When Doves Cry

Chapter 4: Hallelujah 

Disclaimer: I don't own anything………..if I did, I'd post more often because I wouldn't be so busy working my ass off in school to secure my future….

A/N: I'm sorry guys. I truly, truly am. I really wanted to stick to my two-week deadlines, because it's unfair to you all to keep you hanging so long. I honestly have tried my hardest to get this out as soon as possible. Time seems to be flying by me lately, and not a second of it seems to be free for me to do a lot of the things that I want to do. So here's chapter four finally. I hope you enjoy it and once again I'm beyond sorry about the wait. Hope you can find it your heart to forgive me!!

            "You're late Potter," Draco greeted as Harry entered the room in which they had first learned about their mission and sat down in the chair beside him.

            "Ginny's sick. I went to the bathroom after I woke up this morning and found her head in the toilet," Harry replied.

            "Gin's quite the doll when she's puking her guts up isn't she? Is she feeling better now?"

            "She said she was fine when I left, but you never know with Gin whether she's lying or not."

            "Gin wouldn't let you leave the kids with her if she was really sick. You see Potter, most people think about others before they start lying about things."

            "Jesus Malfoy! You know better than anyone how badly I feel about this! Why is it that you feel that you have to keep reminding me of it?"

            "Because you don't feel bad enough!" Draco hissed, narrowing his eyes. She doesn't deserve this. You weren't here. You have no idea what she went through when you were missing because lord knows Ginny's too much of a saint to tell you anything about it."

            "Look. Ginny told me that it wasn't easy…"

            "Wasn't easy? Is that how she put it? She never lets herself be a burden to anyone does she?"

            "Well if Ginny isn't telling me everything then why don't you tell me about it Malfoy?"

            "How about I show you?"

            Harry opened his mouth to speak again but as he did so Lorcan Nepot entered the room and the group quickly silenced.

            "Well men," he began as he stood at the front of the room. A few offended coughs sounded. "Ladies," he paused and glanced at the women who had voiced their disproval of his first opening. "I admit that at the beginning of the month I was concerned by what I saw at the training camps. However, you've all give me your 110% and now you're the team that I knew you could be. So now its time to really prove it. Tomorrow will be our first venture onto the island. We'll meet here at 6:00 am and here I'll give your port keys. Our first order of business is to break the apparition barrier on the island. Malfoy, Fielding. You two are going to lead the charm breaking team in accomplishing this. Meanwhile our defense squad will keep watch and ward off anyone or anything that might be headed your way. Potter you're my head defenseman. I'll need you to come up with the optimal set-up at quickly as possible once you've scoped out the island. Chang will help you with setting up communications. I know you're all capable of handling this mission or else you wouldn't be here. Now go home, rest, and be back here tomorrow ready to go."

            Harry looked at his watch. "11:00. I can make it home for lunch then!"

            "What time does your wife serve lunch Potter?"

            "Around one usually."

            "Good. We have time we have time for you to make a pit stop at the manor," Draco said, standing up. "Let's go."

            With that Draco disappeared. Harry frowned for a moment, but quickly followed after him.

            Harry apparated into the parlor of Malfoy Manor but didn't see Draco. The room was large with tall ceilings and walls that had at least a dozen portraits of men and women with fair hair and pale complexions. Each portrait stood very still, rarely moving, and every one wore the Malfoy sneer that Harry was so familiar with.

            Not wishing to spend any more time with the Malfoy ancestors Harry began to leave the room in search of his friend. He reached for the door but stopped when I voice sounded behind him.

            "Patience is a virtue Potter," Draco spoke with a dull voice.

            "Excuse me for wanting to get away from your charming family," Harry said, eyeing the portraits and walking back to the center of the room where he sat on a couch. Draco sat across from him and on the table between them he sat a small hand painted chest that he recognized immediately.

            "Where did you get that?" he exclaimed.

            "Your wife gave it to me for safe keeping when you came home last year."

