A/N: Harry Potter, names, characters and all related indicia are TM of Warner Brothers, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, JK Rowling, et al.  No infringement is intended.  Title of chapter comes from a Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson song.

Be There For You

            Malfoy Mansion was heavy with the sound of sleep.  In the upstairs bedrooms slept the four Malfoy children, eight-year-old Darius, four-year-old twins Dylan and Victoria, and, the youngest, Guinevere not yet two years old.  In the East Wing's master bedroom slept Draco Malfoy and his wife, Ginny, boarding school sweethearts whose teenage hormones were often said to be instrumental in the downfall of Lord Voldemort.  For the second time in two decades Voldemort had been defeated by a baby, the first time it had been Harry Potter who nearly killed him, the second time, an unborn Darius Malfoy was responsible for his final undoing. 

            Draco slept soundly, his arm draped over his wife, oblivious to the sounds of someone moving through the downstairs' library.  His wife, due to years of listening for the sounds of her children's cries, was not nearly as heavy a sleeper.  She came awake as soon as she heard the soft thud of footsteps in the library's hearth.  After waiting a moment to be sure she heard what she thought she heard, Ginny turned slightly to shake Draco's shoulder.  "Draco."

            "Um, what?  Is it the baby?"

            "No, it's not Gwenny.  There is someone downstairs."

            "It's probably Remus.  There's a full moon next week and he's restless. Likely he couldn't sleep."

            Ginny shook her head, whispering frantically, "Remus and your mum are visiting Sirius and Rose."

            Draco came fully awake at that.  "Stay here.  Do not move, Ginny," he warned.

            "The kids."

            "The kids are fine, we put the wards on each of their rooms before we went to bed, just like always.  Now, stay here until I come for you," Draco repeated, rolling out of bed and pulling on his pajama bottoms before grabbing his wand from the night table.  "Promise me you won't move."

            "I promise, just be careful," Ginny whispered as she also grabbed her wand.

            "I will," Draco said quickly as he bent down to kiss his wife.  "Stay here," he instructed once more before he crossed the room and pulled the door closed behind him.  Ginny could hear his quiet footfalls in the hallway and going down the stairs.  She looked over at the clock, a magical one that had been a gift from her parents for their last anniversary.  It was much like one which to this day stood in the Burrow, except this one showed the names of all of Ginny's family, including her brothers, sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.  She sighed in relief as none of her family appeared to be in mortal danger, however she looked strangely at Ron's section of the clock.  It appeared to read "Malfoy Mansion."  Ginny got out of bed and looked closer at the clock.  Hermione, Daniel, Christopher and Evie were all in Poplar Close, but Ron clearly was in her house.  She heard Draco's voice on the hallway and then another voice she well recognized. 

            Remembering her promise to Draco, she opened the bedroom door slightly and softly called out, "Draco?  Ron?  Can I come out now?" Her question was followed shortly by Draco's laughter from down below.  Taking that as a yes, she pulled on her robe and made her way down the hallway.  Seeing her brother standing in the middle of the library, she ran to him and enveloped him in a hug.  Letting him go, she slapped him on the chest.  "What the hell do you think you are doing?  Are you trying to scare the crap out of me?  It's three o'clock in the morning!"

            "Ginny," Draco interrupted, pulling her away from her brother and up against him.  "Ginny, let Ron talk."

            "I'm sorry, Gin.  I needed to speak with you or Draco."  Ron sat heavily onto one of the couches as Ginny glanced worriedly at her husband.  "I couldn't sleep and…"

            "Ron," Ginny moved to sit next to him, her arm around his shoulder.  "Is something wrong with Hermione?  The kids?"

            Ron gave a choking sob, causing Draco and Ginny both to look at one another, clearly shaken.  "Ron, mate, what is wrong?" Draco asked worriedly.

            "It's Evie.  She's been sick."

            "Yes Ron, we know.  I saw her last week," she started, absent-mindedly rubbing her brother's back as she whispered to Draco, "they didn't tell me she was still sick!"

