Chapter 18

First off, before you start reading, I would like to thank you all for the reviews. Every time I check my email and see reviews it brings a smile to my face. Once again, thank you thank you thank you. If I could, I'd give you all cookies. My story might not be so great but thank you for the reviews. Now, on with the story. I leave you with a longer chapter because I'm going out of state for a while.

What was there to do when every time he saw her all his wishes and dreams about reconciling with her and becoming a permanent asset in her life as well as in Annette and Victoria's would spiral downhill and uphill violently?

A nonsensically long and slow month had passed already since Caleb's birth and Draco hadn't spoke to Ginny. Or rather, Ginny hadn't spoke to Draco. Reason being is unknown.

Draco sat outside in his backyard letting the cool air hit his face. A book was propped up open against his knees. His sunglasses were on and so were his rather expensive lounge slippers. He was shirtless despite the cool breeze. The water from his pool moved lightly according to the wind. Every time Draco happened to stare at the water a sudden rush of gooseflesh bumps rose onto his delicate skin.

He stretched his arm over to the small stand that held his coffee to reach for his now cold coffee when a hand grabbed hold of his own hand.

Draco let out a scream.

"Draco dear. What has you so frightened that you have to scream like a woman?" his mother asked chuckling.

"Mum, what are you doing here scaring me?" he asked getting up and embracing his mother in a very tight and loving hug.

"Visiting. I needed some company. I figured, why not visit my only son who has abandoned me to the confines of a large manor?" she said winking at him.

"Mum, I have not forgotten about you. I was actually going to go visit you later today. I didn't have work so I wanted to pay you visit. But, since you're already here, will you join me in some coffee and toast?" he smiled a brilliant straight white toothed smile.

"Please dear. Bless your little heart but if you can please make it peppermint tea and not coffee," she said clutching her chest.

Her long silk platinum blond hair hung down her back held in half by a ruby encrusted hair clip. Her beautiful silver eyes looked up at her son, the only person whom she truly cared about besides her granddaughters.

"Draco, I don't mean to intrude," Mrs. Malfoy began as she took off her traveling robes. "But, I wanted to know what's going to happen between you and Ginevra Weasley?"

Draco sighed and looked at his empty mug. He bit his bottom lip and with a tone of sincerity he said,

"I honestly don't know. The woman is driving me mad. It's like living in a spiral of feelings and.. I.. I can't ever get anything that suggests being a part of her life."

Mrs. Malfoy rubbed her forehead in an attempt to help her only son.

"I don't know what else you can do but simply ask to talk to her in a civil, serious manner," she said setting down her china cup.

"I do want to be a part of her.. Our daughter's lives but it's as if she won't give me a chance. I'm guessing she's afraid something like that might happen again."

Mrs. Malfoy didn't know what else to do.

"What if I talked to her?" she suggested.

"You? Mum, what could you possibly tell her?" he sighed and crossed his arms.

"Oh, don't you worry about it. I'll see what I can do," she said full of glee.

Two hours later Mrs. Malfoy left back to the Malfoy Manor.

"Ginevra, I was wondering," started Mrs. Malfoy, "what you.. Uh, what you thought of my son?"

"What.. What do you mean what do I think of your son?" Ginny tried keeping her fear away from her voice.

"You know. Are you and Draco ever going to work things out without leaving and taking his hope away?"

Ginny sighed. She knew where this was going. Not marriage nor a relationship with Draco Malfoy was on her list of things to work on or do.

"Mrs. Malfoy.. I'm really not ready to have a relationship with Draco or have him start a relationship with Annette and Victoria. I don't want to leave them with false hope. You should've seen them the time I promised to take them to a Quidditch game and had to cancel on them because of my work at the Ministry. It broke their little hearts. And what if something bad happens between us?" Thankfully Mrs. Malfoy hadn't interrupted her.

"I understand dear. It must be hard for you. But why not have a talk with him over dinner. It'll really help clear things out," she said sipping on her tea.

Ginny smiled and said, "I'll make sure of that Mrs. Malfoy. Just for the sake of my girls."

"Please, call me Narcissa," she said for the billionth time.

Ginny stayed a couple more minutes that night and left when Annette and Victoria seemed to be getting anxious to leave. Aside from the fact that the twins liked staying with their gramma 'Cissa they really wanted to go home and play with the new brooms Harry had just bought them.

