Ginny awoke suddenly; one of the babies had rolled over her bladder. With expert precision, she sleepily padded into the bathroom. By the time she got out, Draco was waiting for her. "Hello love!" she said cheerily.
"Hello to you too, Ginny. How was shopping with my mum? I saw the house elves packing away a lot of new things." He smiled as he watched her blush.
"Well I didn't want to get all of it but your mother insisted! It was a lot of fun though; your mother has excellent taste." She sat down next to him on the bed and kissed his cheek lightly. "Is she back yet?"
Draco smirked. "Yes, she's been home for about an hour or so… but, I wouldn't try and find her if I were you. My father and she have barricaded themselves in their room and I don't want to know why."
Ginny laughed. "Brilliant, your mother deserves to be happy!"
"So do you Gin… which is why I've arranged for us to return to Hogwarts tonight. I want make sure our future is safe." He gently placed a hand on her rounded abdomen. "Dumbledore is in the order, he must know about this plan. I want to ask if you can take your NEWTS early and graduate the same time as I do. It'll make everything easier when the babies come."
"That's a very good idea." Ginny answered. She placed her hand over his on her belly. "Are you sure you're happy about this? I mean, it wasn't all that long ago you were a carefree bachelor and now…"
Draco shook his head severely. "No, I want you and only you. It doesn't matter how many empty whores there are out there looking for a rich man like me, I could only ever love one woman."
She kissed his chastely on the lips. "I love you too."
With a smile he took her hand. "I'd kill to make love to you right now but the Knight Bus should be here any minute. I took the liberty of having the house elves pack everything for you and it's waiting out front."
"Alright, let's go." Ginny noticed with much dread that it was getting a lot harder to walk. Her thighs brushed together as she moved and she seemed to sway from side to side as she did; okay, fine…she waddled. The trip down the stairs took her a long while; the last thing she wanted was to fall. By the time they got down there, the bus was loaded and they boarded swiftly.
The same rowdy conductor they met the first time smiled down at them. "Well howdy you two!" He tipped his hat ceremoniously and ushered them to a bed. "It looks like you've been quite the busy bee Mr. Malfoy!"
Draco frowned and threw a galleon at him. "My wife and I would like to be left alone for the remainder of the trip, thank you." His voice was stony cold.
Ginny swatted him gently. "Oh Draco, don't be rude." She said in a very maternal voice; she sounded as if she were scolding a child. But the man was already gone and the bus lurched into drive.
After several minutes, they made another stop. Draco looked around suspiciously, "Hey isn't this—"He was cut off nearly immediately by an old friend.
Gregory Goyle sat down on a bed next to Ginny. "Well fancy meeting you two here. Are you headed back to Hogwarts?"
"Yes we are." Ginny answered with a smile. Truthfully, she'd never seen Goyle as more than a brutish oaf, but something in there made Pansy want him. "Did you have a nice holiday?"
"I think I would've had more fun in the Azkaban exchange program. You know the one where they have delinquents clean out the cells of the prisoners." He answered sullenly. "But I got an owl from Pansy."
Draco nodded. "I'm sure that was a bright spot in your trip. Ginny and I spent a lot of time catching up; she and my mother went shopping too."
"Yes, I can see that." Goyle said with a cough. "You're no longer tying your pants together with string."
Ginny laughed thoughtfully. "It's nice to have things that fit; even better that Draco's father fit the bill. He was a little guilty that he didn't get us a proper wedding gift." She cast a knowing glace Draco's way. "So what did Pansy say?"
Goyle shrugged noncommittally. "Oh the usual bullocks, that she is bored to tears at Parkinson Manor and her mother won't stop harping on her. Honestly, I think the woman enjoys making Pansy miserable! Why, it was just last week that she told Pansy that she was 'getting chumpy'. I mean, for Merlin's sake! The girl barely eats as it is!" His tone went from nonchalant to angry in just a few sentences.
"Wow, well it sounds as if you really care for her." Ginny said, touching his shoulder gently. It was awfully romantic for Goyle to like Pansy and vice versa; she just couldn't help herself. "You should tell her, Gregory."
His cheeks tinged pink. "Oh I couldn't do that, Ginny. She'd laugh at me…I know it. We tried it, the whole 'relationship' thing; it just ended really badly. She got very cold and distant after that. I can't live up to her expectations, she's smart and beautiful and perfect. What have I got then? I'm a bastard."
Draco frowned. "No you're not Goyle. And I have it on very good authority that Pansy never stopped liking you. It's just her father wants her to marry someone like Marcus Flint."
Ginny smirked. "I don't know what good it'll do… Marcus Flint is as gay as the day is long."
Both Goyle and Draco snickered in spite of themselves. Still, Goyle didn't look convinced. "I can't promise anything… but maybe if she really talked to me for once instead of skirting around what really needed to be said, then we'd get somewhere."
Draco and Ginny exchanged furtive glances for a moment. "Don't give up just yet." Draco answered. "Chicks are funny about this kind of stuff, but she'll come around."
"And it may be sooner than you think." Ginny added for good measure.
"PLATFORM NINE AND THREE QUARTERS!" The conductor yelled as the doors yanked open. All 3 of them gathered their things (Draco carrying Ginny's, of course) and exited the Knight Bus. It was a rather quiet afternoon and they had no trouble going through the barrier at King's Cross. There, the Hogwarts Express sat quietly chugging its magical steam. There were just a handful of students going back on this day; the majority would leave tomorrow, right before classes began.
They entered a compartment and sat back to enjoy the ride. Before they knew it, the train had puffed its course through the countryside and they arrived at the shadowy grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Draco helped Ginny into a Thestral-drawn carriage and watched as the scenery began to fly by. He would go immediately to Dumbledore when they arrived… there was no time to waste.
A/N: Mein gott, I'm sorry! I know you've been waiting for days for this. But it's crazy here in my home! My son, Parker, is a month old now and it's still crazy hectic with that. My sister, Olivia, was here from America to help me settle in with Parker and to see my brother graduate high school. He is home now too and she left this afternoon to go back to her own family. My nerves are shot and I'm tired and, admittedly, very cranky. I'll do a good update tomorrow!