doing well and although she hadn't made any close friends, they hadn't noticed anyone bullying her. Draco was convinced the teachers were lying and Ginny didn't know what to think.
Ginny strains her ears as she listens to them chatter away in French. Cecelia had inherited Draco's knack for languages and they always tried to pick up the local language. French was the only one that stuck, though, probably because it was the only one Draco spoke fluently, besides English. Ginny never spoke French if she could help it, since her accent was atrocious, but after living in France for the past year and a half and having it so frequently spoken in her home, she'd come to understand it well enough.
"Your mother and I are worried about you, mon cœur," Draco is saying.
"I'm fine."
"Please, stop lying. Tell me what's going on at school."
Cecelia is quiet and Ginny peeks her head in. Draco is sitting on her bed with his legs stretched out and she is lying back against his chest as he massages her scalp.
Cecelia sighs and closes her eyes before finally starting to talk. Ginny sits down on the floor in the hall and rests her head against the wall as she listens to them.
"Augustus is telling everyone you killed his uncle."
Ginny's heart breaks for Draco. She almost goes in to support him but doesn't want to do anything to interrupt Cecelia. They've been trying to get her to open up to them for weeks.
"That may be true," Draco says in a flat voice. "I've told you I was forced to kill people in the war."
Cecelia is quiet and after a time, Ginny hears her sobbing softly. She looks back in the room and sees that Draco has pulled her onto his lap. He has his head bent over her, so Ginny can't see his expression, but she imagines he's struggling to hold back his own tears.
"And Papa?" she asks through her tears.
"What about him?" Draco asks in a broken voice.
Ginny's heart drops. Had someone been going on about Lucius's crimes too? Damn. Draco's were bad enough. They hadn't prepared her for all the evil Lucius had done.
"Did Papa really blow up a bridge and kill a hundred Muggles?"
Draco sighs. "Yes. But I think it was closer to thirty or forty Muggles. Your Papa and I were ordered to do those things by the Dark Wizard I told you about."
Ginny hears the tears in Draco's voice, and she starts to cry silently as her heart continues to break for him.
"Did he really live at the Manor?" Cecelia asks next. "The bad wizard?" She seems to be on a roll with her questions now.
"He did."
"Did he- um, ever go in my room?"
"Oh, no, no, no, mon cœur. The room you stay in at the Manor was my room growing up, and during the war, I was the only person who entered it. No evil happened there. It was contained to the East Wing of the house, which is why that side is closed off now."
Ginny hears rustling in the room and takes a moment to wipe her eyes.
"Did Uncle Harry really defeat the bad wizard and save everyone?"
Draco sighs again. "He did. He had a lot of help though, from your mother, for one, also your Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. And-" Draco pauses for a moment and Ginny hears more shuffling. "This is the wand he killed the Dark Wizard with."
Ginny can picture him showing Cecelia his wand. "What? Your wand?"
"Yes. I let your Uncle Harry borrow it for a little bit during the war."
They are both quiet, then Draco says, "I'm so sorry to be such a source of shame for you, mon cœur. I hated every moment of it, and if I could go back and change it all, I would."
There's more rustling and Ginny peeks in and sees Cecelia wrapping her arms tightly around Draco's neck. He has his eyes closed and she can tell he's using Occlumency.
"I'm not ashamed," Cecelia whispers, switching back to English now. "You're the best father in the entire world."
Ginny pulls her head out the doorway before she's seen. Tears are falling down her face again. Draco and Cecelia have always had a strong bond. Draco was the only one able to calm Cecelia when she got overwhelmed with her emotions as a young girl, and Cecelia was a balm for Draco's tattered soul.
Before Cecelia came along, Ginny had told Draco a million times that he wasn't evil, and that he was as deserving of happiness as she was. But it wasn't until he heard it from his daughter that he truly started to believe it.
"Tell me honestly, do you want us to leave England? We can go back to France, or that town in Italy you loved. We can work on our Italian, which we never really got the hang of."
"Gian said it was because we were too uptight," Cecelia chimes in, in broken Italian.
Draco lets out a small laugh and answers her in his own, stiff Italian. "What do you say, Piccola?" He switches back to English. "Or we can leave Europe again and go back to America, Japan, Argentina, anywhere you want, mon cœur."
"We can't leave, Father. Mum loves it here so much," Cecelia whispers, speaking in English again.
"She would understand," Draco replies.
Ginny pulls her legs up and drops her head into her knees. "Yes, love," Ginny whispers. "I would."
