Ginny Weasley pushed her ringlets of red hair out of her glittery green

eyes as she kneaded a large handful of dough with her small, white

hands. Two of her maids worked beside her, chatting pleasantly with

her about re-decorating a room in the manor. That was when the

phone rang.

Ginny allowed Marie, one of the maids, to answer while she

wiped her hands on a soft towel. The phone was for her, so she

cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she dusted

flour off of her dark jeans and baby-blue tank-top.

"Happy birthday, sweetie." A smooth voice said, causing a bright

smile to light up Ginny's freckled, heart-shaped face.



"Thank you, Draco." Ginny replied sweetly.



"You weren't up when I left for work, so I decided to ask you

over the phone- would you like to go out tonight to celebrate your

24th?" Draco asked.



A smile tugged at Ginny's lips. "I would love to, babe."



"Alright,then. Where?"



"Umm...somewhere with lots of food." Ginny said thoughtfully.



Draco gave a low laugh. "Food? Since when do you eat a lot?"



Ginny giggled. "Since I'm eating for two." And with that said,

Ginny hung up the phone and turned around to tell Marie and Hillary

her good news.

~*~



"Draco! Get back to work!" The Minister of Magic warned, looking

at Draco sitting in a large office chair.



Draco looked up, a bewildered expression on his face. Fudge's

eyebrows were raised, clearly wondering what the heck Draco was

doing.



"I think I'll need the rest of the day off." Draco heard himself

saying. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the surprise he was

feeling.



"B-but you're the vice-minister! You can't leave, I need you

here!" Fudge spluttered.



Draco had already pulled his leather jacket over his muscly body.

"I've already sent out instructions for the day. No worries, eh, Fudge?"



He slapped the man on his shoulder and headed past him to the

elevator.



It was a nice, sunny day outside. He could feel the sun beating

down on his blonde head. But Draco wasn't quite so sure he wanted to

go home yet. He needed a little while to think.

~Well I just heard the news today

It seems my life is going to change~



Draco saw a small coffee shop and headed inside. Not many

people were there, considering it was a nice day to enjoy outside, but

Draco knew right when he walked in that Hermione was there. He

could smell her light perfume that she had worn ever since her first

day at Hogwarts, when they met on the train. His silvery eyes darted

to a table in the back. Draco walked over with confident strides.



"Hello, Malfoy."



Draco nodded at Ron, sitting beside Hermione. "Hello, you two."



Hermione smiled. "Sit down." She nodded at a third chair.



Draco did so. Hermione was being friendly. Then again, she had

been since their 5th year, when Draco and Ginny had begun going out.

Ron, though, was still always a bit weary, but at least he hadn't totally

blown up about Ginny and Draco's marriage.



Draco's eyes filled up with tears. He couldn't help it- they spilled

over onto his cheeks. His chest heaved, his lips smiled. He glanced up

through his hair at the couple sitting across from them.



"Malfoy...what's wrong?" Ron asked, a frown formed upon his

face.



Draco took a big breath. "Nothing's wrong-" He began. He took a

few steady breaths and continued. "Everything's right."



Hermione looked puzzled. Draco swallowed and glanced at Ron,

wondering how he would take the news.



"Ginny's pregnant." He smiled, wiping his tears.

~I close my eyes, begin to pray

And tears of joy stream down my face~



Hermione laughed in a great wave of happiness. Even Ron

cracked a smile.



"Well, congratulations!" The two exclaimed as Draco grabbed a

napkin to wipe his face.



"Thanks. You're both invited to the shower." Draco said,

mentally making a note to himself to plan a shower.



Draco heaved a happy sigh and stood up. "Well, I think I'll just

grab a coffee and go. I'm planning on taking Ginny out tonight for her

birthday, so I should make reservations early." He explained and

watched the happy couple nod. "Well, see you two soon."



Draco strolled up to the counter and ordered his caramel

frappachino. Sipping the delicious drink, he walked out of the shop and

decided to find a way into Diagon Alley.