            "We had to take her to the Muggle hospital tonight.  She had a fever.  Wouldn't stop crying.  They took blood.  I didn't even realize a baby had that much blood.  Just made her cry more!  Then she started shaking… she wouldn't stop shaking," Ron sobbed brokenly.


            Ginny felt ill, never before seeing her brother in such a state and fearing for her niece.  She looked up at Draco who was still standing in the middle of the room, his face ghostly white.  "What did the doctors say, Ron?"

            "They don't know yet.  They don't know.  Tests, they said.  They had to run tests.  Oh god," Ron cried.  "I can't… Hermione can't lose… She wouldn't be able to take it…"

            "Weasley!  Where is this damned Muggle hospital?"

            "Stratford-Upon-Avon."

            "Well, then stand up man!  We'll go there now and find out what in the bloody hell is wrong with Evelyn."

            "Draco," Ginny stood and placed her hand on his shoulder.  "You going down there and yelling won't do any good."

            "What if something is really wrong, Gin?" Ron said looking back up.  "What if…"

            "Ron," she started soothingly, as she took control over the situation, "Draco will stay here with our lot.  I'm going home with you.  I'll take a look at her.  You know I can do things Muggles still can't despite all their technology.  If I can't do it, and they can…  Well, we'll take care of it when we it comes."

            "But…"

            "Oh don't even start.  We'll run every bloody test known to man and wizard-kind if we need to.  Money is a non-issue. Don't dare look at me that way, Weasley," Draco warned when Ron glared, however weakly, at him.  "If it makes you feel better, should the time come, you can think of it as advanced birthday and Christmas presents for you and Granger.  Ginny," Draco's voice softened, "you should go now.  Before Hermione wakes up and finds Ron gone."

            "We'll go now.  Come on Ron, we don't want Hermione to worry any more than she has already."

            "Red, you need to put some more clothes on first," Draco whispered as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.  "Ron, Evie's going to be fine.  This is the happily ever after part, it's the law."

            "For once I hope you are right, Malfoy."  Ron swiped angrily at the tears on his face.  "Bloody hell, all those books Hermione has on parenting, they don't prepare you for this kind of shit."

            "I'll be right back."  Ginny smiled weakly at her Ron and Draco before running up the stairs.  Evie just had to be all right.  She hurriedly pulled on a tee shirt, jeans and a pair of trainers.   Ginny couldn't help but stop in her children's bedrooms before she went back downstairs.  She paused the longest in Gwenny's room.  Gwenny and Evelyn were almost the same age, Gwenny only a few months older.  It was no wonder Draco was as upset as he was at the news, she thought as she looked at her little angel.  She brushed back her daughter's blonde curls and pressed a light kiss on her forehead before heading back downstairs. 

As she descended the stairs, she saw that Draco and Ron were whispering about something, Draco's hand resting on Ron's shoulder.  She fought back tears thinking of how close Draco had become to all of her brothers in the last ten years.  They had been ready to tear him limb from limb when she announced she was pregnant, but when Dumbledore announced that it was Darius's conception that led to the defeat of Voldemort at the leaving ceremony, it was as if her brothers and her parents truly realized that she and Draco were destiny.  Ginny smiled, Draco had finally found his family.  And knowing how protective he was over them all, there was no way in hell he'd let Evie fall ill on them all.

            "Ready to go?" Ron asked quickly when he turned and saw Ginny standing in the doorway.

            She crossed the room to the hearth as Draco started a small fire.  "Ready."  Draco stood and wiped the tears off her cheeks.  "Will you wait up for me, husband of mine?"

            Draco hugged her, breathing in the scent of her hair.  "I've been sleeping next to you for over ten years now.  No longer can I sleep when you aren't there, Red."  He kissed the top of her head and then pulled back, kissing her properly.  "We'll be waiting."  Draco turned to face Ron, "Evelyn will be fine."  Ron nodded and then stepped into the fire.  They still used Floo to get from house to house as both Malfoy Mansion and Ron's home were protected from anyone apparating directly into them.  Ron disappeared and Draco again kissed Ginny before throwing the powder in.  "We'll be waiting," he repeated, "good luck."