They wouldn't fly like the brooms in Diagon Alley. They would only rise a couple inches off of the ground and jitter to give it a flying feeling.

"Mum, look!" Victoria shrieked. Draco had just arrived when Victoria ran into the room with her brand-new broom. She looked up at Draco and waited for him to hug her. He ruffled her hair so she proceeded to hug his legs.

"What brings you here, Draco Malfoy?" Ginny said a bit seductively.

"Well," he got the hint and brought his voice lower a notch or two, "I just wanted to come visit you, have some wine and see what happens then."

They both laughed.

Annette had just walked into the room. Annette and Victoria stood side by staring at their parents, most especially their mother. She looked ever so happy yet, very confused.

"Come on girls. I need to get you ready for bed," Ginny said smoothing down her dressy white long sleeved blouse. She grabbed Annette and Victoria's hands and walked into the bathroom, her tight dark blue jeans making swishy noises and the tap of her heel boots on the tile bathroom floor. Draco couldn't help but stare. He sat down on the sofa and placed the wine bottle on the coffee table over a coaster so the sweat of the bottle wouldn't drip down and stain the table.

After a couple minutes Ginny came back.

"So Mr. Malfoy, what's on your mind?" she said sitting down on the sofa and pulling up her hair into a loose bun.

He cleared his throat, "W-well, I umm.. I wanted to know what's been going on with you?"

"I'm fine. I'm doing fine. Been really busy at work and in the process of finishing the making of a non magical Honeydukes in a Muggle community. How about you?" she said taking the glass of wine Draco was handing her.

"Busy . . . as well. Working," he didn't know what to answer. Really, all he'd been doing besides working was thinking about Ginny. His Ginny. His Red.

They sat in silence drinking their wine. Ginny shifted in her seat and looked at Draco which brought him back from his thoughts.

"Really Draco, why are you here?" Ginny asked setting her empty glass down on the table.

"Us, Ginny. What's going to happen?"

Ginny knew where this was going and she didn't like it. There was no way of avoiding it. Sooner or later it was going to happen.. And it was here now.

"Draco..we ca–" Draco shushed her by cutting her off,

"Don't. Please. Just hear me out. I know I just only found out about Annette and Victoria not too long ago and I'm scared. I really am. It's scares the hell out of me knowing I'm a father and I accept the fact that I wasn't careful enough when we were at Hogwarts but I don't regret what happened. You're a beautiful woman and bloody hell a wonderful mum. I want to be there for you and for the girls.. I want to be there as their father not as a friend of their mum. That's if you even see me as a friend because I do. I want to be more than a friend. I want to have what we use to have back at Hogwarts only better because we won't be prowling around like before. I still love you. You have no idea how much I still love you. I thought I could forget you when I stopped hearing from you when I graduated. I figured, 'hell, she'll forget about me, why can't I?' but it never came. I was determined to find you one way or another and it came in no time when I tried buying Honeydukes from you." Ginny sat intently listening to him in awe. "And.. Now I'm here sitting in a sofa in your home and I just wish we could be sitting here as a couple not as a couple of strangers. If I could go back, I would. I would most definitely go back and make things better for us. For all of us. If then were now my dad could go fuck himself. Pansy could go fuck someone else for all I care. Voldemort could fall off a cliff for all I care. But I would've stayed with you. We would've been at the Malfoy Manor right now, not having this conversation but probably shagging," Ginny laughed, "and I would get to hold you every night like I use to. Well, before it wasn't every night but you know."

Draco sighed, "I love you Red. I really do. If I didn't, if I were lying to you, a lighting bolt would be striking me right now leaving me just as dust. But see? There is no bolt of lighting. It's a solid Draco Malfoy in love with you. The question is, do you still love me?"

But did she love him? Did she still feel the way she did when she was 16-17? It's only been four years, almost five. It's hard to say, really, but it was just something she'd been asking herself lately. Did she still love Draco Malfoy? She felt it... but she was still confused.

"Draco.. I–" he cut her off once again, only this time he kissed her.

His lips pressed against her lips, stuck in time. There was no way she could've stopped herself. She wanted this. She wanted him. She could feel the tingling feeling throughout her whole body. Just like when she was 16, on his bed at Hogwarts. He moved his hands up to her face and kissed her even deeper. The air being knocked out of them; she let herself loose and parted her lips and kissed him, kissed him as if it were that night Draco fucked her senseless in her bedroom after four years. Strands of platinum blond hung over his face tickling his face as well as Ginny's nose. She giggled sending shivers down his spine but the kiss continued. Their tongues dancing together, their short breaths, and their forgotten memories. Stuck in time, in their secret, in their own personal heaven.