"It's okay, I like it, mostly," Cecelia continues. "I love the Burrow, and going to James's house, and playing in the forest outside. I like the Manor, and I like seeing all the places you went to growing up. It's only my primary school I don't like. The other kids are so mean to you, and they don't even know you."
"I'm so sorry," Draco responds.
"I was thinking, maybe I could leave that school, and we could go back to like it was before, when you did all my lessons. You're such a better teacher than Miss Pepperwood, and I know you have work, but I'll do most of the lessons myself. I won't be a bother, I promise."
Draco's voice is pained when he speaks. "You could never be a bother to me, Cecelia. And I would love to teach you all the way up until you go to Hogwarts. But you need to be with other kids. You've been with just me and your mother your whole life."
"That's not true!" she argues. "I see James, and Victoire, and Teddy sometimes, too."
"Those are all cousins, mon cœur. And none of them are your exact age. Believe me, I know it's hard, but it will get better. We'll talk to your teachers and see what they can do to help."
Cecelia sighs and Ginny can perfectly picture the pout that's probably on her face. "Fine, then I have a counteroffer."
"Of course you do."
"May I go to James's primary school?"
"The Muggle one?"
"I'd be with other kids, but no one there would hate our family."
"You'd have to pretend magic doesn't exist," Draco warns. "Absolutely no mention of it, and no specifics about our world. Also, no bursts of accidental magic would be allowed. You'd have to remain in control at all times."
"I understand. It's not my preferred choice, but it will be better. Though I know Papa would hate it," she adds in an undertone. Ginny smiles as she imagines the reaction on Lucius's face if he learned Cecelia was planning to attend a Muggle school.
"Don't listen to anything he tells you about Muggles or Muggleborns," Draco says sternly.
"I know, you've told me a hundred times. 'Just look at Aunt Hermione,'" she recites dutifully.
"Exactly." Ginny smiles. Draco sighs and eventually says, "About the primary school. I'll talk about it with your mother."
Ginny will agree in an instant. If Cecelia is willing to deal with the difficulties of attending a Muggle school, she doesn't mind. She'll have James near, although he's a few years below her, but maybe they'd see each other at playtime. They wouldn't have to worry about the other kids taunting her, and maybe she could finally make friends with children she wasn't related to.
"You know what might help me feel better?" Cecelia's tone is overly sweet and she's switched back to French. Ginny knows she's about to ask for something.
"Hmm?"
"A dog. It's very lonely being an only child and trying to cope with the taunts from school. I think having a friend I could always rely on might help."
Draco hums again. "You're laying it on a little thick, mon cœur. You need to work on being more subtle."
"Right," Cecelia says thoughtfully. "How would you play it?"
Ginny rolls her eyes. Only a child could switch from such a heavy, emotional topic about her father being a murderer to asking for a dog so quickly. She hears them shift in the bed and peeks around the edge of the door frame again. Draco is looking at the ceiling as he strokes his chin while Cecelia watches him adoringly, like he's the smartest wizard in the entire world. Ginny wishes she had a camera to capture the moment.
"It's a good start," Draco continues, "playing on our guilt. Guilt is a very powerful emotion."
"Yes, I've learned that from Papa."
Draco lets out a laugh. "You are too clever. Anyway, you can't make it too obvious. You went straight from the sob story to the request. That makes the other person feel manipulated, and people reject ideas that don't feel like their own."
"Okay, so how do I fix that?"
"You tell your sad story, then wait a little bit, a few days even. Mention the dog in a separate conversation, after the guilt has had a chance to settle in. And don't make it a direct request - people tend to always think 'no' when asked for something directly, especially parents. Let the other person think getting a dog as a cure for your sadness and loneliness is their idea."
Ginny shakes her head and rolls her eyes again. These damn Slytherins. She was just feeling sorry for them, but they were scheming about how best to use that feeling of hers to get what they wanted.
"What are my chances?" Cecelia asks.
"I think 50%."
"Will you get in my way this time? I know you didn't want me to get a dog in Paris."
"My main objection was that we didn't have room for one. There's plenty of room now, and as long as he sleeps downstairs, I don't mind. You just need to convince your mother."
"I'll try what you said and report back." Ginny can imagine the mischievous grin, so similar to Draco's, on her daughter's face.
Draco sighs. "You know what, moncœur? I have a feeling you're going to give your mother and I a massive heart attack one day."
"Well, there's a potion for that, isn't there?"
Draco laughs. "Yes, I believe there is. We should probably start stocking up now."
Ginny hears Draco get up out of the bed and in the next moment, he's in the doorway. He isn't surprised to see her sitting on the floor and reaches his hand down to her. She grips it and presses her lips against his knuckles.