Ginny quickly kissed him goodbye before disappearing into the vast network.

***

            "Ron!" Hermione rushed forward and enveloped her husband in a tight hug.  "Where did you go?" she asked, but didn't pause long enough for him to answer before continuing on.  "You can't do that to me!  I wake up and you are gone!  I didn't know where or why!  I thought something was wrong with Evie…"

            "And when Hermione is upset, we all get woken up, Ron," Harry interrupted from his position on the couch, before yawning quite loudly.

            "He came to see us, Hermione.  I knew you'd be upset if you discovered he was gone."  Ginny went over and gave her sister-in-law a hug.  "How are you doing?"

            "Honestly, Ginny, tired, worried and damned mad!  Ron, do you have any idea of what went through my head?"

            "I'm sorry 'Mione.  I just…"

            Ginny stepped into the fray before things escalated and potentially precious time wasted.  "Hermione, where is the baby?"

"She's sleeping," Hermione stated as she rested her head on Ron's chest.  "They gave us some medicine for her fever to keep it down and she's been sleeping since then.  She's still so damned pale though."

            "Hermione, Ginny will take a look at him.  She'll figure it all out," Harry reassured her, standing up and stretching.  "Now, are you guys going to be all right here?  I can come back for the night if you'd like, but I better let everyone know what is going on.  I know Pansy is going to be worrying and Rose and Narcissa will be up no doubt."

            "I'm sorry Harry for calling you, but I thought maybe Ron would have gone to see you at your Aunt's...  You better go let Pansy know Ginny's here.  Her fretting isn't good for the baby."

            Harry walked over to Hermione and kissed her forehead.  "Don't apologize.  That's what friends are for.  Do you want me to come back?  Ron?"

            "We should be fine, Harry.  Thank you for coming," Ron said tiredly.

            "It's not a problem, Ron and you know it.  Both of you know all you need to do is call me and I'll be here," Harry replied before turning to Ginny and whispering, "We'll still be up.  Call me as soon as you look her over."

            "Will do.  Give my love to everyone.  The lot of us will be by tomorrow for Rose's birthday party."

            "She's got news for you.  I'd go into it, but now isn't the time," Harry replied quietly as he inclined his head towards Ron and Hermione.

            "Really?  Good I hope."

            "Yeah.  The best," Harry said with a slight smile before leaning down to give Ginny a kiss on the cheek.  "We'll see you tomorrow then."

            "Of course."  Harry left in a burst of green flame and then Ginny followed Hermione and Ron up the stairs to the nursery.  Ginny checked over the baby, running every test and spell she had ever learned, Hermione and Ron hovering behind her.  After an hour or so of tests though she still came up with the same diagnosis she had last week, pneumonia.  "Guys, I think it just it hanging around.  That said, I don't like that it is, I'll have Draco make another batch of the potion I gave her last week.  I can't find anything else to be causing it all.  The seizure was probably brought on by the fever but it's down now.  We'll just keep an eye on her during the night.  We can't let it spike again," she told them gravely, but relieved that there was nothing more serious. 

"Are you sure, sis?"

"Ron, I even checked her over for evidence of any Dark Magic.  There's nothing there.  I hate to say this, but there isn't anything more I can do but get her that potion and watch her closely."

            "It's fine, Ginny.  Just as long as it isn't anything more than the pneumonia...  It's bad, of course, but we can deal with it," Hermione said thankfully, leaning further into Ron who was now supporting most of her weight.  "I am so exhausted.  I'm sorry Ginny for calling you over here when there's nothing for you to do."

