A/N: This story was rewritten in December 2021. If you started before then, please read from the beginning – a lot has changed!

Chapter 14

Ginny woke the next morning smiling for the first time in a long time. She could still feel the ghost of Draco's lips on hers. With a groan, she stretched, sighed, and sat up. To her surprise, Luna was curled up at the foot of her bed, leafing through an old edition of Witch Weekly. The blonde witch smiled sleepily and said, "Good morning."

"Mornin'." Ginny stretched again. "What are you doing in here?"

"My water broke early this morning," Luna said quietly, gently stroking her stomach.

"She's coming." Ginny grinned and threw back her blankets so she could get out of bed. Tugging on a pair of jeans she asked, "Did you wake George?"

Luna nodded. "He's panicking. Decided it was time to paint the nursery."

Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes before grabbing a white blouse from the closet. "Are you all packed? Do you want to head to St. Mungo's now or wait a while?"

"I think we're ready. I put my bag by the fireplace."

"Alright, you wait here. I'll go get George." Ginny hugged Luna tightly and slipped out of her room, across the hall to the smallest bedroom in the apartment. After a quick knock, she pushed open the door. Her older brother was standing in the middle of the room, wand pointed at the wall. George was barely dressed, in a pair of boxers and a button-down dress shirt. The buttons were done unevenly, leaving one collar in the middle of his chest while the other nearly poked him in the ear. Empty boxes and bags were littered about, and there were piles of baby toys and clothes on every visible surface. "George, it's time to go to St. Mungo's," Ginny said gently, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ready to go?"

"There's too much to do, Gin," George said hurriedly. He moved his wand around the room, sloppily casting a charm to paint the walls a lilac purple. "I have to paint in here. We didn't baby proof the house. Do we have enough nappies? Clothes?" A look of horror crossed his face. "What if she hates me? Ginny, my own daughter hates me."

"George, she isn't even here. She can't hate you yet," Ginny reminded him. "There will still be time to paint and finish getting ready after she's here. But right now, we need to go."

"Ok," George took a deep breath and dropped his wand, sending a jet of lilac across the white carpet. "Ok, we can do this."

"Yes, we can. Now, you need to go change and Luna and I are going to meet you by the fireplace." George nodded and obediently left the room.

Hurrying back into her room, Ginny found Luna bent over, grasping at the bedframe for support. "He's getting dressed. Let's go." Ginny put her arm around Luna's waist and helped her friend slowly waddle down the hallway to the sitting room."

"Ginny, you need shoes." Luna's voice was strained, and she hissed as another contraction hit.

Ginny glanced down at her fuzzy pink slippers and shrugged. "These will be fine."

George bustled into the room, took one look at his wife, and said tearily, "I got paint on the carpet."

"Now isn't the time, George," Ginny said stiffly. "Why don't you help Luna, and I'll be along after with her bag."

—

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy." Jill greeted Draco at the door with a hot cup of coffee and his daily schedule.

"Good morning, Jill. How was your weekend?" Draco gratefully took the coffee and entered his office with Jill trailing behind him.

"It was fine, sir." She set his mail on his desk and hung up his cloak for him while he opened the curtains to let the sunlight in. Raising her eyebrows in surprise, she said, "You're in a good mood this morning. I take it the opening went well last night?" It was impossible for him to contain his smile, earning an equally brilliant smile from the older witch. "I'm glad, Mr. Malfoy. Can I do anything else for you this morning?"

Draco shook his head and Jill started to leave, but a quick thought made him stop her. "Jill," he paused, suddenly embarrassed, "What do you think of flowers?"

Jill stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him, puzzled. After studying him a moment, she said, "I think flowers are nice, sir."

"Roses?" he asked.

"Two dozen?" Draco gave her a sharp nod and she smiled knowingly. "I'll have the florist send them to Ms. Weasley immediately."

The door to his office shut with a soft click and he collapsed into his chair. The night before couldn't be a fluke – being close to Ginny again was better than he could have hoped. George had urged him to talk to her, but Draco was convinced she hated him.