"Father?" Cecelia calls from the room.
Draco looks back toward her.
"Don't worry about me. I'm going to be okay."
Draco smiles. "I know. I love you, Cecelia. Sleep tight." He closes the door and looks down at Ginny, who has tears streaming down her face again.
Draco tightens his grip on her hand and pulls her up into his arms. He wipes her tears away with his thumbs and she sees that his own eyes are lined with tears too. Draco leans in and kisses her neck before whispering in her ear. "I know exactly how you feel. But don't worry. You heard her, she's going to be okay."
Ginny nods and dips her head against his shoulder. "Right, with that dog I'm going to be manipulated into getting her."
Draco wraps his arms around her. "The dog you were already planning to get."
Ginny scoffs, prompting Draco to lean back and brush the back of his hand against her cheek. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to get her mind off the other stuff."
Probably his mind too, Ginny thinks. "It's okay. I knew what I was getting into when I married a Slytherin."
"Your daughter is a Slytherin, too," he replied with a sly smile.
Ginny huffs, "We'll see."
Three years later
Ginny is sitting on Cecelia's bed, braiding her daughter's hair, while Cecelia lists off all the items she'd packed in her trunk to make sure she hadn't missed anything.
"It sounds like you got it all, love," Ginny replies when Cecelia has finished going through her mental list for a second time. "Now tell me honestly, are you nervous?"
Cecelia is quiet and Ginny waits patiently while she continues to braid her red-blonde hair. Cecelia is similar to her father and hesitates anytime she's asked to share her feelings. But Ginny knows once she's had time to think about, and carefully choose her words, she'll respond.
"Yes," she says eventually.
Ginny looks in the mirror above the dresser and sees Cecelia's eyes are stung with tears. Cecelia looks down at her lap when she sees Ginny looking at her reflection.
"You don't have to go to Hogwarts, Cecelia. You can go to Beauxbatons. Your father talked to their Headmistress last week and she'd love to have you."
Cecelia begins playing with a thread on the hem of her shirt. "I know, Mum. But I want to go to Hogwarts. I know it will be hard, but I'm ready for it, and I'm a lot older than I was when we first moved here."
Ginny finishes her braid and ties it off, then turns Cecelia to face her. Cecelia crosses her legs to match Ginny's pose and Ginny waits until she looks up at her to give her a small smile. "You're so brave, love. And I know you don't like to upset us, but we won't be disappointed if you change your mind. Don't try to be a hero, okay? If you're not liking it, tell us."
Cecelia looks at the dog sleeping on the floor and Ginny can tell she's thinking hard, maybe deciding if she'll actually tell her parents if things aren't going well. Ginny knows better than to rely solely on Cecelia to tell them if things are bad. Cecelia has that unique blend of being simultaneously self-serving and self-sacrificing, like Draco. Most of the time, she behaves selfishly, having no problem manipulating those around her to get what she wants. But when it comes to the short list of people she loves - she'll suffer immensely to save them from any sort of pain.
That's why Ginny met with McGonagall last week and asked her to look out for her daughter and report back if there was any excessive bullying or if she was having trouble making friends.
After a few moments of watching her dog, Cecelia smiles and turns back to face Ginny. "I do want to go, Mum. I want to see all the things you've told me about. I want to find out what house I'm in and play Quidditch as soon as they'll let me. I want to sneak into the Forbidden Forest, and nick sweets from the kitchen. I want to visit Hogsmeade and see if I can become a Prefect. I want to do all of it, Mum."
Ginny nods. She knows exactly how Cecelia feels. After hearing about Hogwarts for years from her parents and brothers, she had been desperate to attend once it was finally her turn.
"Uncle Harry pulled me aside last weekend and told me that sometimes the gossip at school is really bad, but that it always passes. Did you know a lot of students were really cruel to him when he was growing up?"
Ginny bites her tongue. The students Cecelia was referring to were led by Draco. "He's right, Cecelia. They may be harsh to you in the beginning, but soon, they'll lose interest and move on to some other topic."
"Also, I want to see where you and Father fell in love," she says wistfully.
"Well, that all happened mostly in one place. The Prefects' office on the second floor. Though I'm not sure if that's where the Prefects' office still is."
"Father already drew me a map," she motions toward her trunk.
"Of course he did," Ginny smiles.
Cecelia's grey eyes suddenly turn serious. "You need to take care of Father. He's going to be a mess without me. When he gets into one of his forlorn moods, you-"
Ginny places a hand on Cecelia's shoulder. "I know. I was taking care of him for years before you came along. I've got this." Cecelia nods, but looks a little doubtful.