He made his way rather quickly to a small furniture store on the

outskirts of the muggle town. He paused before going inside, checking

that it was the right store. Curly writing told him he was entering

"Zabini Furniture". Yep, this was definitely the right place. Draco pulled

open the large double-doors. (A/N: I've always thought Blaise was a

guy.)



Draco looked around. The carpets were dark reds or greens, the

furniture new, cherry wood or black iron. The front desk looked neat

and tidy, pencils in wooden canister, papers sorted into manila files.



"Blaise?" Draco called out. No answer. He worked through the

many pieces of furniture into the back room. It was dark except for the

crackling fire and candles set upon the mantle piece. Sitting on a large,

blue velvet armchair was Blaise, talking quietly and seriously on a cell

phone. He made a motion for Draco to sit down and be quiet.



Draco sat on a tan leather couch and watched Blaise talk on the

phone. Odd looking thing, he thought, I wonder what it does... Blaise

quickly finished up his call and snapped the phone shut. He stood up

and gave Draco a quick slap on the back.



"Hey! How have you been?" Before Draco could reply, Blaise had

waved his arm towards the back of the room, at a young woman Draco

hadn't noticed before. She was very tan and skinny, with very dyed

honey-blonde waves framing her face, bringing out her cocoa-colored

eyes, with dark, long lashes. She closed her book, smiling, and stood

up to her full height of 5 feet 8 inches. "This is my fiancé, Elese." Elese

reached forward to shake Draco's hand, then leaned into Blaise's

shoulder as his arm slid around her waist.



Draco quickly explained he needed to get into Diagon Alley.



"The fireplace is yours!" Blaise motioned towards the pot of floo

powder on the mantle, and upon hearing the bell in the front of the

store, he and Elese bustled out to help a customer.



Draco grabbed a handful of the green floo powder and threw it

into the fireplace. The gentle flames roared and raised up to the top of

the fireplace. Clearing his throat, Draco stepped in and announced

"Diagon Alley!" With a final roar, Draco disappeared.

~With arms wide open

Under the sunlight

Welcome to this place

I'll show you everything~



Meanwhile, Ginny was in her bedroom, resting. She laid down on

her king-size bed, but the sparkle from her large diamond wedding

ring, splashing color around the room, made her head spin. She closed

her eyes, laughing as she remembered the day she had moved into

the manor. She had decorated the bedroom in reds and golds, the

gryffindor colors, and when Draco had arrived home, he insisted on

one color from each of their houses. Her giggle stopped though, as she

remembered the month before. The only reason she had been allowed

to move in was because Lucius and Narcissa had been killed the month

before, murdered by the dark lord.



Ginny sat up and padded into the bathroom to get herself some

aspirin. Taking the pill with huge gulps of water, she then set down her

glass with a clank. Her hand reached up to rub her head. You'd better

get your act together before you go out tonight, Gin. Come on.



So Ginny found herself in her closet, finding something to wear

out to dinner tonight. She wasn't sure if they were going casual or

formal, so she ended up choosing an emerald-green tank-top with

thick straps that crossed over in the back, a long black skirt, and her

black slip-on heels. Getting ready for a night out always made her feel

better.



She walked over to the mirror. Draco had always said she looked

good in green, because it matched her eyes, but Ginny secretly

thought Draco was holding on to some of his Hogwarts years as a

Slytherin, just as they both had with decorating the bedroom, even

though that was just a joke.



She added a little extra make-up, toyed with her hair, and

sprayed herself with her favorite perfume.



Ginny thought she might have heard a door downstairs, but it

was impossible to be sure of in this big house, with servants and maids

milling about all the time. Without another look in the mirror, Ginny

took the main staircase downstairs to meet her husband.

~*~



A few short hours later, the couple sat in a fancy restaurant,

sharing a desert.



"So." Draco began. Ginny looked up at him expectantly.



"When will you know if it's a boy or girl?" He asked.



Ginny smiled and took a sip of her champagne before answering.



"I already do." She said quietly.