            Harry frowned. The chest before him had always been Ginny's special box in which she store all of her secrets. It had been the one thing she had always refused to share with him when they were together before the war.

            "She trusts you not to go snooping more than she trusts me not too?" he asked.

            "I already know everything that's in here. Why would it matter if I opened it? Ginny made me swear never to show it to you, but its obvious that you need to so have fun Potter. I'll be in my study."

            "What's in it?" Harry called out to Draco who was leaving the room, but was ignored.

            Slowly Harry leaned forward and picked up the box. Holding it in his lap, he unhooked the brass latch and gradually lifted the lid of the chest. Harry's eyes widened when they saw the silver liquid that was filling the chest to the brim.

            It was piensive.  It was Ginny's piensive.

            Harry quickly snapped the lid shut. He couldn't do it. He couldn't invade Ginny's privacy like that.

            Then a voice popped into his head. 'I already know everything that's in here,' Draco's voice taunted in Harry's head. A jealousy arose as Harry realized that Draco knew more about his wife than he did.

            Without another thought Harry reopened the box and put his face down to the silver liquid.

            The room began to fall away as Harry felt himself being pulled in. When he opened his eyes Harry found that he was in a compartment on the Hogwarts express. On one bench was Colin Creevy with Ginny resting her head in his lap as she laid across the seat. The opposite seat was empty.

            "Have you decided if you're going to tell people yet?"

            "Not yet. I can't. I don't even know how…"

            "How?"

            "It's not really the type of thing you go around saying "Hey guess what? I'm pregnant! Isn't it great?" But I don't want a pity party either. And I don't want to keep it a secret because well, what would the point of that be?"

            "So you don't want to tell people in a positive way, but not in a negative way either. And you can't not tell people at all."

            "Which means I just need some time to come up with a neutral "I'm pregnant," speech.

            Colin laughed. "Sounds like a plan Gin. God. I still can't believe you're pregnant. Are you scared Gin?"

            "No," she answered, surprising Harry a little, but then added, "I'm terrified."

            "It'll be okay though Gin. It will."

            "I know. Thanks Colin."

            Harry could have hugged Colin. If he couldn't have been there for Ginny, he was glad to know Colin was.

            The two sat in silence for a few moments before Ginny sat up.
            "I," she announced, "Am going to buy something from the snack cart. Do you want anything?"

            "No thanks Gin."

            "Alright. I'll be back soon."

            Ginny got up and left the compartment and Harry followed. Harry stayed close behind as Ginny made her way to the back of the train where the cart always ended up after it was finished its rounds. Ginny ordered a few snacks and as the lady gathered Ginny things Harry could hear the conversation going on in a near by compartment that had its door left open.

            "My brother Dean threw a New Years party over the holiday. Everyone who was anyone in my brothers year was there. Well Dean was piss drunk long before midnight and so was Ron Weasley."

            Harry turned and looked at the compartment as he heard his best friend's name mentioned by Kimberly Thomas, Dean's little sister. He looked over and saw that Ginny had done the same.

            "Anyway," she continued, "Dean and Ron got into a playful argument about who between the two of them has more problems in their life right now. Well Dean says something about having to put up with Seamus and I dating. I was about to remind Dean that Ginny Weasley is practically married to Harry Potter when Ron goes, 'At least your best friend didn't fuck up your sisters life and at least your best friend isn't possibly dead so that he can't fix her life for her. Let Seamus knock up your sister and go missing and then come tell me about your problems.'"

            "Ginny Weasley's pregnant?"

            "Mm hm."

            "What else did Ron say?"

            "Nothing. By the time anyone was over their shock Hermione Granger and Fred Weasley were saying their goodbyes and leading Ron to the Floo."

            Harry stopped listening after this and turned back to Ginny. She had silent tears running down her face. Wanting nothing more than to comfort her and tell her that he'd kill Ron, Harry took several steps toward her before he realized he wasn't really there. It was all just a memory.

