The four of them arrived at the Burrow just as the sun was falling
down behind the distant hills. Aislin had since fallen asleep in Draco's
arms. Mr. Weasley turned off the engine and opened the door. He helped
Percy gather his and Draco's things before heading toward the house. Draco
realized with a little bit of remorse and agitation that he had never
really spoken to his "in-laws". He felt guilty that he was keeping Percy
away from his family. In spite of this, however, he followed the two
Weasleys inside.
Mrs. Weasley was sitting at the kitchen, her fingers encircling a cup of tea. Her old, tired face had a drawn look about it. She had never gotten the worry from her face, nor her heart after the war. Always she looked as if she was about burst with fret. She looked up as they came in and rose from her chair. She was a bit shorter then she had been but no less plump. Her reddish-gray hair was falling out of it's tidy bun and the spectacles that usually perched securely on the bridge of her nose had fallen awry. "Oh Percy, are you all right?" she asked hurriedly, drawing him into a hug.
"Yes Mum, we're fine." She looked at Draco.
"Hello Draco, who is that you're holding?" she asked with curiosity.
"This is your granddaughter, Aislin Olivia Malley." Mrs. Weasley's face relaxed a tiny bit as she reached for the child. Draco handed her the pink bundle.
"She's gorgeous. Simply perfect. How old is she?"
"She's 5 months old," Draco answered promptly. "5 months last Tuesday." Mrs. Weasley nodded.
"A treasure but it would be fair to bet she doesn't sleep much."
"No, no she doesn't," Draco answered.
"First children never do. By the 3rd though, you'll be dusting their brows and screaming at the top of your lungs in their ears." Draco and Percy smiled slightly.
"Mum, is anyone else here?"
"I don't know. There's probably someone lingering about, why?"
"It's just that, since I don't really see much of anyone I'd like to," he looked down at his shoes. Draco looked at him, a grimace of remorse etched itself on his face.
"I could call, Weasleys are pretty good at organizing themselves."
"I don't know, Mr. Malfoy can't find us. That would disastrous."
"I understand," Mr. Weasley said quietly. "Molly, would you put Aislin somewhere so that we can talk?" Mrs. Weasley nodded. She returned a moment later and sat down at the table. Draco and Percy had sat themselves across from Mr. Weasley. "Please, tell us exactly what this is all about," he said in his calm, patient voice.
"When Draco and I made our commitment to each other Mr. Malfoy came up to us. It was at the commitment ceremony and it was the first time I had spoken to him. Of course Draco had already been lectured and yelled at and everything. He told us in no plainer terms that if we did not split up immediately he would kill us both. We didn't take him seriously which was a mistake. It was a week later that we started taking him seriously. We were at our apartment. Mr. Malfoy broke in and was about to stab me but Draco stunned him just in time.
It was then that we both decided that it would be best if we got as far away from him as possible. We moved in the middle of the night. For the next few months we continued to hop-scotch through various places until finally settling in a town just North of Inverness. We've lived there ever since and then 4 months ago we brought Aislin home.
Last night I received news from a friend that a tall, old-ish, blond man had been inquiring about me. I rushed home to tell Draco and we left" Percy finished with a sigh.
"It's terrible," was all Mrs. Weasley could say.
"Is there anything we can do?" Mr. Weasley asked quietly.
"You can help us get where he can't find us," Percy answered.
"It's just not fair. We all manage to survive the bloody war just to be torn apart again," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Percy looked at her for a minute.
"Mum, when have things ever been fair for anyone?"
"I don't know but they certainly aren't for me!" she exclaimed. "Please Percy, isn't there another way?" Percy shook his head.
"He'll find us Mum. He'll find us and kill all three of us without a second though. Of course it's not fair but it is what is." Mrs. Weasley puffed up and looked him square in the eye.
"Percy Weasley! I'm surprised at you! Don't you think I care just as much about you and your family as you do? I just wanted to be able to see you more often, it has been five years after all!" Percy sighed.
"I know Mum, I'm sorry. I just think I have a better grip on what my life is like then anyone else does."
"We'll help in any way that we can, don't worry Percy. I'll get the family here too. You'll be staying the night I presume?"
"If all fairs well."
"Okay," as Mr. Weasley stood a cry echoed from the living room.
"That will be Aislin, I'll get her," Draco said, standing up.
"Don't I'll get her. When I get back I'll make you something to eat. You must be starving."
"Thanks Mum," Percy said lightly.
"Yes thank you very much Mrs. Weasley."
