Disclaimer- I own nothing

A/N- Sorry for the long wait. It took me a bit to get this chapter out of my head. I hope you like it because it gave me a horrible time...

New Resolutions II

Chapter Nine- Beginning to Look Like Christmas

"Ginny?"

Ginny looked up from her desk at the preschool where she worked to see Draco standing at the door.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"Hello to you too," he said walking into the room.

She gave a small smile. "Hi Draco. Now, what do you want?"

"To ask you something."

"And what is that?"

"Christmas," he said sitting down on one of the desks the children used. "I was wondering if you and Kori would come out to the Manor for it."

Ginny just stared at him before she swallowed audibly.

"You will see us at Mum's on Christmas Eve," she said turning away from him.

"I know but I thought it would be good for Kori to have both parents together for Christmas," he said with a shrug.

"Drac-"

"Save it Gin. I am trying to do something for Kori and you won't even let me try," he said standing up and headed toward the door.

"Draco Aaron Malfoy just wait a damn minute," she yelled standing up.

"What?" he asked turning around.

She just looked at him for a moment before she sighed.

"What time do you want us there?"

Draco gave a smile. "Any time you would like."

She gave a small smile and looked up at him. Her brown eyes met his haunted gray ones. His eyes always portrayed him. He could have a cold or cruel smirk playing on his lips but his eyes always would show caring, passion, and love, expressly whenever she or Leah was around, she noticed.

Even now was no difference. The way his eyes looked at her showed that he adored her and loved her. That scared her a bit because she didn't know if she could trust him now, after everything that happened.

"Ginny?" said Draco pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Oh...sorry. What did you say?" she asked blushing a little.

"I asked if you were okay," he said looking at her with a concern playing on his features.

"I am fine. Yes...I am fine," she said with a small smile.

"Okay. I got to go. Harry is already going to have my blood."

"Why? What did you do?"

"I was supposed to be at work an hour ago."

"I am sure Leah could use your blood," said Ginny with a smile.

"I'm sure she does. Speaking of her, did you hear about one of her patients?"

"Yes. I don't know what her and Harry are going to do."

"I know Leah had a passion for helping children. I don't know how far she would go to help one of them."

Ginny nodded and looked at him.

"You better get going before Harry sends for you. Merlin knows what he will be raving about if is right hand man has to be Manning."

Draco nodded and they bided their good byes. He walked out of the room leaving Ginny to ponder what just happen. She had spent the past three years convincing herself that he didn't love her and he only cared about himself. But no matter how hard she had tried, she never could convince her of that thought.

She always thought that he would move on to some other girl after the first year but she was wrong. Hermione had came up to her one day and told her that Draco cared more for her and Kori then anything.

The only thing that stopped her from coming back with him was fear. Feared that she would get hurt. Feared that he would hurt Kori and that was the last thing she ever wanted.

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Draco walked into the meeting room to find everyone staring at him.

"Finally decided to praise us with your appearance?" asked Harry looking up.

"Sorry...over sleep," he said walking up and sitting beside Harry.

Harry cased him a side way glance before he smirked.

"What did she say?"

"Who?"

"You know damn well who. You only look and act like that when you have seen Gin. And you never would apologies that fast to me."

"You sound to much like your father and that isn't a compliment."

"Just answer the question."

"And what was that. I kind of missed it with all your rambling."

"What did she bloody say you boggart?" snapped Harry with amused smirk playing on his lips.

"She and Kori are coming."

"Great! Now, I am leaving now that Draco decided to join us. I'll be back in an hour or two. When I get back, you boys-"

"HUM," said Tonks.

"And girls to have something done."

"Done? As in what?" asked Evan.

"I don't know; we still have death eaters to catch. Not to mention the ones that helped them."

"Where are you going?" asked Draco watching as Harry pulled on his emerald cloak.

"I have a Christmas tree to pick out."

Some snickered at him while others just smiled. He glared around at them and stopped at the door before he left.

"What are you waiting for, GET TO WORK!"

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"DADDY!"

The next thing Harry knew was a pain in his butt and two girls lying on top of him. He moved Lily's curly hair out of his face so he could look at them.

"Hey girls," he said with a smile.

"Are we going to get the tree?" asked Jordan looking at him with head resting on her hands, her elbows jabbing into his stomach.

"Yes, once the two of you get off your father," said Leah.

Both scrambled up off of him before he got up himself.

"Hello love," he said giving her a kiss.

"Hey. What keep you? I thought you would have been here an hour ago."

"My second commander was late getting there."

"Sounds like him. They thought you had forgot and wanted me to go and get you."