            Harry watched as Ginny tried to wipe the tears away and started back to her compartment.

            "What's wrong Gin?" Colin asked as she sat down across from him.

            "Looks like I won't have to come up with that neutral speech after all," she replied.

            "What?" Colin gaped. "How do people know?"

            "Well apparently on New Years Ron was complaining to the world about how bad his baby sister fucked up her life," she spat, her eyes welling up again.

            Ron's words had hurt Ginny more than Harry would have expected them. Harry knew how much Ginny hated crying. The fact that she couldn't stop herself from doing so was clear proof that the news of Ron's speech had hit hard.

            "Ginny I'm sure he didn't mean whatever he said that way."

            "I don't care what he meant. I don't even care."

            The room began to spin again and Harry realized that the memory was ending. Although he wished that he could stay and make sure things worked out there was nothing to do but see where he ended up next.

            When the spinning stopped Harry found himself in one of the Hogwarts hallways. They were empty and Harry could tell it was late at night. He turned to the left and saw Ginny coming toward him carrying a pile of books.

            'She must be coming back from the library,' he thought to himself.

            Just as Ginny was getting close to Harry a figure stepped out of the shadows and into her way.

            "Out past curfew Miss Weasley? You know as head boy I could dock you points for this," the boy sneered.

            "Then why don't you just do it and let me go?" she said. She sounded tired.

            "You care so little about your house that you'd give up precious points when I'm perfectly willing to work out some sort of deal with you? Its easy. I won't take off any points if you give me exactly what I've wanted for two years."

            "I don't think so," Ginny said as she tried to walk by him, only to be stopped.

            "Get off me!" she snapped, shocked by the boy's bold move.

            He laughed. "You can play hard to get but everyone knows you're easy. So just give me what I want."

            At this Harry lost his cool and reached out to grab the boy he recognized as a Slytherin. His hand went right through him. Harry growled in frustration as he realized he couldn't do anything.

            "I'm afraid I don't know what that is," Ginny replied coolly, once again trying to get away from the Slytherin.

            "Oh but I think you do Weasley."

            With this the boy pulled Ginny closer to him, pressing his body into hers, causing her to drop her books and cry out in surprise.

            "It's the only reason you ever got with Potter.  You're lucky you're good enough to make him stay with you. Well, stay with you until your little surprise came along and he suddenly went missing…" He glanced down at Ginny's stomach and smirked. "Tell you what Weasley, you come back to my room with me like a good little Gryffindor and not only will I not take off house points, but I'll give you the name of a family friend you can help you get rid of your little problem. Then maybe Potter will come home to you."

            Harry saw a look of disgust wash over Ginny's face and she struggled once again to the get free. Harry was getting more and more frightened of what the boy was going to do to Ginny when a voice answered all of his prayers.

            "What are you two doing out of bed?" a voice called from down the hall. In a blink of an eye Ginny's assailant had released her and was fleeing in the other direction.

            Harry noticed Ginny quickly trying to wipe away tears from her eyes as she squatted down to gather her books.

            The person who had called out was approaching as Ginny worked to put the stray papers back into an orderly pile.

            "Why are you out of your common room?" the voice spoke again as it got closer.

            "I was coming back from the library." Ginny spoke quietly carefully hiding any emotion in her voice.

            "'Well let me help you," the tall young man said, squatting down to help her.

            "No that's alright Professor…" Ginny glanced up to see what professor was helping her.

            "Draco?" she exclaimed.

            Draco looked closely at her before replying, "Ginny?"

            "Oh Draco you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Ginny burst out as she lunged forward and hugged her friend.

            "It has been awhile hasn't it Gin?" he said, returning the hug before standing up and helping her do the same. "Were you crying Gin?" he asked, his face taking on a look of concern as hers came into the light and he saw her red rimmed eyes.

            "I'm fine. Especially now that you're here. Why are you here anyway?"