When his door opened again an hour later, Draco barely glanced up from the contracts on his desk. "Jill, can you make sure we have enough chairs in the board room for my meeting later today?"

"Mr. Malfoy." Hers was the last voice Draco had expected to hear.

"Fiona." Draco stood up quickly, eyes quickly finding the tall blonde witch in the doorway.

"Mr. Malfoy," Fiona repeated formally, giving him a quick nod in greeting. She left the door to his office slightly ajar, and Draco could see Jill peering in curiously. "I've come to bring you my resignation, sir." Fiona held out a scroll. The minute he took it, she pulled her hand away.

"You don't have to quit."

"I think it's best," she said honestly. Once again, she was wearing long black dress robes instead of her fitted power suit and her hair was in the same tight bun.

Draco wasn't quite sure what to say. Previous breakups had always ended with tears or anger. Fiona was overly poised and controlled. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "If you need a letter of recommendation in the future, please let me know."

"Thank you," Fiona gave a stiff nod. "I've already taken a position at the Ministry." She didn't offer more details and Draco didn't ask.

After a moment, Draco said. "I – I'm sorry. For taking advantage of you."

"Advantage?" Fiona raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm a grown woman, Draco. Was just as involved as you were." She took a deep breath. "I hope you and Ms. Weasley are happy together."

"If she ever forgives me," Draco said sheepishly.

Fiona smiled knowingly, "She will."

"Mr. Malfoy." Draco gave a sigh of relief when Jill's voice interrupted the awkward silence between them. "The board is waiting for you upstairs."

"Thank you, Jill." He turned back to Fiona and extended a hand formally, "Best of luck at the Ministry."

"Thank you." She stiffly shook his hand and left, leaving barely a whiff of her perfume behind.

Draco turned to Jill, who said, "I moved everyone into the larger board room, sir." Seeing his surprise, she added, "I believe every member of the board is here this morning."

In the past, Draco had been lucky to have enough member of the board to make quorum. He followed Jill upstairs. As they approached the board room, the soft din of chatter grew louder until they reached the door. Jill opened it for him, and he walked in.

To his complete surprise, the thirteen members of the board immediately stood and began applauding. Draco waved them off, suppressing a smile, and sat at the head of the table. When they finally stopped, he indicated that they all sit. "Gentlemen, thank you all for being here today."

"Mr. Malfoy last night was a raging success," the head of the board said proudly, earning another wave of applause from around the table.

"I can only hope this means more investment in Diagon Alley," Draco said, honestly.

"We've already received a record-breaking number of owls from potential investors," Barnaby Lerrick bragged from Draco's left side."

"Which is one of the reasons we all wanted to speak with you today, Draco." The board president glanced around the table before continuing, "Have you spent much time in D'Leed Alley?"

—

It was nearly six am Tuesday morning when Ginny woke, her back stiff from the sofa in the sitting room. She groaned and turned over, rolling her neck for relief. A loud snort from the other sofa told her George had also fallen asleep. Luna had gone straight to bed immediately after arriving home, grateful for a respite after long hours of labor.

Standing, Ginny stretched, yawned, and turned her attention to the bassinet in the middle of the room. Little Beatrice was asleep, swaddled tightly in a blue blanket knitted by Molly Weasley. Ginny smiled down at her and gently stroked her bright red hair. She grabbed her wand to check if she needed a new nappy. The little girl stirred but stayed asleep.

The fireplace suddenly blazed and to Ginny's utter surprise, Draco stepped through the hearth into the sitting room, his arms full of bags and boxes.

When he righted himself, Ginny whispered, "Draco?"

The usually stoic blond wizard yelped in surprise and jumped, tossing his things in the air. Ginny flinched as everything crashed to the floor. Almost immediately, Beatrice awoke and started wailing.

Cooing gently, Ginny picked up the tiny baby and rocked her lovingly, quickly calming her down. George snorted loudly and rolled over, barely phased by the ruckus. With a jerk of her head, Ginny gestured for Draco to follow her into the kitchen.