His hands roamed down to her neck and down to the top button of her blouse. He unbuttoned the top button. Then the second, third, fourth and finally the last one. Ginny didn't object. Her hands found their way down to the top of Draco's trousers. She undid the belt and unclasped his pants pulling down the zipper as well. This woman under him was driving him even more insane.

"Fuck Ginny," he chuckled, "You're beautiful."

"Thank you," she said smiling.

She got up pulling him up as well and walking over to the bedroom. He had a confused look on his face.

"Trust me. I wouldn't want the girls catching us doing anything of the sort. It wouldn't be a pretty picture," she said closing the door behind them.

The wine remained non existent. It began once again. The confusion between them two. But what could Draco do? He was confused as well as Ginny was and there still was no way to resolve the problem. She avoided answering and he still wasn't sure about having to just pick up where he left off only with two daughters at Ginny's side.

"Ginny," Draco gasped in mid thrust, "Do you love me?"

Ginny shifted positions so she'd be on top. She knew this made Draco forget everything. The sensation was so eminent he would even forget his name, date and time.

And as predicted, he forgot what he had just asked her. But Ginny didn't. It swam inside her head like a baby fish just waiting to grow even bigger until it wouldn't fit inside her head. She leaned back letting her long Auburn hair tickle Draco's legs so he would sit up and have Ginny fuck him to the point where he was comatose. And once again, as predicted, it happened.

Draco lay next to Ginny both drenched in cold sweat. Ginny's chest rose rapidly making her breasts bounce. A green satin sheet covered her creamy body on the right places. The contrast with her hair and eyes made Draco sit up and stare at her. She looked so beautiful. He wished he could capture this moment, this image in his head. Luckily, Ginny had a camera in her drawer which she lent Draco for that moment.

Click. Click.

"Since when have you been into photography, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked looking at Draco's silver eyes.

"Not too long. Probably for about three years. I'm not an expert or anything but it's a hobby of mine. I'd like to keep those two pictures of you so I could charm them and keep them in my flat," he said looking at her. "If you don't mind."

They finally drifted off to sleep. But he didn't forget to place a charm on her as soon as she drifted off to sleep.

'No surprises for Ginny this time,' he thought to himself.

Ginny woke up Saturday morning to Draco sleeping on his stomach, facing the restroom. The velvet drapes hung low, shielding them from the bright sun. She checked the time: 7:04am. She sat up. A peaceful Draco seemed to be engrossed in his dreams.

She lay back down. Draco stirred. Despite the four years they'd been apart she knew his every movement for when he woke up.

The back of his right hand would rub his nose, then he would yawn, rubbed his eyes, then he would scratch his.. Well, his nads, then he would put his fingers through his hair and stretch.

Ginny waited. Draco moved again. The back of his right hand rubbed his nose, then he yawned, he rubbed his eyes, he scratched his balls, put his fingers through his hair, and finally he stretched.

Ginny giggled. Draco turned around and looked at her. He was surprised to have woken up next to his beloved.

"What are you laughing at, love?" he asked staring up at the ceiling.

"I still remember correctly everything you do as soon as you wake up or rather, to wake you up," she said touching his bare chest.

"Really? After four years you still remember? How does it go?" he asked a bit amused.

"Well, first and foremost you rub your nose with the back of your right hand, you yawn, rub your eyes, then you scratch your balls, you put your fingers through your hair and then you stretch. Am I right?" she said smiling at him.

He kissed her cheek and got up.

"Can I shower here? That's if you don't mind," he said.

"Oh, please go right ahead. I don't mind," she said sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "There are spare clean towels in one of the cabinets."

Draco got up, put on his boxers and walked into the restroom. The door closed behind him. Ginny walked over to her vanity table and sat down on the chair in front of the mirror still covered the green bed sheet. She grabbed her brush and combed her hair. She grabbed some clothes, put them on and went to check on Annette and Victoria. Both were sound asleep. She was surprise because for one it was Saturday.