            "Why were you crying?"

            "Answer my question first."

            "I'm apprenticing with the potions master for the rest of the semester."

            "What? Why on earth would you do that? I know more about potions than he does and I was barely passing Snape's class. You go the highest grade in Snape's class in years. I won't even mention how many NEWTS you earned for potions."

            "I think that might be the reason McGonagall asked me to come. Someone has to help you seventh years prepare for your NEWTS. I hear they're searching for someone to catch you all up in DADA too. Now your turn to. Answer my question."

            Ginny bit her lip. "Well you see, I've seemed to have acquired a….a reputation."

            "A reputation?"

            "That I'm….easy."

            "What? Number one since when do you get upset over what people think? Number two, how did you manage….. Wait. Was that guy trying to pull something with you?"

            "Yes, but he didn't get anywhere and I'm fine. I was just a little scared."

            "Who was it? I'll presume it was a Slytherin."

            Ginny smiled. "I'm fine."

            Draco looked at her skeptically but gave in.

            "Well, do you want to tell me how you got this new reputation?" he asked grinning.

            Ginny's expression dimmed a little.

            "I probably should have told you a while ago. You see…"

            Draco must have been able to tell that it was a serious subject because he interrupted her.

            "Let's go back to my room, and you can tell me about it there."

            Harry followed Ginny and Draco through the halls into a large room in the dungeons where Draco was staying. The room was much cozier than Harry would have expected to find a room in the dungeons to be. When they got there Draco a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt out of a drawer and handed them to Ginny to change into. She thanked him and quickly stepped behind his changing screen.

            "It'll be so nice having you here," Ginny said as she changed. "Colin's my only really good friend here this year. It's been so lonely without everyone. It doesn't even feel like Hogwarts this year."

            As Ginny spoke she tossed her robe over the screen and Draco picked it up off the floor. He held it up and smiled.

            "Wearing Potter's robes as some sort of display of loyalty?" he asked teasingly.

            "No!" she replied, but then added, "Harry's are in the wash. Those are Charlie's."

            "Now, if you were still dirt poor, I could understand the oversized hand-me-down look, but you can afford your own robes now Gin."

            Ginny scowled and started to come out from behind the screen.

            "Well mine don't fit me anymore," she stated.

            Draco's face turned from confusion to shock as he discovered her convex stomach.

            Harry watched and listened as Ginny told Draco everything that had happened from December through March.

            As Harry noticed Ginny's eyes begin to droop he felt the scene begin to fade away as her was transferred to the next memory.

            Harry reopened his eyes to find himself in the transfiguration classroom.

            Ginny was at the front of the room standing in front of McGonagall's desk.

            "Miss Weasley, one of your dorm mates has informed me that you were not in your dormitory last night."

            Harry couldn't help but feel annoyed with whoever had snitched.

            "No Headmaster, I wasn't."

            "And where were you Miss Weasley?"

            "I spent the night in Dr….Mr. Malfoy's quarters."

            Before McGonagall could respond Ginny continued. "I know it's against the rules Professor but I hadn't told him about the baby, which was wrong of me because he deserved to know, I never knew how to tell him. Last night I finally did it and we stayed up all night discussing it. "

            McGonagall sighed.

            "Miss Weasley. I understand that you are finishing your schooling under a very special circumstance, but I cannot permit you to break school rules at your own discretion due it; especially rules regarding students spending the night in Professors' quarters. And those rules include very young, attractive professor's apprentices."

            Harry grinned at McGonagall's reference to Malfoy as attractive.

            "I'll let you off without punishment this time Miss Weasley, but please refrain from breaking rules from now on."

            "I will professor."

            "Please tell your potions professor to see me about your tardiness to class."

            Harry followed Ginny out of the classroom and down to the potions room where she joined her class.

            When he entered, Harry saw that the Professor was not there and that Draco was at the front of the room giving instructions.