Harry looked over at the girls and smiled. "They must take after you, impatient."

"Hey! So are you!"

He rolled his eyes and muttered a "sure" before he went over with the girls before Leah would do something to him. He winked at him as he held a girls hand in each of his and disapparated from the house.

Leah sighed heavily and disapparated also to a Tree Farm that they had got their Christmas trees from each year.

"Ah, Mrs. Snape, I was beginning to wonder where you were. Here Harry came with the girls and I thought that he forgot you," said Ryan Miles, a handsome 30 some year old, that had owned the farm since his father passes away a few years back.

"No, but we were about to leave him."

Ryan looked between them with his jaded eyes looking hesitant. "Anything I should know about? Besides Harry here becoming a pain in the rear?"

Leah smirked, as Harry looked offended. "Not this time."

Ryan gave a smile. "So, this year, what kind are we going to be getting?"

"Whatever they pick out," said Harry.

Ryan nodded and Leah said that they were going to go look around. Harry was about to go with them before Ryan asked to talk to him for a minute.

"Sure, what's up Ry?"

"I think I might know something that you might find useful."

Harry eyes automatically snapped to his attention.

"I was in town the other day, you know the local market and things around this small town. Anyway, I was getting something to eat when I over heard a man and women talking at the table behind me. At first I though nothing of it but then I recognized the lady as Narcissa Malfoy," said Ryan sticking his hands in his pocket and stared at Harry.

"Who was guy?"

"I don't know for sure but I think it was Nott."

Harry's eyes narrowed. That was a deadly combination.

"What were they saying?"

"Well, I kind of only paid attention to the end. Malfoy was saying something about she had a few manors that were a good place for something. Nott sounded pleased, too pleased. I don't know what they are planning."

"That could be one of many things they would want a manor for. That is where maybe they are hiding, hiding something, decoys, or something harmless. But that does prove that she is helping them in someway. Did you hear where the manors were at?"

Ryan shook his head and kicked some snow around on the ground. Harry noted that Ryan had never made eye contact with him yet or even looked at him. He passed it off as nothing though for now as Lily came running to him.

"We found one Daddy!" she said excitedly.

"You did? Well, lets go see this tree. Thanks for the help Ry. Keep me up to date if you hear anything else."

"I will."

Lily grabbed her father's hand and dragged her over to where Leah and Jordan were standing beside an eight-foot pine tree.

"This one?" he asked.

"Yup," said Jordan.

"Alright. You heard the lady Ryan, we will take that one."

"Right away young miss," said Ryan giving a bow to her.

Lily and Jordan both laughed at Ryan behavior. Leah smiled a little before she looked up at Harry. She knew something was wrong by the forlorn look in his eyes.

Back at the house that night, while Lily and Jordan were busy decorating the tree, Leah took the chance to see what was wrong with her husband.

"Harry?" she asked running a hand over his cheek to get his attention.

He looked up at her from his sitting position in the chair and knew he was caught staring into space.

"What's wrong?" she asked sitting on the arm of the chair.

"Nothing..."

"Harry..."

"Nothing is wrong."

"Harry James, I know you and something is wrong and I am not leaving you alone until you tell me," snapped Leah making the twins turn toward them.

They both of them flashed the girls a smile and told them to continue with the tree. Harry looked up at her.

"For once, I don't want you to know," he said turning away from.

Leah just blinked at him. What was it that she couldn't tell him? She began to wonder if she had anything to worry about but it was clear that he wasn't going to tell.

"Fine," she said sharply and began to walk away before Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap.

He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the lips. "I just don't want you to worry about it. You have enough to worry about and this doesn't concern you, not at the moment but if it ever does, I'll tell you," he said giving her another kiss. She stared at him and he knew that wasn't what she was asking from him but if would have to work.

"Alright," she said before she gave a small smile.

She got up and helped the girls fill the tree up with ordainments. He just watched them as they did that. He didn't want to tell her that her own mother might be helping with the attacks, not that Leah hadn't thought of it before. The thought of her having to worry with that along with everything else wasn't something he wanted to cast on her. But having her mad at him wasn't good neither. He brushed off the thought and figured she wasn't one to stay mad at him for long.

He was still deep in thought that he never heard anyone calling his name until he felt someone sitting on his lap. Blinking a couple times, he looked down to see Lily curled up in his lap looking up at him with her hunter eyes asking a spoken question.

"I'm fine, my little serpent," he whispered to her. She gave a smile at him at the use of his name for her that only the two of them knew about. He had given it to her the first time he learned that she was a Parselmouth just like himself.

"You sure?" she asked softly in parseltongue, startling him.

"Yes baby. Go and finish the tree," he hissed back to her.