She closed the door behind her and proceeded to make breakfast. In no time there was breakfast ready for four. Annette and Victoria quickly ran into the kitchen. Draco walked into the kitchen wearing yesterday's clothes. Victoria looked up at him again waiting for him to hug her but he didn't. He ruffled her hair and smiled. Annette sat there eating her food slowly watching the scene between her father and her sister.

"These girls eat and eat and I still don't know where they store all that food. They're skinny. Look at them," she said pointing at their flat tummies.

"You should be glad they don't look like Longbottom in my first year. He had a pot belly," Draco pointed out.

"Don't make fun of Longbottom," Ginny snapped.

"Sorry," he muttered.

After they finished breakfast Ginny cleaned up with the help of Draco.

"Listen, I wanted to ask you something. Do you want to take the girls out to a park or to Diagon Alley to see the new broom they just showcased?" he asked putting the plates away.

"Oh, that would be nice," Ginny said looking over at Draco with a big smile on her face. Last night's conversation had been forgotten.

"Really? Why don't we go to both. My treat," he said. "We'll have lunch and just have fun."

"Ok. Good. I'll go get washed up and get the girls ready," she said happily for the first time in years.

Ginny walked into the shower and stood there naked.

What was going on? All of a sudden he wanted to spend an entire day with her and her kids.. Their kids. And asking her if she loved him? What was that about?

'Ginny, do you love me?' he asked one night she had slept in his dormitory all morning and afternoon on a Saturday. It was now past midnight.

'What do you mean if I love you? Like a friend or... or more?' she asked her bottom lip quivering. She was afraid of saying 'yes' because, what if he didn't love her back?

'Do you love me more than a friend? Do you have strong feelings for me?' he asked a bit more serious this time.

'Well, umm.. Where's my shirt?' she asked getting up looking around trying to avoid answering his question.

'Red, look at me. Please. Just answer me if 'yes or 'no' and that's it. I just want an answer. I want to know how you feel about me. I want to know if this is a relationship or just... or just a for now thing,' he said sitting up hoping she would say it was a relationship and that she loved him.

She stayed quiet. She didn't answer. She decided to go back to the Gryffindor 6th year dormitory. She put on her school uniform and school robes. Draco lay half naked on his bed. She stood by the door, the hood of her cloak covering her head. She turned to Draco and said,

'You mean more to me than anything or anyone in the world. You mean to me just as much as my family. I love you like I've never loved anyone. I'll never love anyone the way I love you,' and with that she closed the door behind her and walked down an empty corridor.

'And what may I ask are you doing out here late into the night?' Nixon asked Ginny who had just turned the corner.

'Oh.. Nothing,' Ginny lied with a smirk on her face.

'You didn't. You did?' she squealed trying to be quiet.

Ginny nodded.

'You and Draco? You two really ARE together, aren't you?' she asked smiling more than usual.

Ginny nodded again. Her smiled was wiped off clean when she heard footsteps getting near. Nixon's eyes opened wide and became stiff from head to toe. They both looked at each other ready to get caught by Filch or a teacher but loosened when Draco rounded the corner.

He advanced towards Ginny and kissed her fiercely.

'I fucking love you,' he moaned.

Nixon squealed, 'Oh! How wonderful! Wait till I tell Blaise!'

Ginny and Draco looked over at her and smiled.

'Go to sleep Nixon. Or, go shag Blaise. He's been needing that lately,' Draco said in a whisper.

'I just came from doing that. My job has been done,' she said blushing. In the dark of the night you could still see her blush.

They parted ways. Draco walked back to his dormitory, in love.. Happily in love. Ginny walked up the stairs, opened the door to her dormitory and fell asleep, not wanting to take off her clothes with a smile on her face.

"Ginny, are you ok?" Draco asked knocking on the door. Twenty minutes had passed and the water was still running in the shower.

"Yes, I'm ok," she said turning off the water.

She charmed herself dry. She pulled on a jean skirt, a Falcon's tshirt that fit her a bit small and tight, some flip flops and pulled her hair up into two french braids. She opened the door and was greeted by a very happy looking Draco.

"You look beautiful," he smiled.

She walked into her daughter's bedroom and dragged them into the bathtub. In no time, they were out the door going to the park in Ginny's car.

"You have.. You drive this?" Draco muttered bracing himself to the seatbelt.

"Yes. Didn't you know?" she asked highly amused.