            "Nonsense.  You need sleep, Hermione.  You getting sick will do Evie no good; you have Daniel and Christopher to think of as well.  Ron, take her to bed.  Now and don't let her up for at least six hours.  I'll stay here and keep a watch over her and send message to Draco to start work on the potion.  You go to bed too, Ron.  You need rest just as much as Hermione.  Now!" Ginny ordered when they both seemed intent on remaining where they were.

            "I love you, sis.  Thank you," Ron said, gave Ginny a kiss on her forehead.  He looked down at Hermione who had fallen asleep on her feet.  "Goodnight, Gin," Ron whispered before lifting Hermione into his arms and carrying her back to their bedroom. 

Ginny made her way back downstairs to call both Harry and Draco, to let them know what she found out and to tell Draco about the potion and that she'd be back in the morning.  Grabbing a cup of coffee and book to keep her company, Ginny walked back upstairs to Evie's bedroom, settling herself into the rocking chair for the rest of the night.

***

            "Daddy?"  Draco looked up from his market reports to see Dylan standing in front of him, rubbing his eyes much the same as Ginny did when she first awoke.  "Why you in here?"

"Watching you sleep," Draco explained, laying the report aside.  Dylan climbed into his lap snuggling into his chest.  "Why are you up, Dyl?"

"I had a bad dream.  Where's mummy gone?"

"She went to Uncle Ron's and Aunt Hermione's.  She'll be back in the morning," Draco whispered as he started to glide back and forth in the rocker.  "What was your dream about?"

"Dragons," Dylan whispered.  "They were trying to eat me and Vicki."

"Did you tell them that your Uncle Charlie would get them if they tried?"

"Yeah, but they laughed at us," the little boy said sadly.

"Oh," Draco smiled as he smoothed down his son's dark red hair, another thing he got from his mother.  "Well, then if they come back, you tell them that not only are they going to have to deal with Uncle Charlie and me but all of your uncles too."

"That's a lot of uncles," Dylan giggled causing Draco to smile.  "All of them, including Uncle Severus, Uncle Harry and Uncle Sirius?"

"Yep," Draco paused, hearing Gwenny whimper in the next room but she just as quickly settled back down.  "And you know that where your uncles go, your aunts follow."

"And they'd be mad too."

"Yeah, they'd be really mad if those stupid dragons tried to hurt you or your uncles."  Draco looked down at his son.  "I think your mummy would be maddest of all."

"Ooh, they'd be in trouble then," the boy laughed.

"Yes, they would," Draco sighed.  He continued rocking and after a few minutes of silence realized that Dylan had fallen back to sleep.  The idea of putting him back to bed was quickly abandoned.  Draco instead picked Dylan up and carried him from the room, checking on Darius and Gwenny, who were both fast asleep and then heading into Victoria's room.  He eased himself into the rocker in his daughter's room, settling Dylan against his chest and closed his eyes, not quite sleeping, but too tired to do anything more than listen to his children sleep.

***

            Ginny grabbed at the sides of the fireplace to keep herself from falling.  All these years of traveling by the Floo network and she still couldn't make a graceful landing.  Yawning, she wandered up the stairs back to her bedroom.  The house was still quiet, which could only mean the children were still sleeping.  She smiled, thinking to herself, 'Once they're awake, there is no such thing as quiet.'  Ginny paused in the doorway to her bedroom; Draco was not there.  'Where is he?'  Turning to go down the hall to his office, she glanced into Dylan's room.  The bed was empty.  The bed was empty, Draco was not in their room and the house was quiet.  She felt the worry growing inside her and quickly walked to Darius' door, pushing it open.  He was gone too.  Her heart started beating faster against her chest.  'Where are my children?  Where is my husband?'  A little part of her mind said she was being illogical, panicking over nothing, but the other part of her head ordered her to go check on Victoria and Gwenny. 

Practically running to Vicki's room, she gasped in relief, collapsing against the doorjamb upon seeing Draco there, Darius and Dylan sleeping soundly while curled up on his lap.  There were reports spread around him on the floor and the table next to the chair.  She couldn't help but remember the night she told him she was pregnant with Darius.

