Disclaimer: I own Ruth, Sara, Robyn, Luke, Nathan...and that's about it.
A/n: Thanks to nekohebi, Atepogs, Lucia Dreams, cyberchick, Wind and Ashes, Dannie7(sorry, I've already caught my niece's cold), CloakedInDarkness, Persephonie, Lily of the Shadow, a fan, Spriteth, Starr, BlackOpal(Don't blame me! Blame my Plot Bunnies!), and everyone at the S.S. Fire and Ice.
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Ginny looked back for a moment, watching the toddler's chest rising and falling, both from a motherly infatuation with her offspring and a just as motherly concern for his health. Quickly, she muttered 'Nox,' grateful that they had keyed the light-spells to deactivate without a wand, then padded quietly out into the hall and down the stairs. She crossed the living room carefully, mindful that she didn't stub her toe on anything that had been abandoned on the floor. The kitchen was deserted, and she found her wand with relatively little difficulty.
Entering Luke's room once again, Ginny found him already asleep. She lowered herself gingerly onto the bed - he moaned slightly, but didn't wake, and she let out the breath she'd been holding. Pointing her wand at his forehead, the tip less than inch from his damp skin, she whispered, 'Specto Febris.' The Thermometer Spell worked quickly, and his temperature registered briefly in glowing numerals on his forehead - 101.8°F. Not dangerously high, but she'd keep an eye on it. There were spells that would bring it down, but it was best to use them only when necessary. Casting a last, worried glance at her youngest, Ginny rose, then headed towards the twins' room.
She rapped sharply on the wooden door, then was quiet. A muffled yelp sounded from within, followed by a thunk, then the sound of something heavy scuffing across the carpet.
"Girls! Everything all right in there?"
"Er - fine, mum! Just a -' another thump '-minute!'
Ginny rolled her eyes and stepped back from the door. In another moment, it opened a crack, and a pert, freckled face peeped out. Her red hair was loose, so it was most likely Sara.
"Did we have another accident?" Ginny inquired with a raise of her eyebrow.
"No, mum, why do you ask?" Sara blinked, face the perfect picture of innocence.
Ginny shook her head in defeat. "Never mind. Come on down to the living room when you get a chance."
"Okay!" was the cheerful reply, and the door swung fully closed. The sound seemed unusually loud, before she realized that a door downstairs had been shut as well.
"Draco? Is that you?" she called out.
"Yeah, Gin. I'll be up in a minute," came the reply, and she walked to meet him at the stairs. He appeared a few seconds later, red faced and panting slightly, and she hid a grin.
"Kids give you a workout?" she asked innocently.
He attempted to glare at her, but ended up chuckling. "As you very well know. Ruth managed to break the Height Charm on her broom - shot up like a rocket before I could catch up to her."
Ginny shook her head, unsurprised - she and Draco had a number of spells set up around the house for the children's safety, and Ruth had already found her way around most of them. (She suspected the twins had as well, but were keeping quiet about it.) "Anyway," she began as they started down the hall, "It's Luke I'm worried about. I'm almost certain he has chickenpox, and the rest aren't likely to be far behind."
"Chickenpox?" he asked, looking frankly bewildered. "How did that happen?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Draco, it's a normal occurrence. At a guess, I'd say they caught it from Sadie, but every kid winds up with it sooner or later."
"Not every kid," he insisted. "I never did, after all."
She stopped in mid-stride, eyeing her husband incredulously. "You NEVER had chickenpox?" He shook his head, and she groaned. "Great. Now I'm going to have to nurse SIX of you through this."
He smirked, still a habit of his, and placed a hand on her shoulder patronizingly. "Ginny, dear, I am not going to get chickenpox."
He continued down the hall, and with a sigh, Ginny followed, muttering under her breath, 'I will not hex my husband, I will not hex my husband, I will not hex my husband...'
A/n: Thanks to nekohebi, Atepogs, Lucia Dreams, cyberchick, Wind and Ashes, Dannie7(sorry, I've already caught my niece's cold), CloakedInDarkness, Persephonie, Lily of the Shadow, a fan, Spriteth, Starr, BlackOpal(Don't blame me! Blame my Plot Bunnies!), and everyone at the S.S. Fire and Ice.
¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤¤~¤~¤
Ginny looked back for a moment, watching the toddler's chest rising and falling, both from a motherly infatuation with her offspring and a just as motherly concern for his health. Quickly, she muttered 'Nox,' grateful that they had keyed the light-spells to deactivate without a wand, then padded quietly out into the hall and down the stairs. She crossed the living room carefully, mindful that she didn't stub her toe on anything that had been abandoned on the floor. The kitchen was deserted, and she found her wand with relatively little difficulty.
Entering Luke's room once again, Ginny found him already asleep. She lowered herself gingerly onto the bed - he moaned slightly, but didn't wake, and she let out the breath she'd been holding. Pointing her wand at his forehead, the tip less than inch from his damp skin, she whispered, 'Specto Febris.' The Thermometer Spell worked quickly, and his temperature registered briefly in glowing numerals on his forehead - 101.8°F. Not dangerously high, but she'd keep an eye on it. There were spells that would bring it down, but it was best to use them only when necessary. Casting a last, worried glance at her youngest, Ginny rose, then headed towards the twins' room.
She rapped sharply on the wooden door, then was quiet. A muffled yelp sounded from within, followed by a thunk, then the sound of something heavy scuffing across the carpet.
"Girls! Everything all right in there?"
"Er - fine, mum! Just a -' another thump '-minute!'
Ginny rolled her eyes and stepped back from the door. In another moment, it opened a crack, and a pert, freckled face peeped out. Her red hair was loose, so it was most likely Sara.
"Did we have another accident?" Ginny inquired with a raise of her eyebrow.
"No, mum, why do you ask?" Sara blinked, face the perfect picture of innocence.
Ginny shook her head in defeat. "Never mind. Come on down to the living room when you get a chance."
"Okay!" was the cheerful reply, and the door swung fully closed. The sound seemed unusually loud, before she realized that a door downstairs had been shut as well.
"Draco? Is that you?" she called out.
"Yeah, Gin. I'll be up in a minute," came the reply, and she walked to meet him at the stairs. He appeared a few seconds later, red faced and panting slightly, and she hid a grin.
"Kids give you a workout?" she asked innocently.
He attempted to glare at her, but ended up chuckling. "As you very well know. Ruth managed to break the Height Charm on her broom - shot up like a rocket before I could catch up to her."
Ginny shook her head, unsurprised - she and Draco had a number of spells set up around the house for the children's safety, and Ruth had already found her way around most of them. (She suspected the twins had as well, but were keeping quiet about it.) "Anyway," she began as they started down the hall, "It's Luke I'm worried about. I'm almost certain he has chickenpox, and the rest aren't likely to be far behind."
"Chickenpox?" he asked, looking frankly bewildered. "How did that happen?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Draco, it's a normal occurrence. At a guess, I'd say they caught it from Sadie, but every kid winds up with it sooner or later."
"Not every kid," he insisted. "I never did, after all."
She stopped in mid-stride, eyeing her husband incredulously. "You NEVER had chickenpox?" He shook his head, and she groaned. "Great. Now I'm going to have to nurse SIX of you through this."
He smirked, still a habit of his, and placed a hand on her shoulder patronizingly. "Ginny, dear, I am not going to get chickenpox."
He continued down the hall, and with a sigh, Ginny followed, muttering under her breath, 'I will not hex my husband, I will not hex my husband, I will not hex my husband...'