"No. And I've never been in one," he said. "Will you teach me?"

"Gladly."

She laughed mentally.

They parked near the park and got out. Annette and Victoria ran off to the swings. Draco and Ginny walked slowly in silence to the benches around the swings. Draco looked at Ginny who was staring at the ground.

"Is.. Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes.. Yes. Everything's ok. I'm just really tired," she said stifling a yawn.

"Hmm. My flat is near here so we can just Floo to Diagon Alley. You can always leave you.. Your car thing in my driveway. If you're not up to driving you can always stay over at my flat," he suggested.

"Thank you. But I wouldn't want to be a bother," she said. "Where would the girls sleep?"

"I have a spare bedroom. The bed is pretty big. I'll just close off the fireplace so no one will just Floo in. It'd be a bit awkward," he said mentally slapping himself. She'd think he was embarrassed of her.

"Oh. Ok. That'd be nice. I don't think it would be proper if people saw us sleeping in your flat," she said looking over at Annette and Victoria.

"I second that," he said feeling bad that they were both agreeing to that.

After a few hours they flooed into Diagon Alley. Annette and Victoria dragged their parents on over to see the new broomstick that was being showcased for the game between England vs. Bulgaria.

"It's way better than the Firestarter 5000. And it only came out about 2-3 months ago," he muttered to Annette. Annette was more into Quidditch than Victoria.

"Really? How much does it cost?" Annette said trying to sound grown up.

"4,575 galleons," he whispered. Annette eyes bulged. Though being only four years old, she knew very well the value of money.

"What are you mumbling about Draco Malfoy?" Ginny asked hugging Victoria and resting her chin on Victoria's head.

"This broom, Dazzler 1500, is genuine. It's price: 4,575 galleons. Why? It's being used for the greatest game ever. Bulgaria vs. England. Every player from both teams will ride one of these. Customed made to have their names engraved in gold on the broom handle."

"Oh," she said. "I haven't played Quidditch since Hogwarts."

"Shame," he said taking Annette by the hand and taking her inside the shop.

Ginny and Victoria didn't follow. They sat on a bench eating chocolate. Fifteen minutes later, which seemed to be hours to Ginny, Draco and Annette came with a bag of goodies.

"What did you buy her?" Ginny asked a bit ill-mannered.

"You mean, what I bought them," he informed her.

"Oh. Still, you can't just be buying them things," she said getting up and dusting herself off. She clasped her cloak to avoid the cold.

"I wanted to. I said it'd be my treat. They're mine too," he said.

Ginny smiled. Victoria was beginning to fall asleep. It was past 6 in the evening. It was getting dark. They walked a little more.

"Draco. I need to ask you for a big favor," Ginny said after a couple of minutes.

"Anything," he said poking Annette to make her laugh.

"Can you carry Victoria. She's really heavy and she's fallen asleep. I think she's catching a cold," she said.

She shifted Victoria to her left and gave her to Draco. She wrapped her in a blanket she had carried with her and place Victoria's hood on from her cloak. They grabbed some food to eat and got to an Apparation stop. They Apparated into Draco's flat.

Ginny dropped her bag and looked around the living room. It was so clean.

"Wow," she said in awe.

"I get that a lot. A bit too clean. But then again, I am a Malfoy," he said.

He walked over to the spare bedroom and placed Victoria on the bed. Ginny took Victoria's cloak off, her shoes and pulled the covers over her little body. Annette was still wide awake. The three of them ate in the dining room. All three laughing at simple things Annette would understand. By 9 o clock she had fallen asleep on the floor having had enough from playing with Lilith, Draco's dog. They put her to bed as well and closed the door behind them.

"I don't mind sleeping on the couch," Ginny said yawning.

"You can sleep in my bedroom. I don't mind," he said. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"No. You sleep in your bedroom. I'll sleep on the couch."

This went on for an entire hour. Finally, both frustrated Draco advanced on her and kissed her. She had wanted for him to kiss her. Just to make sure how she felt. Pulling away she said,

"Can't I just sleep with you? I mean, can't we both just sleep on your bed. It'll be a fair deal." She blushed.

"Deal," he said.

Ginny had borrowed some clothes from Draco. They crawled into bed. Lilith stayed in the living room. Draco was halfway from falling asleep when Ginny whispered,

"I still love you Draco Malfoy."

"I love you too," he whispered back finally falling asleep in peace.