            "Miss. Weasley. How lovely of you to join us," Draco said.

            Ginny rolled her eyes and took her seat.

            "Now your professor has informed me that last class each of your lab groups prepared the ingredients for a Hallucination Draft. Today you'll brew the potion and at the end of class one member of each group will test it, so I suggest you get it right."

            Harry was impressed with Draco's instruction and slightly irked by the way he reminded him of Snape. The class rose from their seats when Draco finished speaking and headed for the storerooms to get their supplies.

            "Miss Weasley what do you think you're doing?"

            "Getting my ingredients out?"

            "Have you still been participating in potions brewing?"

            "Professor Fauna said that…"

            "Stop. Just stop there. You will not be brewing any potions whatsoever for the rest of the year. If the Professor has a problem with that then I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will support me."

            Draco sent Ginny to sit at the front of the room in his chair to ensure she was far from the potions for the rest of class. She wasted the time spinning lazily in his chair and rifling through Draco's bag. Inside she found lesson plans, a potions textbook, a bag of chips, and Draco's wallet. She pulled out the chips and wallet and tossed the rest aside. Snacking on the discovered food, Ginny opened the wallet and examined its contents. The first thing she saw was Draco's ministry issued military ID.  He had a few galleons but she was sure he had more hidden somewhere. The wallet also had a small photo booklet. The first picture was a wedding portrait of Blaise Zambini and his wife, who had been married right after Blaise graduated. Blaise was the only Slytherin besides Draco that Ginny had ever enjoyed the company of. Ginny flipped the the next picture and grinned to find that it was a picture of Draco, Ron and Harry at training camp the summer after they had graduated. The picture beside it was Hermione's senior portrait. The next photo was a big group of students at graduation with Dumbledore, Ginny smiled sadly as she looked at the Dumbledore's happy face. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the next picture. It was of her and Draco dancing and laughing at the 7th year spring formal, which she had attended with Harry.

            "Curiosity killed the cat," Draco said dully causing Ginny to jump in surprise.
            "I've never seen this picture before," she told him. "Can I have it?"

            "No, but you can borrow it to have a copy made."

            "Aw Draco. You're so generous," Ginny teased and then jokingly kissed him on the cheek.

            Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as he watched the flirtatious interaction between Ginny and Draco. However, little did he know, he wasn't the only one who noticed the chemistry.

            Harry felt the scene changing once again and closed his eyes.

            When he reopened them her found himself in the Great Hall at breakfast. The mail was just arriving and students were piling food on their plates.

            Harry noticed a hush wash over the room as students picked up their copies of the Daily Prophet. Ginny picked up hers and Harry saw her jaw drop as she looked at the front page.

            Curious, Harry peered over her shoulder and soon felt his own jaw drop.

In Love and War; The Love Triangle of Wizarding Heros.

            The words were in large type across the top of the page. Below it were pictures of himself and Draco with a picture of Ginny centered between them. Further below Harry saw a picture of him and Ginny and a charity event for the war above the picture of Ginny and Draco from Draco's wallet. Harry spotted a copy of the paper left on the table by another student and rushed to read the article.

            Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy battled together on the battlefield to rid the wizarding world of Lord Voldemort, but off the battlefield they were fighting against each other to win the heart of Ginny Weasley. Weasley who was made the poster child for young women becoming involved in the war cause as she attended charity events with Potter and as she set up medical clinics, and supply drives at school, has been Potter's girlfriend since his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Or so we thought.

            Sources close to Ginny Weasley have revealed to the reported that she is pregnant, and the father of her child is not Potter, but Draco Malfoy, the son of Lucius Malfoy.

            Draco Malfoy joined forces with Potter during their sixth year of schooling and became acquainted with Weasley not long after that. There has been an undeniable closeness between the two since. This closeness has been observed by many student at Hogwarts recently, now that Malfoy is apprenticing with the Potions Master there. Part of Malfoy's job is teaching seventh year potions, a class that Weasley is enrolled in.