"Sweet Merlin, you scared the hell out of me, Weasley," Draco lectured after he gathered everything off the floor. He trailed after her into the kitchen. "You're lucky I didn't hex you." He stacked everything on the counter. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," she said slowly.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I know that, you nitwit. George said you'd all be at St. Mungo's for a few days."

Ginny stifled a giggle, finding his embarrassment endearing. She continued to rock little Beatrice while she explained, "Luna was discharged yesterday afternoon. She was determined to get home." She paused and glanced at the packages on the counter. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to drop off a few things before you all got home. Obviously, I was late," he deadpanned.

"Things?"

"Just stuff for the baby. When Blaise and Priscila had Caio, they said the first few days were the hardest. Priscila said they prepared for everything except the baby actually being in the house." Draco shrugged and poked through the stuff in the bags, "So there's some nappies, coffee, ear plugs. Whatever this is." He held up a mobile with brooms, Snitches, and Quaffles on it. He paused, "It made me think of you."

"Thank you. Oh – and thank you for the roses. They were here when we got home last night." Ginny said, trying not to blush. The roses had been more than a surprise. Draco glanced at the baby in her arms, and she became keenly aware of the intimacy of their situation: Standing alone in the kitchen with the man she loved, holding a sleeping baby.

Draco must have also realized the delicacy of their circumstance. He cleared his throat and said, "Is that her?"

"I hope so," Ginny teased. She held up the little girl who had fallen asleep again. "Beatrice Pandora Molly Weasley."

"She's so tiny." Draco's grey eyes were transfixed on the baby.

"Caio must have been this tiny once."

"Honestly, I avoided him for the first year. I had no idea what do to with a baby." Draco tentatively reached over and touched her small hand. "Still pretty unsure."

"Want to hold her?" Ginny asked.

Draco cleared his throat again roughly and took a step away from her. "No, I probably shouldn't."

"She's just a baby," Ginny teased. "She doesn't bite. You don't have to be scared of her."

"I know she doesn't bite," Draco sneered, offended. After a deep breath, his face softened again and he said quietly, "What if I drop her?"

"You won't," she assured him. "And I'll be right here." Ginny showed him how to hold his arms, and she carefully transferred the newborn to him, ensuring her head was supported.

Draco stared down at the little girl, studying every inch of her face. "She's cute," he said softly, "Even with red hair." He smirked at Ginny to show he was teasing before looking down at the baby again. Ginny watched him closely, in awe at how natural he looked. It still seemed like a juxtaposition to her: Draco Malfoy and children. But Beatrice stayed asleep in his arms, and he instinctively rocked her slowly. "I kind of want one," he said. It was so soft that Ginny almost wasn't sure she heard him correctly.

"Wait until she wakes up or needs a clean nappy," she reminded him. "Then you won't want one."

Soft footsteps interrupted them, and Luna appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, wrapped tightly in a pink dressing gown. "Oh, hello Draco." She said airily with a sleepy smile. "I see you've met the newest Weasley." She looked lovingly down at the baby in Draco's arms.

"Draco just stopped by to drop off some things for you and George," Ginny said quietly.

"Thank you, Draco. That's so sweet of you. Where is George?" As if on cue, George snorted loudly, making Luna giggle and shake her head. She took Beatrice from Draco and cuddled her close, muttering, "Well, I think it's time for breakfast. We should go wake Daddy, shouldn't we, little Bea." The blonde witch left the kitchen into the sitting room, the tiny baby held tightly in her arms.

"Well – erm – I should probably get going," Draco said awkwardly. "Just wanted to drop these things off before work."

"Thank you, again." Ginny mumbled, unsure of what to say to him. She followed him to the front door, "It – um – it was good to see you."

Draco turned to look at her before he left, his face full of confusion and uncertainty. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed her cheek tenderly. "It was good to see you too, Ginny."

And suddenly, he was gone, down the hall and out the building, leaving Ginny alone with all the things she wanted to say to him.