"You're not worried about me?" Ginny asks. "I'm going to miss you terribly."
Cecelia waves away her question. "You'll be fine. The scouting season is starting up, so the Harpies will be keeping you busy."
Ginny smiles. So, Cecelia has thought this through. "We'll both be fine, love. But it will help if you write a lot."
"Of course. Every day."
"Once a week is fine," Ginny says with a laugh.
Cecelia is quiet again and Ginny can tell she's trying to work up the courage to ask her something. Ginny leans back on her hands and waits for her to start talking.
"You've never told me the details of how you met Father. Just that you fell in love at Hogwarts, during the war. Was it love at first sight?"
Ginny lets out a laugh, then catches herself. She remembers the first time she met Draco at Flourish and Blotts just before her first year. He'd been taunting Harry and Ron while wearing a nasty scowl that twisted his features and made him look very unattractive. It certainly wasn't "love at first sight."
She's reminded again of how little Cecelia knows about the details and nuances of their past. She knows the big things - like how Draco was a Death Eater-turned-spy who killed and tortured people under Voldemort's orders - but she doesn't know he was a blood purist for most of his childhood, that he was a bully in school, and that he and Harry had hated each other.
Ginny figures soon enough, they'll have to tell her all of it, but it's so hard to decide the right time for it. She still seems so young. But their love story, at least some parts of it, she could tell her. She's a little surprised she didn't already know. Ginny assumed Cecelia would have asked Draco by now.
"Have we really not told you this story?" Ginny asks.
Cecelia shakes her head and looks down at the bedspread. "I know you don't like to talk about the war."
Ginny places a hand on her leg. "The war was awful, but there were still some beautiful moments. And if it hadn't been for the war, I probably never would have gotten together with your father. So, it wasn't all bad."
Ginny shifts to the head of the bed and rests her back against the headboard. She pats the spot next to her. "To answer your question, no, it was not love at first sight. We were on opposite sides of the war and thought we were supposed to hate each other."
Cecelia takes the spot next to Ginny and is looking up at her with rapt attention. Ginny wraps an arm around her shoulders. "One night, when I was serving detention in the Forbidden Forest, I was bitten by a snake, because I wasn't wearing my gloves. Always wear your gloves when foraging for Potions ingredients, okay?"
"Okay," she answers automatically.
"Anyway, your father saved me. He gathered me in his arms and carried me to the Hospital Wing and the medi-witch said if he hadn't acted so quickly, I would have died. I was so confused about why he'd saved me, since he was a Death Eater. So, I asked him why he'd done it."
"What did he say?"
Ginny remembers it like it was yesterday and tears sting her eyes as she remembers how scared and lost Draco had been at that point in the war. "He said, 'I've stood by while others have been hurt in front of me too many times. I wanted to see what it was like to save someone, for once.' Then I asked, 'And? How does it feel?'"
Ginny pauses to let out a laugh. "Well, I bet you can guess what he said next."
"What?"
"The phrase he always uses when he doesn't want to admit that he likes something."
"Oh, 'It's not unpleasant?'"
"Exactly."
Cecelia laughs. "Tell me more."
"Okay, settle in. It's a long story."
One month later
Ginny is in the kitchen, reading a letter that was just dropped off by Cecelia's owl over Draco's shoulder.
Dear Mum and Father,
It's been a month to the day since I started at Hogwarts and I've been holding off on passing judgement to give myself time to settle into this new experience. Well, I can say with certainty now, that I'm in love. I think this is one of the most magical places I've ever seen (and you know that's saying a lot, since we've been all over the world).
I always thought I'd grown up in a magical home, since you both use magic regularly, but using magic in an ordinary, Muggle house or flat and living in a place that seems to breathe with magic are two separate things. The Manor is the closest I've ever felt to this, since it also emanates magic. But it's a heavy, oppressive magic. The magic here is light and whimsical and makes me feel safe.
I love everything about the castle, from Peeves, to random screaming books coming from the Restricted Section of the Library, to the moving staircases, to the ghosts (who all have fascinating back stories), to the giant squid. I also love being in Slytherin (sorry Mum).
Draco turns and grins at Ginny. "Did you get to the Slytherin bit, yet?"
Ginny rolls her eyes. "Yes, you've made your point. She's a Slytherin, she loves it, blah blah. I don't need to hear it again."
Draco kisses her cheek, then turns back to the letter.