            "They can't keep their eyes off each other during class," said Regina Richter, a seventh year Slytherin in Weasley's potions class. "It's obvious that if they thought no one was looking they'd be all over one another. She even kissed him in class the other day!"

            And the paternity of Weasley's baby? A seventh year Hufflepuff said that after spending the night in Malfoy's sleeping quarters, Weasley admitted that the child was his. "She said that she had spent the night with Mr. Malfoy," the student said. "Then she said that she had been informing him about the baby, which she hadn't known how to do when she first found out."

            After receiving the news Malfoy apparently began getting Weasley special treatment. "She didn't even get in trouble for staying in a faculty member's bedroom all night. And the next day he threw a total hissy fit when he found out she'd been working with potions and demanded that she stop at once. He sent her to sit at his desk where she acted all cute and innocent while she ate his food and went through is belongings."

            So the question remains, "Where does all of this leave Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived?" Potter, who has been missing since Christmas Eve, is apparently unaware that Weasley is even pregnant. According to a family friend of the Weasley's, Ginny Weasley has been informing people that the baby is Potter's and those close to him claim Harry hasn't been seen since the final attack on Hogwarts; however a secret source has informed the Daily Prophet that Potter was seen with Weasley on New Year's eve in the Hog's Head.

            "They got in a very heated argument," the source told us. "She was crying and he was yelling. Eventually he threw his glass at the far wall and walked out on her, leaving her in tears. A few minutes later a tall blond fellow came in and escorted her out."

            So it appears that Malfoy and Weasley have betrayed their fellow war hero and found love together. But its this reporters curious nature that forces her to wonder if Harry Potter truly is the victim here, or if there's more to this story that meets the eye. Hopefully further investigation will fill any gaps in the story of this classic love triangle. If you have any information regarding Malfoy, Weasley or Potter please contact Rita Skeeter at the Daily Prophet.

Why was Harry not surprised to see who had written the article. He looked over to see Ginny was still staring at the page at disbelief. He was about to go back and re-read parts when he noticed the room go completely silent. He looked up and saw that Draco had entered the Great Hall. Draco looked around, confused by the silence, but continued toward his seat at the head table. Ginny stood and opened her mouth to say something to him but when she did nothing came out. She was still to shaken by the paper to function.

            Harry watched as Draco sat down at the table and unfolded the paper. He couldn't help but wish he had a camera when Draco's eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open. However, like  a true Malfoy, Draco quickly collected himself, folded up the paper, grabbed and muffin and some coffee and headed back out of the hall. Ginny quickly picked up her copy of the Prophet and followed him out. Harry heard an eruption of gossip begin as soon as Ginny stepped out of the Hall.

            Right outside Draco was pacing back and forth waiting for Ginny.

            "What the hell is this?" he exclaimed.

            "Why are you asking me? I don't know how this happened!"

            "You must have had something to do with this!"

            "Excuse me? Why on earth would I do something like this?"

            "I don't know Ginny, why don't you tell me?"

            "I can't believe your accusing me of this! Why do you think I did this?"

            "How else would they get so much info about us if one of us wasn't giving it to them?"

            "So much info? There's barely one ounce of truth about us in that article."

            "There is some though. And the picture. That's the picture I gave you to make a copy of Ginny. Where'd they get that if it wasn't from you?"

            "I haven't even had that picture for a while. I gave it to Colin to copy for me."

            "Sorry Gin but I refuse to believe innocent little Colin Creevey who kisses the ground you walk on would send rumors to the Daily Prophet about you. Or me for that matter. He knows what I'd do to him."

            "I know Colin would never do that. I'm just saying that I didn't either. I still…. Why would I do that?"

