Chapter 17
Ginny stood in the cold night in Diagon Alley ten feet away from Seamus. The Minister of Magic was dealing with some affairs and six trained Aurors were to keep watch. Ginny was one of them.
"What's taking so long?" she muttered to herself.
Harry was taken along to get some hands on experience about what he'd gotten himself into. Ginny's misty breath flew up into the night sky. She thought of how peacefully her daughters were sleeping in their warm beds being taken care of by Mrs. Malfoy.
Finally it was time to go. There were no signs of "evil" lurking around so they all managed to leave safely. When they reached the Ministry of Magic building Harry flopped down on the chair in front of Ginny's desk and scratched the bridge of his nose.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked him a bit unamused.
"This job is fucking stressful," he said.
"And yet you want to be an Auror?" she asked signing her name on some papers that were left on her desk.
"Well . . . yeah. I mean, remember I wanted to be an Auror when we were at Hogwarts?" he asked.
"You also wanted to be a Quidditch player. You wanted to settle down with a special woman just like your father did. You wanted to become an Animagus just like your godfather," she said looking up at him.
"Yeah well I couldn't, now did I?" he snapped.
"It isn't my fault Chang was to "demoralized" about the whole Diggory issue," she said.
"I'm not blaming this on you, Gin," he said getting up. "It's just not the whole "demoralized" issue. It's the fact that I couldn't be with anyone without them getting hurt because of Voldemort."
"Like me for example in our 5th year. I really did like you Harry–"
"But you started shagging Malfoy so what would've mattered then?" he interrupted.
"It mattered to me. You had just dumped me. And so happens Malfoy did need my help–"
"In getting a good shag," he interrupted again.
"NO! Actually.. He needed help on school work," she said.
"I hate to admit but he was tied to Hermione at being number one on all classes," he said scratching his head.
"True.. Why.. Why do you keep scratching?" she asked.
"I don't know. I did see Fred and George earlier today so maybe they put something on me. You never know.. Those two. Honestly," he said scratching again.
"Well, I'm really tired. I guess I should leave now. I'm done with this work already," she said grabbing her cloak and her handbag.
Just as she was heading towards the door followed by Harry, Ron walked into the room clenching his fists inside his cloak pockets.
"Ron, what are you doing here so late?" Ginny asked hugging his neck and smiling like a child who had just received a sac full of candy and toys.
"I just.. Came to get Harry. Yea," he said showing no emotion in his voice.
"Are you sure? You sound a bit off. Is everything all right?"she asked Ron searching his eyes with her gaze.
"Yeah. Everything's . . . ok. I just can't wait to throw myself on Harry's spare bed and fall asleep," he said looking straight ahead.
"Have you and Hermione made up yet?" she asked.
"No. We haven't. She's the one that kicked me out and she's the one who won't let me back inside the house," he said walking back. "Let's go Harry."
Harry looked over at Ginny who shrugged. He had a feeling Ron had overheard them talking about Draco.
As they went their separate ways, Harry approached Ron outside the door to his flat.
"Ron," he asked not taking his keys out of his pocket.
"Yeah. What's up mate? Lost your keys?" he asked chuckling.
"Did you overhear the conversation I was having with Ginny a while ago?" he asked biting his nail.
Ron sighed and kicked a pebble and one of Victoria and Annette's forgotten toys.
"What the fuck man. Why didn't you tell me? I'm your best friend!" he snapped. He rammed his fist onto the wall and didn't turn to face Harry. "That asshole is my niece's father."
He laughed a maniacal laugh.
"Ron, I know how you feel. I reacted the same way," he started, "I didn't know what to say. I mean.. They way they acted toward each other at the meeting. I overheard her telling Sirius about Malfoy. I even talked to Sirius about it about a week ago and he said I should keep my promise in not telling."
"HE LEFT HER PREGNANT!" he yelled.
People opened their windows and yelled for Ron to be quiet. Harry laughed softly and opened the door to his flat.
"Come on. We don't want the neighbors calling the police," he said.
"Police?"
"Kind of like Aurors except without wands," he said. "It's a Muggle security."
"Oh. So that's what Hermione was talking about. She insisted that I take a Muggle Studies class or something of the lot. She might discontinue being an Auror and study to become a Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts as soon as Samantha starts going to a Wizard Preparatory School for kids to prepare them to enter Hogwarts. It's new. Apparently it started because of Dumbledore and McGonagall. Aside from having magical children they want to have Muggle children with a hint of magic in them to be prepared for Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and that other school. You steered me off of the subject you mongrel," he said pointing his finger at Harry.