"Please, Draco, call me Molly." Draco smiled slightly as did Mrs. Weasley. It was amazing how kind people could be.
"Draco, don't think for a minute that this is your fault," Percy said, looking into Draco's eyes.
"Can't help it. He's my father."
Mrs. Weasley was sitting at the kitchen, her fingers encircling a cup of tea. Her old, tired face had a drawn look about it. She had never gotten the worry from her face, nor her heart after the war. Always she looked as if she was about burst with fret. She looked up as they came in and rose from her chair. She was a bit shorter then she had been but no less plump. Her reddish-gray hair was falling out of it's tidy bun and the spectacles that usually perched securely on the bridge of her nose had fallen awry. "Oh Percy, are you all right?" she asked hurriedly, drawing him into a hug.
"Yes Mum, we're fine." She looked at Draco.
"Hello Draco, who is that you're holding?" she asked with curiosity.
"This is your granddaughter, Aislin Olivia Malley." Mrs. Weasley's face relaxed a tiny bit as she reached for the child. Draco handed her the pink bundle.
"She's gorgeous. Simply perfect. How old is she?"
"She's 5 months old," Draco answered promptly. "5 months last Tuesday." Mrs. Weasley nodded.
"A treasure but it would be fair to bet she doesn't sleep much."
"No, no she doesn't," Draco answered.
"First children never do. By the 3rd though, you'll be dusting their brows and screaming at the top of your lungs in their ears." Draco and Percy smiled slightly.
"Mum, is anyone else here?"
"I don't know. There's probably someone lingering about, why?"
"It's just that, since I don't really see much of anyone I'd like to," he looked down at his shoes. Draco looked at him, a grimace of remorse etched itself on his face.
"I could call, Weasleys are pretty good at organizing themselves."
"I don't know, Mr. Malfoy can't find us. That would disastrous."
"I understand," Mr. Weasley said quietly. "Molly, would you put Aislin somewhere so that we can talk?" Mrs. Weasley nodded. She returned a moment later and sat down at the table. Draco and Percy had sat themselves across from Mr. Weasley. "Please, tell us exactly what this is all about," he said in his calm, patient voice.
"When Draco and I made our commitment to each other Mr. Malfoy came up to us. It was at the commitment ceremony and it was the first time I had spoken to him. Of course Draco had already been lectured and yelled at and everything. He told us in no plainer terms that if we did not split up immediately he would kill us both. We didn't take him seriously which was a mistake. It was a week later that we started taking him seriously. We were at our apartment. Mr. Malfoy broke in and was about to stab me but Draco stunned him just in time.
It was then that we both decided that it would be best if we got as far away from him as possible. We moved in the middle of the night. For the next few months we continued to hop-scotch through various places until finally settling in a town just North of Inverness. We've lived there ever since and then 4 months ago we brought Aislin home.
Last night I received news from a friend that a tall, old-ish, blond man had been inquiring about me. I rushed home to tell Draco and we left" Percy finished with a sigh.
"It's terrible," was all Mrs. Weasley could say.
"Is there anything we can do?" Mr. Weasley asked quietly.
"You can help us get where he can't find us," Percy answered.
"It's just not fair. We all manage to survive the bloody war just to be torn apart again," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Percy looked at her for a minute.
"Mum, when have things ever been fair for anyone?"
"I don't know but they certainly aren't for me!" she exclaimed. "Please Percy, isn't there another way?" Percy shook his head.
"He'll find us Mum. He'll find us and kill all three of us without a second though. Of course it's not fair but it is what is." Mrs. Weasley puffed up and looked him square in the eye.
"Percy Weasley! I'm surprised at you! Don't you think I care just as much about you and your family as you do? I just wanted to be able to see you more often, it has been five years after all!" Percy sighed.
"I know Mum, I'm sorry. I just think I have a better grip on what my life is like then anyone else does."
"We'll help in any way that we can, don't worry Percy. I'll get the family here too. You'll be staying the night I presume?"
"If all fairs well."
"Okay," as Mr. Weasley stood a cry echoed from the living room.
"That will be Aislin, I'll get her," Draco said, standing up.
"Don't I'll get her. When I get back I'll make you something to eat. You must be starving."
"Thanks Mum," Percy said lightly.
"Yes thank you very much Mrs. Weasley."
"Please, Draco, call me Molly." Draco smiled slightly as did Mrs. Weasley. It was amazing how kind people could be.
"Draco, don't think for a minute that this is your fault," Percy said, looking into Draco's eyes.
"Can't help it. He's my father."