            "You know why Ginny? Because you don't want to have a bastard child and you thought since we're so close maybe you could throw it out there that I'm the father of your child. Then when time goes by and we're not married, you can put it out there that I won't marry you, which would ruin my reputation as a maybe not so evil son of a death eater. Knowing how hard I've worked to not be seen as evil by everyone in the wizarding world, maybe just maybe I'd suggest we get married just to calm down the rumors and live in peace."

            Ginny just stared at Draco for a moment before she reached back and slapped him. Hard. "That is the most conceited, most ridiculous, most heartless thing that I have ever heard anyone say. Did you think that maybe, just maybe, Rita Skeeter will take information from anyone who will give it to her and that maybe there are some people that go to school here who like to twist the truth just as much as she does."

            "Ginny…" Harry could tell Draco was beginning to regret his words.

            "As for where they got the information. The basic stuff is common knowledge through out the wizarding world. As for the other stuff, after I spent the night in your room I got a lecture from McGonagall about it. Someone probably overheard. And Regina Richter is clearly jealous of whatever relationship we actually do have, so she blew it of proportion and reported it to the prophet. As for the picture…well I don't know how they got it but I fully intend to find out. So Malfoy you can believe you version, or you can consider mine."

            "Ginny…" Draco tried again but failed as Ginny simply walked away from him, still in a rage.

            The room began to spin and Harry braced himself for yet another change of scenery. Harry was shocked when he found himself in a room with Ginny, Remus, and Sirius. Then he realized that more time that he thought must have past between the last memory and the previous one. At some point in between Remus must have arrived to teach DADA. Ginny was curled up in a chair reading a text book when there was a knock at the door.

            "Oh no. Go away Draco!" she called. The person knocked again and this time Sirius opened the door.

            "Look Malfoy, I never liked you and I still don't and if you don't leave right now…"

            "I want to see Ginny."

            "She doesn't want to see you."

            "I don't care what she wants. I need to see her."

            "Not everything's just about you Malfoy!" Ginny screamed. "You think this is easy for me? You think I need this right now? No. You probably didn't even think about how all of this is affecting me."

            "Ginny.." Draco tried to push by Sirius.
            "No Draco. If you think that…" Ginny quickly rose from her seat and froze. I strange look washed over her face and she paled right before she collapsed on to the floor.

            "Ginny!" all four men, including Harry exclaimed.

            Harry suddenly felt the room spinning. He panicked praying for it to stop. He had to see if Ginny was okay. But her memory of the incident ended with that and therefore there was no more for him to see. The next place he ended up was hospital wing. Ginny was awake and Draco was sitting beside her bed talking to her.

            "I'm sorry Gin. I can't tell you how sorry I am."

            "It's ok," she said.

            "It's not. I guess… I think I'm scared for you to have a fatherless child and I just twisted that into your fears and I panicked. But Gin…I am scared for you. A lot of people in the wizarding world are not very receptive to the idea of a woman having a baby out of wedlock. In the muggle world it's more common, but here it's a bigger deal. You're going to face a lot of problems Gin."

            "I know Draco. But I'll be okay."

            "Well Gin what if….I was just thinking…Since all of this is already out there and half of the wizarding world thinks this baby is mine…maybe we should get married."

            "What?" Ginny exclaimed.

            "Just temporarily. Until Harry gets home. It would solve a lot of problems; gossip, money, a father figure in your child's life, security. It wouldn't be so bad. We're good friends. The manor's big enough so that you could have a whole wing to yourself if you wanted. And then when Harry gets home we can create some big scandal about how this kids not really mine and I can leave you. Simple as that."

            "Simple as that? So we spend however long Harry's gone pretending to be desperately in love, and then when Harry does come home I tear my child away from the only father he or she's ever known and you sever all ties with all three of us? Draco as honorable as it is I think your plans a little more complicated than you'd think."

            Draco laughed. "I guess you're right Gin. I guess you're right. So what did Madame Pomfrey say about your health?"

            "I need to stay on bed rest for the rest of the year. Remus is going to let me stay with him once my mom writes McGonagall a letter of approval."