"Thanks. I'm glad I'm a 'mongrel.' That side is my mother's side," Harry said sarcastically walking to his room.
"I didn't mean it that way," he said. "Anyway, what's going to happen with the whole Ginny issue?"
"What Ginny issue? She has no issue. She has a PROBLEM. NOT an issue. I don't know what to do. Honestly. Its Ginny's problem and we can't interfere," he said.
"Yes we can. I'm her older brother. She has to liste–"
"She's an adult, Ron," Harry reminded him. "She's not 13 or 15 or 17 anymore. She's 21 with two kids. She has three jobs and she lives on her own. Listen. She knows what she's doing. I can't say anything to her about that anymore. She'll have my head on a golden platter. Leave her be and everything will be ok."
Ron sighed.
"I.. I don't know I mean. Why didn't she say anything? Malfoy of all people. We're blood traitors. He meddles in the Dark Arts. His wife is dead," he said.
"We don't know for certain if he killed Parkinson. Ginny's still alive," Harry said not believing he had just said that.
"But what if he did? What if he did harm Ginny and she never said anything?" Ron paced the room.
"That's what I ask myself sometimes. I'm surprised you didn't go out there and beat his miserable hide," Harry snickered.
"Ginny will know. You probably wouldn't let me go. But I'd rather go with my brothers to beat the living daylights out of him," Ron said clenching his fists and grinding his teeth, ears turning red as beets.
Ron and Harry stayed talking for a while longer.
Ginny sat on a chair in the kitchen drinking sweet tea and making forms for Honeydukes to have more products shipped in. As she was about to retreat to her room Blaise Flooed in and called out Ginny's name.
"What are you doing here so late?" she asked hugging herself due to the cold.
"Nixon . . . she's . . . the baby . . . " he said trying to catch his breath.
"OMG! OMG!" she jumped up and down.
"How'd you . . . all that . . . ?" he sat on the chair.
"OMG! Let me change. I'll go down to the hospital with you!" she squealed running into her room to change.
In less than a minute Ginny was back in the living room ready to leave.
"Where are the girls?" he asked clutching his chest.
"They're right behind me," she said.
Two little drowsy platinum blonds came dragging their feet yawning, their eyes droopy from trying to open their eyes.
"Why didn't you just let them sleep?" he asked.
"I have no one to take care of them. It's.. three in the morning," she said trying to keep the girls walking.
"Well, let's go then," Blaise said. "She'll probably start yelling at me if I don't get there soon."
"Well, let's go," she repeated. "We'll take my car."
"You finally got it out of the shop? That took about six months."
"I know. Well.. Let's go before she does start raising hell."
They rushed out the door and into Ginny's car. She drove and drove finally reaching St. Mungo's. They rushed inside holding Annette and Victoria, each one holding one twin. They finally reached Nixon's room in which she was having a contraction being timed by her midwife.
"They're twelve seconds apart. They're getting much closer now. We're going to call the mediwizard now and we're going to deliver this baby . . . ah. Mister Zabini. If you don't mind Miss, can you please wait outside with the two little girls?" the mediwitch asked.
"Oh, no problem. Come on Annette. We're going to wait outside for Nixon, ok?" she told her daughters.
They just dragged on behind holding onto Ginny's pinky. They sat on a chair both girls going back to sleep, both their heads on her lap. She stroked their hair. In thirty minutes Blaise came back hazy eyed. He walked slowly and collapsed on the chair in front of Ginny.
"SO!" she shrieked prying out information from Blaise.
"It's a boy," he said looking up tears swelling up in his eyes. "I'm a father of a healthy baby boy."
"You should see the nursery she set up at your manor," she said. "Oops."
"She set up the nursery? When?" he asked.
"A couple months ago. It's beautiful. Blue sheets . . . cherry wood furniture. It's beautiful. That's all I can say."
"I've been trying to find it. She mentioned it but when I checked all the rooms I just thought she was teasing," he said.
The mediwitch walked over followed by Draco. He thanked her and the witch said,
"Mr. Zabini. You could go in now to see your wife. She's with your son," she said smiling. "You four can go in as well. It's ok now to go in. Just be really quiet."
The five of them walked inside Nixon's room and stood around her bed. She smiled from ear to ear and looked down at her son who was currently attached to her breast.
"I would like you to meet, Caleb Ethan Zabini," Nixon said.
Everyone ooed and an aa hd. The door opened and in walked in Mrs. Zabini, Blaise's mother.
"Hello mother," he said walking over to her and kissing the elegant woman on her cheek.
"So, this is my new grandson, is he?" she said looking at the baby as if it were a shiny new piece of jewelry..
"Say hi to your grandma, Caleb," Nixon said brushing a strand of hair off of her own face.