"Come and help us then," she said in her normal, sweet voice.

"Sure," he said looking down at her with a smile.

Lily smiled a wide smile before she grabbed her father's hand and practically dragged him over to the tree. Leah smiled a bit over at him as he picked up a silver ball and placed it up toward the top as she was doing. After about half an hour it was finished except for the star on top.

"Lils, Jorie, time to put the star on," said Leah walking back into the room after she went and got the star.

Both girls took the star and waited for their parents to pick them up and put the star on like they did every year. Harry grabbed Lily by the waist and Leah did the same with Jordan and held them above their heads. The girls placed the star on the every top. Harry and Leah glanced at each other before they began to tickle one of the twins in their hold. The let the twins down only when they were completely out of breathe.

Harry sat down in on of the chairs out of breath himself when he glanced over at the fire. Startled, he jumped up.

"JUSTIN!" he said holding his already pounding heart.

"Sorry Harry. Didn't mean to frighten you. I didn't want to interrupt the four of you," said Justin chuckling, his head in the fire.

Harry continued to breath hard while he stared at him. "What did you want?"

"I need to give you something," he said more seriously.

"Come on through."

Justin nodded and stepped out of the fire.

"Hey Justin," said Leah as she and the girls admired the tree.

"Hey Leah, twins. I think that you will find this interesting Harry," said Justin turning his attention to Harry.

Harry just raised an eyebrow at him. Justin handed him a tan folder that had papers conceived inside.

"What is this?" asked Harry looking down at the folder.

"Open it up and see."

Harry raised an eyebrow but did as he was told. A small smile appeared on his face.

"Can I keep this and look over it?"

"Sure. Just give it back to me, like tomorrow or something."

"Okay. Thanks Justin."

"No problem Harry. Tell me soon what you want to do."

"Alright. See you tomorrow."

Justin nodded and disappeared back threw the fire. Leah appeared at Harry's side looking at the folder.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Something that is going to help a certain kid," he said with a smile.

The corners of Leah's mouth began to turn up into a smile.

"Lily, Jordan, why don't you go get ready for a bath?" said Harry.

"Okay," they said and ran up the stairs toward their rooms.

"What does it say?" asked Leah as they sat down on the couch.

"You remember what I told you Justin said a couple days ago?"

"Yes...Riddick being abusive. Does this prove it?"

Harry nodded. "He spent a month in Azkaban for it."

"So, we can use this against him?"

Harry nodded once again then turned to her. "We?"

"Who else is going to help him?" she asked.

"Does he have any family members beside his parents?" asked Harry.

"No, I've looked. No siblings, mother's side of the family is gone. His father had a brother that died a few months ago with no kids or wife. Grandparents have died a while ago. No one is there," she said.

"If we do get him away from his parents...he...he would go to an orphanage, wouldn't he?"

Leah slowly nodded.

"He is young. Tommy would be probably one of the first to go," said Harry trying to convince him as well as her.

"It doesn't always work like that, Harry."

Harry turned to Leah and saw how she was looking at him. She wanted to help him and he knew that she would. The look was pointedly saying that Thomas wasn't going to an orphanage.

"Leah...are you thinking what I think you are thinking because if you are I seriously hope you that you think about it all the way through," he said.

"Oh, I have. Its just up to you," she said standing up.

"Thanks for leaving me with that decision!"

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A/N- So...what ya think? I personally love the end, but that is just I. Good, bad, great, horrible? Don't worry, everything will play out...just read the story and continuing to review. The more reviews I get, the faster I will produce a new chapter. So, if you want a new chapter soon, review because if you don't, I might take longer than you would like.

I am also about to start school again Monday, the 30th. I am a ninth grader now baby!!! High school is going to be sooo much better now that I am not a little eighth grader wondering around!! I just hope I can keep up my grades...-0-looks around nervously while biting fingernails-0-...So, school will come first before story but I have time when I get home...I think...

Well, don't forget to take a few seconds and review!!!! Thanks to those who reviewed for the last chapter!

starangel2106- Thanks for the review! I hoped ya got some sleep...

shirriez- Thank you so much for ya review! It made me smile the whole day as all of yours do! As for ya theory, I won't say yes or no, but I can say that you are every good at picking out details...keep reading and see if you are correct or not. This chapter gives a lot away. As for Percy, I have a small, very small, soft spot for him...

graceful Lily- Thanks Babe!!!

HecateDeMort- Thanks!

And to GoddessMoonLady- Thanks for the review for chapter seven. The kids are good...most of the time...when they aren't being babysat by three daddy's...

As always,

Love From, Abbie =)