Author's Notes:

This a new story for me.  Not my first time posting, but this is the first story that I feel can keep going.  This deals with Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy in their post-Hogwarts life.  Having that been said, I do realize that I have sometimes taken liberties with their personality (people grow).  Nothing drastic, hopefully, but I know that it's there. 

With the summer here, I should be able to update regularly (who wants to do summer reading, anyway?)

Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize are J.K. Rowlings.  The ones don't, along with the plot, can all be blamed on me.

Family Affairs

Ginny let out a laugh.  The waves of her vibrant red hair moved with her head, which was thrown back.

"Not again, Mum!" Ginny never understood why she needed to settle down.  But that didn't stop everyone from setting her up.

"But he's such a nice boy!" Molly Weasley gushed loudly over the cell phone that Ginny had gotten each of her parents for Christmas.

"Mum they are all 'nice boys.'  Besides, I'm buried in work and just don't have time for a date," Ginny said.  Then she added, "Not even just this once!"

"Don is such a nice boy!  He has a very nice rear too, honey, if I do say so myself."

"Mum!"  Ginny said with disgust.

"Sorry, sorry.  But won't you just go out with him?  Please.  He is so looking forward to it!"

"Awwww, Mum!  Fine!"  Ginny always gave in, to Molly, anyways.

I can always just blow the date off later.  Maybe I'll send some flowers or something, change it up from the usual chocolate.

"Knew you'd see it my way!"  Ginny could practically see Molly beaming with pride over the phone waves.  "Thursday, seven o'clock sharp.  Be at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Fine, Mum.  I'll be there."

-----

"Hi, Jaime," Ginny said with a bright smile to the girl sitting on the bed.  "My name is Dr. Weasley, but I want you to call me Ginny.  How are you?"

Her mother stood up at this question.  "Well, doctor, Jaime has had a fever for three days.  She's got welts all over her body," she pulled up a sleeve of Jaime's to reveal a variety of bruises on the girl's arms as explanation.

"Well," Ginny looked down at her chart, "Mrs. Brown, I think Jaime may be having an allergic reaction.  Those bruises aren't what most would define as a bruise, since they aren't from impact.  She only has a low-grade temperature and the welts seem to be concentrated on the parts of the body that tend to be exposed.  To be sure, I'll want to run some tests.  If you could wait in the hall, Jaime and I will be done in a flash."

"Sure.  Just a few minutes, right?"  Mrs. Brown verified, motherly concern evident in her voice.

"Promise,"  Ginny reassured, then turned back to talk to Jaime.

"Jaime, you're wearing a very pretty dress.  Can you roll-up this sleeve?"  Ginny asked, pointing to the left arm.

The seven-year-old looked down, then rolled up her sleeve.

"Very good.  Now, I am going to give you a shot to get some blood.  I don't want to hurt you too much so I'm going to do something to numb the pain okay?"

Trembling, the young girl closed her eyes and looked away.  Ginny's heart broke at the sight of her. 

The muggle doctor brought out her very non-muggle wand.  She mutter a spell that she had found in a book during her Hogwarts years.

"Nullus poena."

She drew the blood and put a band-aid on her arm.  It glittered and sparkled, which seemed to appease Jaime.  Mrs. Brown walked back in and Ginny gave Jaime a lollypop after getting the okay from her mother.

"Thank you," a little voice said.

"You're welcome for the lollypop, Jaime.  Thank you for being so good while I gave you the shot."  Ginny said with a smile.  She turned on The Lion King DVD, a movie she had fallen in love with when she first began to watch muggle movies, and told the pair she'd be right back.

As a nurse passed by, Ginny gave her the blood sample for the lab.  She thanked the nurse and went to make her rounds.

Draco hit the ball against the wall, then backed up, allowing his recent business conquest to take his turn. With one more hit by Draco, the game was over.

"Good game, mate," Seamus Finnegan said.  He was an up-and-coming inventor, mostly concerned with all things Quidditch.

"You too.  Take a shower and go to the bar?" It was common business discussion area.  Draco had taken a liking to the practice when he had dabbled in muggle business.

"Sure.  Fifteen minutes," Seamus responded.