"Grandma, it makes me feel old," she said with a pompous laugh.
Everyone else laughed. She had a point.
"Ahh, Draco dear. How are you? How's your mother?" she asked studying Draco skeptically.
"I'm doing well, I suppose. My mother's at home or shopping probably. You should visit her some time. She says she gets lonely from time to time," he said. "I think she's going to sell the manor and buy a small flat."
"She's going to sell the manor? But hasn't that been in your father's family for centuries?" she asked crossing her arms.
"Yes, it has actually but I don't want it. And my mother doesn't want it. Reminds her too much of.. Well, you know," he said holding his arm where he bore the Dark Mark.
Mrs. Zabini took the hint. She touched her arm too. Blaise did too.
"So, what's going to happen? Is she going to put it up for sale? It's worth a lot. Comes with, how many house elves?" she asked.
"Five or six if I'm not mistaken. Usually it's just one but my father decided to get more. Such a big manor needs a lot of cleaning, you know?"
"Rules apply one per manor.." Mrs. Zabini laughed. "But it was your father. He was never really much of a rule follower I suppose. Ever since he was at Hogwarts."
"That's my father for you," Draco said a bit dry.
"Well, excuse me. I'm being rude. You must be Ginevra Weasley," Mrs. Zabini said changing the subject and looking over at Ginny.
Ginny extended her hand but Mrs. Zabini directed her attention to Blaise. Ginny walked over to Nixon's bed and asked to hold the baby.
"He seems to be a little fuzzy," Nixon said. The baby wiggled and twisted himself around. Ginny swayed him slowly and he calmed down, finally falling asleep.
"You're good with children," Draco was perplexed at the sight at how Ginny just interlocked well with children.
"I have two of my own, if you didn't already know," she said eyeing him from the corner of her eye.
Nixon stifled a laugh. Ginny handed back the baby to Nixon who didn't need to put him to sleep for the ride home that afternoon. It was well past six in the morning and everyone was happy and cheery. Ginny rubbed her eyes and walked to the waiting room outside. Annette and Victoria followed right after Draco who was trying to hold their hands.
"You were really great in there with Caleb," he said.
"Thanks. Months of practice with these two could turn me into a professional," she laughed.
"I bet. Listen, Gin. Would you like to get a cup of coffee downstairs? I feel like my eyes are ready to bulge out of my skull from the lack of sleep lately," he said getting up.
"Sure, that would be great," she said smiling. "Come on girls, we're going to get you a little something to eat, ok?"
The two girls nodded running in front of Ginny and Draco. They walked quietly, Ginny and Draco, down to the snack room. Ginny took a cup of coffee with milk and a buttered crumpet. Draco sat on a chair in front of Ginny. A table separated them both. Ginny placed her crumpet and coffee on the table and began helping her daughters get a snack to eat. Draco sat there staring at Ginny... wondering..
'Things would be so much different if I had known she was pregnant. Things would be better. We would be a incredibly happy family. I wouldn't be afraid to hug my daughters.. And maybe, my wife–'
"...Draco?" Ginny asked. "Draco? Are you even listening to me?"
"What?"
"Nothing..nothing at all. You just answered my question," she said setting her cup back down on the table.
Draco watched Annette and Victoria eat their food. Annette ate a piece of cantaloupe and Victoria a piece of toast.
"Tish ish welly good," Annette said, cantaloupe juice dribbling down her chin.
"Annette. How many times have I told you not to eat like Uncle Ron? You're not a piggy. You're a lady. Victoria, don't chew with your mouth open," Ginny said getting up to wipe up Annette's face.
"Mummy, I'm done," Victoria said pushing her empty paper plate away. Both pieces of toast were gone and forgotten. She sipped the last remaining drops of chocolate milk and patted her tummy saying, "Yummy."
Draco laughed. How could he have missed four years in his kids lives? Ginny turned around watching him laugh at how adorable Victoria looked. He laughed a real laugh. She turned back and smiled to herself.
"Listen, Draco. I better get the girls home now. They've been up.. And they need their sleep. I need to clean up and go to work," Ginny said grabbing her bag and throwing away Annette and Victoria's plates.
"No. Sure, I understand. I need to get some sleep myself anyway. Are you going to say goodbye to Blaise and Nixon?" he asked nicely.
"Yeah, it wouldn't be proper if I didn't, you know?" Ginny walked with Draco next to her, Annette and Victoria in front of them trying to hex each other with their toy wands.
"They're really something," Draco chuckled.
"Yes, they really are. They are the most important in my life. The only ones I'll ever love and care about. Ever."
Draco's spirits fell.