"I'm pregnant, Draco.  The test came out positive."  She stared at him.  He wasn't reacting at all, if you didn't count the opening and closing of his mouth and the rapid blinking.  "Draco?"

"You are sure about this?  A baby?"

"100% positive.  It'll be here in September."

"September?  But we're getting married in September.  We'll have to move it up."

Ginny gaped at him, "That's all you think about?  Moving the wedding up?"

"We have to be married before the baby is born," he stated matter of factly.

"Draco…"

"What do you want me to say, Ginny?  We knew this was coming.  You were three weeks late," he snapped, running his fingers through his hair.

"How about a reaction?  Are you upset?  Happy?  Mad as hell?"

"Ginny," Draco drawled as a wide grin spread across his face, lighting up his eyes, "you know how I feel.  Shocked but," he pulled her into his lap, tucking her head under his chin, "the only times I have ever been happier are when you said you loved me and when you said you would marry me."  He smoothed his hand over her red waves, "This is not going to be easy.  I cannot promise you that, though I wish I could.  There are your parents to deal with, your brothers, Dumbledore…  The one good thing is that you've taken enough extra classes that you will be able to graduate this year so we won't have to worry about that.  Then there are going to be other students who won't be exactly nice when they hear the news.  But me, Ginny?  I am beyond happy.  I'm very, very, very happy.  Scared, but very happy."

Ginny leaned back so she could see his eyes.  "Why are you scared?  Other than the fact you are eighteen and about to become a daddy," she teased.

"A daddy?  That sounds…" he sighed, closing his eyes and smiling.  He opened them a minute later, his eyes troubled.  "What if I am bad at it?  I didn't have the best role model.  My father was the epitome of what a father isn't supposed to be.  Remus and your dad, I've watched them, but what if I don't know what to do?  What if I make mistakes?"

Ginny tilted her head back slightly, smiling up at him.  "You'll be a great daddy.  He'll love you as much as I do.  I know it."

"He?  A boy?"

"Yeah, didn't I tell you?" Ginny grinned, knowing she hadn't told him.

"No.  A son?  Seriously, a…"

Ginny nodded.  "A little boy, with red hair and gray eyes."

"Blonde.  Blonde with gray eyes."

"Now, you sound awfully confident about that, Mr. Malfoy."

"But of course, Miss Weasley, but of course."

            Draco looked up, somehow sensing her presence.  "Hi."

            "Hi yourself."

            "How is Evie?"

            "Better," Ginny crossed the room to stand in front of her husband.  She brushed the hair out of his eyes as she bent, kissing him lightly.  "Her fever is down, she's got some more color in those little cheeks of hers.  I don't like how the pneumonia is hanging around in her lungs though," she sighed as she dropped to her knees in front of him, gently running her hand across her sons' faces.  "How did this happen?"

            "Teenage hormones I believe, and the very best Christmas present I ever had, is the reason for this one," Draco smiled, resting his chin on Darius' head.  "Dylan, if I remember correctly, was a bottle of Merlot."

            "Draco..."

            Knowing what she was really inquiring about, he answered quietly.  "After you called, I put the potion onto brew… it should be done in a few hours by the way, then I came upstairs, Dylan's room.  He had a nightmare.  Later, we came in here, Darius joined us about an hour or so ago."  Draco closed his eyes, breathing in the soft powdery scent of Darius' hair.  His Darius.  Who would have thought this little angel could be responsible for wiping out such evil?  Draco grinned fondly, remembering when Ginny was pregnant with him. 

"Ugh!  Damn it!  Damn damn damn!"  Ginny stared at the broken glass on the floor.  She had been trying to put it away when it slipped from her fingers and now she couldn't even bend over to pick it up.

"Red?!  What's wrong?!"

"Is it the baby, Gin?"

"Ginny, do we need to go get the doctor?"