            "Why can't you stay with me? Remus already has someone staying with him!"

            "I don't know if that'd be such a good idea," Ginny answered.

            "Why not?"

            "Have you ever heard of this paper called the Daily Prophet? Their a really great source of reliable news."

            "Point taken," Draco laughed. "Point taken."

Harry felt the room begin to move again and felt himself being pulled out of the scene. When he finally felt the movement stop he was back in Draco's parlor. The memories were done.

            Harry sat back on the couch and ran his hands through his hair.

            "Now if you can figure out how to break the locking curses Ginny had Bill put on the even worse things you'd really understand what she went though," Draco said reentering the room.

            "There's more?"

            "Of course Potter. Those are just the things I personally know everything about. The rest is the stuff Ginny was too modest to even tell me the entire truth about."

            "I need to go home. Thanks Draco."

            Draco nodded and Harry apparated to his house.

            Ginny was getting Hope into her high chair as James sat at the kitchen table eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the crust.

            "When will Daddy be home?" James asked.

            "Probably not till late sweetie," Ginny answered her son.

            "I wanna ride my Fwiah-bolt," he told her.

            "Maybe Daddy will be home this weekend to take you flying."

            "I wanna go nooowww," he whined.

            "You could call Uncle Ron after lunch and see if he can take you."

            "No! I wanna go with Daddy."

            "I'm sorry sweetie but Daddy's not…" Ginny was cut off when she heard a pop and Harry appeared in the kitchen.

            "Daddy!" James yelled and hopped off his chair to go hug his father. Hope giggled and threw her hands up in delight when she saw her father.

            "Harry! What are you doing home so early?"

            "I took the day off," he said. "I wanted to see my kids and my wife."

            "Dad, after lunch will you take me flying? Please?" James begged.

            "Definitely kiddo. What are we having for lunch anyway?"

            "Peanut butter and jelly without the crust and…mashed sweet potatoes," Ginny replied, reading the label off the baby-food she was feeding Hope.

            "Mmm. My favorite," Harry grinned and headed to the fridge to find something for himself to eat.

            When lunch was over James ran upstairs to get his broom and put on the children's Quidditch gear Charlie had given him for his birthday the previous year in hopes of being placed on the favorite uncle list. As Ginny began to clean up the kitchen Harry caught her around the waist and pulled her closer.

            "I love you so much Gin," he told her.

            Ginny couldn't help but giggle at his display of affection. "I love you too," she replied sincerely.

            "I don't tell you that enough. But I do. You're the most amazing person I've ever met."

            Ginny was rendered speechless for a moment, unsure of where Harry's declaration of love had come from. Before she could reply their son came bouncing into the room, ready for his flying lesson.

            "I'm weady Dad!" he announced.

            "Let's go then. See you later mum," Harry grinned.

            "Bye Mummy!" With that the two men in her life were out the door and a wail erupted from her daughter.

            "Don't worry, you'll get your turn with Daddy too," Ginny told her as she picked her up out of the highchair. "Until then maybe you'll take a nap." Ginny headed upstairs with Hope, deciding she'd try and take a nap herself. For the first time in ages Harry was home and rather than being excited to see him, Ginny was happier that he could finally be there to help her take on responsibility. Lord knows she deserved a break.

           

A/N: Man oh man. There it is. Once again I'm really sorry about the wait. I hate taking so long to post b/c I know when stories I read go long periods of time without updates I often forget what they're even about. But as I said before my writing/typing time is very limited these days and this chapter was sort of an important one that I didn't want to do a half-ass job on. Because of that it took me a long time to write it so that I was pleased with it. I hope you all like it too. I'd like to get back on my two-week deadline schedule and for as long as I write this story that will always be my posting goal. So look for the next chapter in two weeks. Once again I hope you liked this chapter…..maybe think about reviewing whether you did or didn't. Any type of response is appreciated. Thanks for reading my story!

Love,

Bella