-----

"Now, Mr. Finnegan, I'd like to talk business with you.  You need money to open shop; I'm looking to dabble in sports.  Any interest in being backed by Silver Dragon, Inc.?"  Draco said in his business like tone, very succinct and clear.

"What, exactly, does being backed by you involve?"  Seamus asked, eyes alight.  He had been wanting to open a store.

"Means I get you started, you give me 15% of your profits.  You don't succeed, my company assumes the costs."

This was a good deal.  Draco knew it; Seamus knew it.

"Sounds okay to me.  When do we start production?"  Seamus said. 

"Building will start tomorrow.  We'll go around and pick a locale.  We'll talk about the next step when you complete the first one."

"Okay.  We have a deal."  They stood up, did the customary handshake and signed the paper work.

Ginny had just gotten home from a double shift.  Her apartment was in muggle London, near the hospital she worked at.  It was there that the young doctor practiced in pediatrics, occasionally trying out some spells that she was researching for in the wizarding world.  Some people didn't get the opportunity to do something that they loved.  Luckily for Ginny, she got to do both things that she loved.

Ginny picked up the paper she'd brought home with her, the tragic headline catching her eye.

"Young couple killed in car crash. Child left orphaned."

Ginny's heart sunk.  Two people were killed, a tragedy in itself.  But a child, left confused in the world with no parents, was horrible.  She fell asleep at the table, dreaming with sympathy about the family she didn't know she knew.

-----

Ginny was startled by the ringing of her cell phone.  She groggily answered it.

"Dr. Weasley."

"Hello.  This is Mr. Reid, Mrs. White's lawyer."

"Hi.  What is this about?"

"Custody of Sophie White," he replied.

"Sophie?  Custody?  Wait, what?"  Ginny was having a hard time piecing all these things together.

"Dr. Weasley, you don't know, do you?" he asked.

"Know?  What should I know?!"  She asked frantically.  She was definitely beginning to worry.

"Well, Mrs. White and her husband…. they've died," he finished softly.

She looked at the paper.  A tear slid down her cheek.  Her best friend Lauren White was dead.  She was too shocked to speak.

"Dr. Weasley, are you okay?"  the lawyer asked worriedly.

"Yes, yes," was her quiet response.

"Would you meet me at the Leaky Cauldron at 7 this evening, please?  We need to discuss the situation immediately."

"Mmm…" was her response.

"Seven then.  Dr. Weasley?  I am sorry."  He hung up the phone.

Draco's new phone rang.

'Who has this number besides my secretary,' he thought.

"Mr. Malfoy. Who is this?" he answered the phone tersely.

"This is Mr. Martelli, Mr. White's attorney."

"Bill? What's up with him?" Draco asked.

"Sir, we need to talk about custody of his daughter, Sophie," the lawyer said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Why? What?"

"Could you meet me tonight at seven? The Leaky Cauldron?"

"Yeah. Um. Sure?" Draco was curious now.

Draco dialed his secretary. "Cancel with Payton tonight. Thanks."

"You know how she gets," Connie answered.

"Just do it," Draco hated not knowing things and Payton wasn't pressing.  A Malfoy was never out of the loop.

"Okay. I'll do it. Why?"

"Not sure yet."

"Fine. Have fun," Connie said.

"Ah, Ms. Weasley. Yes. Your party is waiting for you."

Doctor Weasley, get it bloody right, she thought. Wait, party?

They reached a table in the back. Seated there were three men, one of them a shaken Draco, who stood as she approached. Mr. Reid pulled a chair out for her and they all sat.

"Dr. Weasley, would you like anything?"

"Water is fine," she said. "Thank you. Now, what is going on. And why is Draco Malfoy here?"

"Okay, we can get started now," Mr. Reid said, giving Draco a pointed look. "You and Mr. Malfoy have been named the guardians of Sophie White."

"How?" Draco asked, finding his voice first.

"Well," Mr. Martelli said, fielding this question. "Both Mr. and Mrs. White named different guardians. As long as both of you are fit, you will share custody of Sophie White."

They looked at each other, grateful that they had help, but wishing it was anyone other then the person sitting next to them. This was going to be a bumpy ride.

So much credit is due to my beta: Ives.  Thanks for all your wise and totally true comments!  Where would the story be without you?