Ginny sighed as she carefully walked around the glass, really stepping back and away from where she thought it might be because she couldn't see the floor, and looked up at Harry and Ron standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the den, then over at Draco who was looking a bit panicky, standing by the back door and gripping the door frame with white knuckles.  "I'm fine.  Baby boy's fine.  I just dropped a glass."

"Ginny!  Don't yell like that unless something is wrong with you or the baby," Ron snapped as he pulled out his wand to clean up the broken glass.

"Sorry," Ginny burst into tears.  "I'm sorry I just… I didn't mean to scare…"

"Weasley, bloody hell, don't make my wife cry.  Red, sweet, we were just worried about you and the baby.  You're eight months pregnant.  Naturally, we thought you'd gone into labor or something."

"Ginny, what were you doing in the kitchen?" Harry asked, pulling out a chair for her.

"I was hungry, Harry.  What else would I be doing in the kitchen?" Ginny barked, her mood shifting quickly.

"OK, OK, OK.  Sorry, I was just asking."

"No, I'm sorry, Harry."  Ginny sniffled again, causing Draco to shoot a furious look at Potter.  "I was hungry, and couldn't find what I wanted, so I thought I would get something to drink, but all we had was pumpkin juice which I can't stomach and then I went to put the glass back and it dropped," she explained tearfully.

"Sweet, what do you want to eat?  We'll get it for you."  Draco glared at Ron and Harry, making it perfectly obvious that they would be the ones going after whatever she wanted in exchange for his restraint from beating them senseless.

"Fried chicken and coffee ice cream.  Ooh, and a pickle.  One of those salty and sour ones from the Muggle delicatessens.  And French fries from that Muggle place in London.  McDonalds.  And iced tea.  Mint iced tea, in the glass bottle, not the plastic one," she sighed, smiling wistfully as she sat down into the chair Harry offered.

"They'll go get it for you, sweetness.  All of it," Draco's voice left no room for refusal.  "Right?"

"We'll be back.  Come on, Har.  I'll just consider it practice for Hermione one of these days.  I can just imagine what she'll want.  Most likely something only available in Zimbabwe or something like that.  Fried lobster legs or pickled rabbits' ears," Ron muttered as he and Harry, laughing softly at his friend's antics, walked to the front door.  The only way to apparate in or out of the Burrow was to leave the house first, a safety precaution still in existence despite Voldemort's death.

"I shouldn't make them do that.  It's Harry's birthday, he shouldn't be running all over getting me food.  Like I even need to eat more."

"Ginny…"

"I am huge, Draco.  Bigger than huge.  I'm bigger than the Burrow.  Nearly the size of our house.  In another month, I'll be larger than Hogwarts.  I can't even see my feet anymore."

"You're beautiful.  Stunning, gorgeous, absolutely lovely."

"You have to say that because it is your fault I look like this."  Draco laughed at that.  "Well, it is."

"Hmm, so I guess that bow you had tied around yourself under the tree was really all my idea?"  Draco smiled, remembering how she had surprised him, really surprised him, last Christmas Eve, leaving him a note on his bed to come down after everyone else went to sleep, then finding her amid the many gifts wearing only a small robe, a large swath of ribbon around her waist, and a smile.  "Hmm, now what did that card read?  'Unwrap Me' I believe it was?"

"Draco," Ginny blushed as she hid her face in Draco's robes.  "Please!"

            Ginny smiled at the picture before her.  Darius' little blonde head tucked under Draco's chin, Dylan's freckled face pressed up against his father's chest.  "You're a great daddy, you know," Ginny whispered, laying her head against Draco's leg.  "I think Rose might be pregnant again."

            "Really?  I thought they gave up on another one."

            "Harry was there last night.  He said Rose has good news to tell me.  What could be better?"

            Draco smiled down at his sons.  "Not much."

            "You know, we have a couple of hours before we have to leave for Notting Hill.  The girls are both still asleep, if we can get these two back to their beds…Care for a nap?"

            "A nap?"

            "Well, sleep could be optional."