I can't wait for Quidditch to start up. The Slytherin team is holding try-outs next week and I so desperately want to go, but McGonagall said she wouldn't budge on the rule about first-years playing. I pointed out that she had no trouble budging for Uncle Harry, when Gryffindor needed him, and she called me impertinent, but I could tell she wasn't too angry with me. I'll keep working on her.
On that topic, I know you have McGonagall looking out for me, since she's invited me to her office a few times for tea and hasn't done that for anyone else, but you really don't have to worry. I'm sure she'll tell you the same as me, that things are going well and I'm fine.
Draco looks over his shoulder at Ginny with his eyebrow cocked and she shrugs. "What? I knew I couldn't trust Cecelia to tell us if she was being bullied."
Draco smirks and turns back to the letter.
The gossip hasn't been as bad as we thought. There are whispers, but no one is saying anything I haven't heard before, and as soon as they found out I already knew all about what Father had done in the war and didn't care, it wasn't very fun to taunt me anymore and they moved on, like you said they would.
I've made a friend, too. Her name is Adelaide Fawcett. She's one of my dorm mates and she also knows French. But don't worry, Father, we're careful not to be rude and speak it around other people, making them think we're talking about them. We only speak in French when we're alone.
She loves when I tell her about all the exotic places I've seen. I make sure to never include Father in any of the tales, and just say I was traveling the world with you, Mum, while Father was finishing his prison sentence in France.
Draco sighs heavily and Ginny wraps her arms around his middle before continuing to read.
My favorite subject is, without question, Potions. It's the perfect mix of practicality and creativity. My second favorite is Charms, and my least favorite subject is History of Magic, since it's so dull and Father has already taught me everything interesting about history.
Anyway, I should run. I need to write a letter to James, then I have an essay for Herbology to finish up.
Lots of love,
Cecelia
P.S. Every time I walk by the Prefects' Office on the second floor my heart swells and I think, "My parents fell in love there!" I love you both and I hope you're taking care of each other, since I'm not there to look after you two. Hang in there, Christmas will be here soon!
When Ginny finishes reading the letter, she tightens her grip on Draco and whispers in his ear, "Am I doing a good job of taking care of you?"
He places the letter on the table and turns around to face her. "Well enough," he says as he pushes a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Do you think she's lying?"
"No, it sounds sincere, and you have your spy you can check with later," he adds with a grin.
Ginny smiles and links her arms behind Draco's neck. "You did such a good job with her."
"I feel like you had a part in that."
"A small part. I threw myself back into Quidditch as soon as I was cleared to fly following her birth. You were the one with her through most of those first years when she was an absolute monster. You changed all the nappies, brewed healing potions when she was sick, stayed up with her when she couldn't sleep, and helped her reign in her emotions. She wouldn't be the lovely witch she is today if it weren't for you."
Draco bends his head down and mutters in her ear in a low voice, "I have a confession."
"What?" she asks, surprised by his suddenly serious tone.
"I had a house elf helping me those first few years."
"What?! You did?"
He laughs. "I did. One of the Malfoy Manor ones, Tippy. She was living close to us the whole time and anytime you left me alone with Cecelia, I called her to help me. I would have been completely lost, otherwise."
Ginny laughs too. "Well that makes me feel loads better. Damn. I thought you were like some baby whisperer."
"I was better than you," he quips.
Ginny hits him playfully on the shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Well, we survived, and it all ended up being worth it."
Draco wraps his arms around Ginny again and places a soft kiss on her lips. "Yes. I really miss her, but I'm glad she's off on her own, and thriving - in Slytherin," he adds with a smirk.
Ginny shuts him up with a kiss. Soon their slow kiss turns passionate and Draco picks Ginny up and places her on the table. She wraps her legs around him and lets out a soft moan when he starts kissing the sensitive spot on her neck just below her ear.
"We have that St. Mungo's fundraiser tonight, at seven," she breathes. "But we can be a little late."
Draco leans back and gives her one of his rare, genuine smiles. Even after all these years, her heart flutters every time he looks at her like this (like he can't believe his luck at having ended up with her). "We're going to be a lot late," he replies.
"Okay," she says as she pulls him back into a kiss.
Four years later
Hermione goes to pour herself another glass of wine, but the bottle is empty. She's about to get up to get more when Harry stands and places a hand on her arm. "I've got it."
She gives him an appreciative nod and turns back to Ron's wife, Edie, who is telling a story about a recent patient who'd come into the spell damage ward at St. Mungo's with his legs and arms swapped. Edie was a healer and she'd met Ron when he was injured and admitted to St. Mungo's for a few weeks during his early days as an Auror.