"And-?" He pressed.



Ginny looked up at him. "It's a girl."

~With arms wide open

With arms wide open~



Tears of happiness sprang once again in Draco's eyes. He could

just see them together, him teaching her how to swim, or to swing,

dressing her in little green dresses, brushing her hair, teaching her

spells, her going to Hogwarts....



"Draco?" Ginny's sweet voice interrupted.



"I'm so happy, Gin." Draco reached across the table to take her

hand. "Umm- do we have any names?"



Ginny laughed. "Well, I've thought of some, but I want to discuss

them with you before any decisions are made."



"OK. What were you thinking?"



"Well, I love the name Libbie Rose, and I also like Lorelei Ryenn,

Sierra May, and Sydney Joy. But I was also thinking of using parts of

our names, or relative's names."



"Well, to tell you the truth, Libbie Rose Malfoy sounds so

beautiful, and the fact that those are both our mother's middle names

makes it special."



Ginny squeezed his hand.



"Libbie Rose Malfoy it is, then. What's that?" Draco had pulled

out a gift wrapped in blue and silver.



"It's a present. I picked it up earlier in Diagon Alley."



He handed the gift over and wished her a happy birthday.



Slowly Ginny unwrapped the present.



"Oh my God." She gasped, looking at it. It was a framed portrait

of the two in a kiss, Ginny dressed in a red and gold gown, Draco

dressed in silver and green dress robes. At the bottom, written in a

swirly script, read Romeo & Juliet.



"I thought we could put an enlargement charm on it and hang it

in the house." Draco added.



"It's wonderful. Thank you." She set it carefully on the table.

"Are you ready to go?"



"Yeah, I'm stuffed." He quickly paid the bill, Ginny picked up her

portrait, and the two got a cab home, hand-in-hand the whole way.

~*~



The next morning was a Saturday. Ginny woke up late, tugging

her hair into a low ponytail and wrapping her favorite black cozy robe

around her. Dark circles under her eyes and a pale face (well, paler

than normal) indicated that she hadn't slept well.



She put on her worn slippers and padded downstairs three flights

to find her husband already showered, dressed in a white t-shirt and

jeans, a small gold chain around his neck, sitting at the counter with

stacks of envelopes, invitations, and address books all under the

control of his wand.



"What are you doing?" Ginny asked sleepily.



Draco jumped up and put an invisibility charm over his work.



"Nothing, nothing. Oh, Gin, you look really tired. Maybe you

should go back to bed." He said, looking closely at her.



"No, no, just coffee and a big hug will do just fine." She tried to

smile.



Draco busied himself with coffee and handed her a mug before

wrapping his strong arms around her back and inhaling her perfume

from the night before.



"I love you." He whispered.



"I love you, too. Now get me to the couch before I throw up all

over you."



Quickly, Draco did as he was told.

~Well I don't know if I'm ready

To be the man I have to be

I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side

We stand in awe, we've created life~



Ginny spent most of the day on the couch sleeping, drinking

coffee, and reading Witch Weekly and the Daily Prophet. Draco

checked on her every hour, being busy with baby shower plans and

dealing with calls from work and the servants and maids.



Draco hung the portrait in the entrance of the manor, where it

was bright amongst the expensive white of the room. Around five he

entered the kitchen and shooed the cook out, telling him to take a day

or two off. Draco, having never been in the kitchen before, relied on

his wand to set out everything he needed before he went to check on

Ginny once more.



She was awake, hiding behind a book on parenting, when Draco

made his way into the room. She looked up over the top of it, and

Draco could see her eyes were much better.



"Feeling better?" He asked, putting a hand on her forehead to

check her temperature.



"Much, much better. Actually, I'm all better, I think. Nothing a

few aspirins can't cure, right?" She threw the book down and got up,

only with the slightest wobble.



"That's good. Listen, I'm making you dinner all by myself, I gave

the cook a day off." He informed her.



"OK. Just make it light. And no alcohol whatsoever, I'll get sick."



"Alright. Where will you be?"