Three days later found Ginny in a light summer sundress, waiting for Priscila outside The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. It was only a short while before the tall witch walked around the corner, one hand full of bags, the other gripping Caio's hand tightly.

"Oh!" Ginny said excitedly. She immediately knelt and greeted the little boy, who eagerly hugged her. Kissing his forehead gently she said, "I wasn't expecting to see you, Caio. What a pleasant surprise!"

"Daddy got in trouble," Caio said with a grin. He wrapped his arms around Ginny's neck for another hug.

Seeing Ginny's confusion, Priscila said stiffly, "Blaise was going to have Caio today, but he decided today was time to work extra hours." She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Quão estúpido. Ele tem sorte de eu o amar. Monte de merda."

Caio giggled and said, "Mama, don't say bad words!"

Priscila sighed and hugged Ginny tightly. "How are you, queridinha?"

"I'm fine," Ginny held open the door to the Three Broomsticks for them. "How are you?"

"We have been busy." Priscila helped Caio scoot into a booth at the back of the restaurant. "We are planning a trip to São Paulo for next month." She helped Caio pull out a box of crayons so he could color on the children's menu. "We will leave after the last event at Draco's new store." Her dark brown eyes didn't look up from the menu when she asked innocently, "How are things going with Draco?"

"Fine, I guess," Ginny said slowly. She immediately felt the blush creeping up over her cheeks. Beside her, Caio scribbled over the coloring page with a dark blue crayon. "I saw him earlier this week. Luna had her baby a few days ago and Draco dropped some things off at the house for them."

"Oh, Luna had her baby!" Priscila exclaimed excitedly. "Please tell her our congratulations."

"I will, thank you."

Caio handed Ginny a red crayon and said matter-of-factly, "Daddy says that one is a Gryffindor color."

Ginny chuckled and began doodling on the menu beside his drawings. "Has – um – has Blaise seen Draco at all lately?" Her attempt at sounding casual had failed miserably.

"Uncle Draco came to dinner last night!" Caio said excitedly. "And we played Quidditch in the backyard and Daddy lost!"

"Draco has been visiting the house many times," Priscila said slowly. "I am thinking he does not want to be alone." She paused so they could greet Madam Rosmerta and order. After a moment, she added, "He's not dating another person and Blaise says it's good. I think he is awaiting you, Ginny."

Ginny blushed an even deeper red. "I don't even know what to say to him anymore." She took a deep breath, "Just a few months ago he was still the bratty, spoiled, rich boy from Hogwarts."

"He's still that boy," Priscila said with a wry smile. "He will always be that boy, Ginny. But he can also be more."

"Can he?" Ginny asked honestly. "For a few weeks, things were great between us. But that's just a few weeks. If he decides he truly wants to be with me, will he still want that in a year? In five years?"

"I think -," Priscila paused to choose her words carefully. "I think he has always wanted you. Not exactly you, but a person like you. A woman to whom he can start a life and a family. But he has not ever had that, not even with his own family, so wanting a life with you is not something he understands." Their food came, interrupting her. While she helped cut up Caio's sandwich, she continued. "Blaise says Draco is learning to love you. He will probably make many mistakes – he is a man, of course -," Ginny giggled, "- but you have to say if you want to learn with him."

"Mamã, qual é a cor favorita do papí?" Caio asked, ignoring his food while he continued to color on the menu.

While mother and son talked, Ginny let her thoughts drift to Draco and their predicament. The urge to run back to him nearly overwhelmed her, but did she want to, as Priscila put it, learn with him? Would she have to teach him how to be in a relationship with her and would she end up resenting him for it?

"Are you going to the grand day when Draco's store opens?" Priscila asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"The grand opening?" Ginny asked. "I haven't decided."

"Draco invited you, yes? You should go. I am knowing he would want you there."

Ginny pushed her food around on her plate for a few moments before saying, "I'll think about it."

A/N: Just a few more chapters to go! Thank you all for sticking around this long (over 13 years…).