Hermione is having trouble focusing on Edie's story, however, since her mind keeps drifting to Albus. She checks her watch. He's definitely been sorted by now. Which house is he in? Is he really a Slytherin, like Ginny and Draco thought? She doesn't remember any specifics from her visions of the future.
She doesn't care if Albus ends up being in Slytherin, she's just worried James will tease him mercilessly. But Cecelia will keep James in line. And now that Cecelia is a Prefect, it's part of her job to look after first years, though Hermione knows she would have looked after Albus anyway.
Will Albus struggle to make friends? He's so shy and introspective, nothing like his outgoing siblings. He'll be fine, a voice in her mind asserts. Her attention is brought back to the table by a mention of James.
"What was with James making eyes at Cecelia on the platform today?" Draco asks, directing his question at Harry, who is walking back into the room carrying a new bottle of wine.
Harry shrugs and Edie chimes in, saying teasingly, "Every boy on that platform was making eyes at Cece, Draco. Your daughter has turned into a beautiful witch. You're going to have to get used to this."
Draco glares at Edie. "First of all – don't use that nickname. I hate it, and so does Cecelia."
"Except for when James uses it," Ron cuts in.
"Shut up, Weasley. Second of all – I know she's beautiful, but I can't control the other blokes, unfortunately. But James..." Draco turns back to Harry. "They're friends; that's it."
Harry shrugs again and adds with a look to Hermione, "I think friends make good couples."
Draco rolls his eyes and grumbles, "Very cute, Potter."
"Relax. They're two years apart," Ginny places a hand on Draco's arm. "Even if James does like her, she still sees him as a little boy."
"What do you find so offensive about James?" Harry asks, challengingly. "Please tell us it's not his blood status."
Draco scoffs, "Come on, don't insult me like that. I love the kid and all, of course, but he's a Potter."
Harry looks over at Hermione, clearly exasperated, before turning back to Draco. "Believe me, I want my son with a Malfoy as little as you want Cecelia with a Potter."
"Good, we're in agreement then. Let's keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't get out of hand."
"Fine by me," Harry retorts.
Ginny and Hermione exchange knowing looks before rolling their eyes. Harry, Ron, and Draco are all friends now, but they still like to act like they hate each other like this.
Hermione thinks back on the past summer, trying to remember any instances between James and Cecelia that seemed out of the ordinary. Did James have a crush on her? It was certainly possible.
She was beautiful, and popular, and something of a Quidditch star. But they'd also called each other cousins most of their life. But she remembers earlier this summer James had corrected Hermione when she'd referred to Cecelia as his cousin, pointing out that they weren't related by blood. Maybe that was a hint that he'd fallen for her a little bit.
Hermione smiles. She thinks James and Cecelia would make a good couple, later, when they're out of school and the two-year age difference is less significant. James's easy-going nature would be a good counter to Cecelia's seriousness. And they'd been inseparable for years, so it was clear they got on well.
But it would be a ways off, if it ever did happen. James was just thirteen. Hermione sees Draco watching her carefully from across the table. She's about to ask him what's wrong when Ron turns to Draco and announces, "It's time for your quarterly check-up. Have you been performing Dark Magic, consorting with criminals, or doing anything else illegal?"
"I feel duty-bound as the head of the office to point out that you're actually supposed to go to his house and inspect it," Harry says.
Ron shrugs. "That's a lot of work, boss."
"I am not doing anything illegal," Draco states.
Ron looks to Ginny for confirmation. "I can attest to that," she says. "There have been some close calls, but I'm still keeping him in line."
"Sounds good. I'll write up the report tomorrow."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear this whole interchange when I go to sign off on that report," Harry grumbles.
"Well, Harry, what did you expect when you assigned Ron to look after his own brother-in-law?" Edie asks.
Both Draco and Ron scowl and say at the same time, "Don't call us that," causing the rest of the group to laugh.
Later, Hermione goes upstairs to check on Lily and the twins, who are watching a movie on the Muggle television. On her way down the stairs, she sees Draco waiting for her in the hall.
"Tell me honestly. Do I need to prepare myself for a Potter/Malfoy wedding? I know it'll be far off, but I think I'll need about a decade to get used to the idea."
He is studying her reaction intently and she figures that even if she tries to lie, he'll be able to see the truth on her face.
She lets out a sigh and says honestly, "I don't know."
"I've seen the types of visions you have. You really expect me to believe you haven't seen your children's spouses? I'm sure you've even seen their kids by now. Wait - don't tell me about Potter/Malfoy grandchildren - I don't want to know anything about that."
Hermione looks away from him, down at the bottom stair she's standing on.