"Oh, I wanted to go decorate the baby room." She smiled. "It'll

be pretty."



"OK. I'll send someone up to get you when dinner's done."

~*~

~With arms wide open

Under the sunlight

Welcome to this place

I'll show you everything

With arms wide open

Now everything has changed

I'll show you love

I'll show you everything

With arms wide open

With arms wide open

I'll show you everything

With arms wide open...wide open~



After a dinner of soup and salad, Ginny made Draco come

upstairs with her to see the baby room. She had decided on the room

just across the hall from the master bedroom.



Like all of the manor's rooms, it was very big. Ginny had used

her wand to do all the decorating. The walls were a light purple color.

The curtains were white chiffon, with tiny beaded dragonflies on them

in the light purple. The crib was white, and so was the rocking chair in

the corner with a bookshelf hung on the wall in the shape of a

dragonfly in the two colors. There was a large toy box, filled to the

brim with dolls and tiny toy brooms. The dresser was white, but the

drawers were empty.



"Wow. It's so- um- pretty." Draco said out loud.



Ginny giggled. "I did the dragonfly thing for you. You know,

dragon, dragonfly..." She trailed off.



Draco nodded and checked his watch. "It's ten already. You

should get to bed, you need some more sleep." He instructed.



"I can already tell you'll be a great father, ferret boy. Bossy,

bossy, bossy." Ginny laughed, then swept out of the room and crawled

into bed.

~*~



Late that night, long after Ginny had fallen asleep, Draco lay

awake. Ginny was sprawled sideways on the big bed, so Draco did the

same and had his hand on her tummy, feeling small movements of his

daughter inside.



"Hey, Libbie." He whispered when she kicked. He began to

whisper to her. He told her about her home, and about how wonderful

her mother is, about Hogwarts, and his whole life story.



"So, Libbie, even though I'm different now, I made a mistake

when I was younger. Don't try to be like me. Be just like your mother.

She's perfect."

~If I had just one wish

Only one demand

I hope he's not like me

I hope he understands

That he can take this life

And hold it by the hand

And he can greet the world

With arms wide open...~

~*~

5 months later



Draco looked around the waiting room impatiently. How long

could it possible take to deliver a baby? He'd been here for eleven

hours at the least.



He thought of the baby shower, which had taken place less than

a week ago. They had been given clothes to fill the drawers, toys and

books and bibs and a highchair, and pacifiers and baby food and baby

spoons and everything you could imagine.



Draco turned his head to the window. It was the perfect fall

evening. The sun was just setting, an orangey red, the leaves falling

and twisting and turning as they left their mother tree, yellow and gold

and red and orange. Like my baby, he thought. Libbie's leaving her

mother's branches, she's becoming something all by herself.



"Mr. Malfoy?" A kind woman's voice asked. She was plump and

blonde, wearing a nurse's uniform and shoes that squeaked. "They're

ready for you to come in."



Draco stood and followed the nurse into Ginny's room. Ginny lay

in the bed, looking tired and weak but happier than Draco had ever

seen her, and so, so beautiful. In her arms was a small bundle.



Draco kissed Ginny before he was handed his daughter.



His first look at her, he knew he loved her. She had a head full of

hair, ringlets like her mother, but strawberry blonde, the perfect mix

between Draco's silver and Ginny's deep red. Her eyes were the

clearest silver-blue, an exact set to his own. Her tiny, white fists were

curled into a ball, her silky milk-white skin bare. She looked like an

angel.



Out of his pocket, Draco drew out the gift he had been saving for

Libbie. It was a necklace, a delicate silver chain from which hung a

small angel, giving off a white glow. In the very center of the angel

was a tiny ruby. He draped it around her neck and gave his little Libbie

a kiss on her forehead.

~With arms wide open

Under the sunlight

Welcome to this place

I'll show you everything

With arms wide open

Now everything has changed

I'll show you love

I'll show you everything

With arms wide open

With arms wide open

I'll show you everything..oh yeah

With arms wide open....wide open~