"What is it?" Draco asks, concerned now.
"I haven't looked, since-" she cuts off, keeping her face down.
"What?" he hisses. "Please tell me you're joking. You've kept your visions locked in your mind for - what has it been? - over fifteen years?!"
Tears spring into Hermione's eyes and she's suddenly back to that time when she was struggling with her mind, worried she'd eventually have a panic attack she wouldn't able to come back from. Her heart rate speeds up and she starts taking quick, shallow breaths. No! she screams in her head. I am in control of my mind and my thoughts.
Hermione feels a gentle hand on her elbow, pulling her down the last stair. She takes a deep breath and lets Draco lead her to the empty sitting room. Once there, she finally looks up at him and notices that he looks uncharacteristically anxious.
"Why haven't you looked?" he whispers. "I told you how dangerous it can be to place rigid walls in your mind."
"I know, Draco. I remember," she hisses back. She sighs and leans against the wall behind her.
"I don't-" she cuts off, trying to figure out how to best put it into words. "I hate knowing about the future. And I meant to look, like you said, but - I don't know - I'm-" she looks down before finishing, "scared."
It was pathetic, she knew, but she loved her life - her family, her job, and Harry, more than anything. And the last thing she wanted was to learn of some awful event that was to come - like an illness, or maybe another dark wizard or something - then ruin the time she had now, by worrying about something she couldn't change.
"You have so much more to lose now than you did back then," Draco says insistently. "You have a whole family relying on you and soon you're supposed to be running to be the Minister for Magic. Do you want to end up in St. Mungo's and leave Potter alone with all this?" He motions around the room.
"You don't have to guilt me, I get it," she snaps back at him.
Draco sighs and places his hands on her shoulders. "Hermione, listen to me." Hermione has a flashback to Severus. He did this same thing, only used her given name when he needed to tell her something really important. She nods for Draco to continue.
"I shove the majority of my memories from the war to the back of my mind and lock them away as tightly as I can. And as much as I hate to look, I know I have to, since they are a part of me, just as your Seeing ability is a part of you."
"So you still look at them?"
Draco nods. "Every few months. I use Weasley's check-ins as a reminder, so I'm due."
His eyes turn sad. "But I don't go there alone," Draco continues.
It takes Hermione a few moments to realize what he means. "Ginny?" she asks.
Draco nods again. "I made a promise to her the day I got out of Azkaban that I wouldn't hide from her anymore. She's seen everything, and if I didn't have her there with me, I don't think I'd be able to do it. You should stop trying to handle your thoughts alone, too."
Draco drops his hands from her shoulders and takes a step back from her.
Hermione is shaking her head. She knows what he means, but she can't imagine burdening Harry with a future she herself doesn't think she could handle seeing. But that's Draco's point, isn't it? She shouldn't have to handle it by herself. But how was that fair to Harry?
"I know he's an awful Occlumens, but anyone can handle a simple Legilimency spell."
She lets out a small laugh. "That wasn't my concern."
"I know. He defeated the Dark Lord when he was 19. He'll be able to deal with whatever he sees in your mind just fine. Don't be a hero, Granger. Let him help you."
Hermione considers Draco's words for a while as he watches her patiently. Eventually, she steps toward him and wraps her arms around him, whispering, "Thank you."
"You and your fucking hugs," he mutters under his breath, but still wraps his arms around her and pulls her into a comforting embrace.
"We both know you like them."
Later that night, when Harry walks back into the bedroom after changing into his pajamas, he sees Hermione sitting on the bed, frowning as she stares blankly at the wall. He stops to consider her. He knew she was bothered at dinner, but figured she was just worried about Albus. That was natural for any parent sending their child off for their first year at Hogwarts. He was a little worried for their son, too.
But this was more serious than that. There was something really upsetting her. She and Draco had disappeared for a few moments together. Had he told her something distressing?
It wouldn't be about James and Cecelia, that was obviously just a joke. And Draco wouldn't willingly hurt Hermione. Was it something about work? Maybe he couldn't secure her the votes he'd promised for the legislation she was trying to get passed. No, that wouldn't make her this upset.
Harry climbs into bed and turns to face Hermione. She sighs and says in a flat voice, keeping her eyes on the opposite wall, "I have to tell you something, but I'm still working out the best way to say it."
Shit. This is something serious. "Okay," Harry replies. "Take your time." He places a hand on her leg and she grips it firmly with both of hers.
After several moments, she finally starts to talk, but keeps her eyes on the wall. She explains the details of what she'd done years ago to block her visions from coming into the forefront of her mind. Harry nods along as she speaks. He knows all this. Why is she bringing it up now? Had she seen something from the future that upset her?
Harry stays silent, and when Hermione finally ends her explanation, she looks at him and he can tell she's afraid of something. He shifts closer to her and pushes a curl behind her ear. "What's wrong? Did you see something bad that's going to happen?"
Hermione shakes her head. "Remember what I said about having to check in on the part of my mind that I'd closed off every so often?"
Harry nods. "Yeah. You said if you didn't, you'd risk going mad."
Hermione drops her eyes and a single tear falls down her face. Harry wipes it away quickly. "I haven't been looking," she whispers.
Harry's eyes widen in surprise. "But Draco said-"
"I know," she cuts him off.
"And you read about it, you confirmed he was right about-"
"I know, Harry! Okay?!"
Harry bites his lip. He's not helping. She's clearly upset, and he's just making it worse. He starts scratching her back and kisses her on the cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm just scared for you. Why-? Uh - Was there a reason-?" he keeps cutting off.
He doesn't want to sound accusatory but is disappointed she's kept this from him. He trusted her to take care of herself and assumed if anything went wrong, she'd tell him, or at least go to Draco.
She lets out a long sigh before starting to talk again. "I felt so guilty that right after you'd ended the war, when you should have finally had a chance to relax, you were saddled with a mad girlfriend; something you certainly hadn't signed up for. I worked so hard, almost obsessively, on Occlumency for the next few years, desperate to get it under control.
"And then, I finally pushed it all back and was normal again. And every time I considered going to have a look at the visions, I'd get worried that maybe I'd see something bad. And then what? Would I tell you?
"I didn't want to have some big secret to hide from you again. And I didn't want to tell you either, and be a burden to you, Harry. You've already been through more than anyone should have to. So - well - I kept putting it off."
A coldness settles in Harry's gut as his insecurities from when they first got together come back to him. That feeling like she didn't trust him and didn't think he was strong enough to handle hard truths. Stop, a voice in his mind intones. Look at her, she's terrified. Don't make this about you. This is about her.
Harry pulls Hermione onto his lap. She snuggles against his chest and he props his chin on her head as he wraps his arms around her. He knows she trusts him. This is just an example of that thing she does when she worries about everyone else's welfare, without taking any time to consider her own.
"I can't lose you, Hermione. I need you to take care of yourself. Please look. I know you can do it. You are so unbelievably strong, and you can tell me all of it, really. You don't have to protect me - I'm your husband, not one of the kids."
Hermione nods against his chest and when she speaks again, her voice is weak. "Draco told me that - uh - well - I wanted to ask - if you'd go with me?"
"Into your mind?"
She nods again.
"To see the visions of the future?"
"I know it's a big burden, and I understand if-"
"Absolutely," Harry cuts her off, pushing her back slightly so he can see her face.
"Really?"
"Hermione. We've always been there for each other, why would now be any different? You have always been there for me, let me be here for you."
Harry shifts her so she's sitting on the bed and reaches across her to get his wand from the nightstand. He sits across from her and holds his wand up. He was awful at Legilimency in Auror training, but he can get into someone's mind and see what they are trying to show him. Anyone can do that. Hermione still looks apprehensive.
"I know I'm no Hermione Granger, but I'm still pretty strong. I did defeat Tom, the darkest wizard of all time. I'm also the Master of Death, in case you'd forgotten," he teases.
Hermione smiles. "That ego of yours…"
"Ready?" Harry asks, pointing his wand at her head.
Hermione takes his free hand and nods. He takes a breath and clears his mind as best he can. He's suddenly nervous. Then he reminds himself that if he has to march into an unknown future, there's no one else he'd rather be going there with.
Harry leans forward and gives her a quick kiss on the lips before leaning back and saying, "Legilimens!"
A/N: Thanks for joining me for this story! I've never written an action story, or these pairings, or smut, or in the present tense, or a story that flip-flopped back and forth between two relationships, so a lot of this was new, but it was super fun. Thanks for bearing with me as I tried to figure it all out.
Super big thanks to my always supportive beta reader, Lancashire Witch.
My next story is going to be a lighter Harry/Hermione story where they get together after the war, and after breaking up with their respective Weasleys. I liked them as a couple and want to explore that relationship further, without all the drama that was in this story getting in the way.
But for the next month or two I'm going to take a break and edit the stories I've written so far. I've learned a lot about writing and grammar in the past year and cringe a bit when I go back and read my earlier stories, so I want to fix those up, then will be back with some new stuff.
Thanks for all your support! Come see me on Tumblr at Alexandra-Emerson.