AN: THanks for all my incredible reviews. you all have amazing ideas, a few of which i will definatley be stealing. hehe, thank you all so much!
Harry sat on the sofa, his heavy eyelids drooping, as Ginny put James to bed. He was waiting for a message from Malfoy or Ron, saying that Torie had been found. So far, there had been nothing.
"James is asleep," Ginny said as she walked into the living room, waking Harry from his stupor. "Nothing yet, then?"
Harry shook his head and got up to poke the fire. An hour ago the worried parents had received an owl from Ron, saying that Krum had been tracked and they were sending a squad in. A few years ago, Krum had been involved in a bar fight and he was imprisoned in Azkaban for a few weeks. Before his release, the Ministry had put a spell on him, ensuring that if need be, he could be tracked and found. It had certainly come in useful.
"I don't understand," Ginny muttered, scooting over so Harry could sit by her. "If Krum knew he could be traced, why would he do this?"
Harry shrugged. "Well he's not exactly the brightest star in the sky is he?"
"True…" Ginny mused. "Seems odd though."
All of a sudden, the fire turned green and Ron stepped out, a small child sleeping in his arms. Letting out a soft cry, Ginny leapt to her feet and took Torie from Ron, kissing her head and crying quietly. Harry let out a deep breath and covered his face in his hands.
"Thank you," Harry said, getting up and clasping Ron's hand, before pulling him into a rough hug. "You have no idea…I can't even…thanks." Ron nodded and let go of Harry's harm, letting him pull the sleeping child from Ginny's arms into his own. She began to wake, and let out a huge yawn.
"Daddy?" she said, her large brown eyes filling with tears as she hugged him hard. Ginny joined in the hug as well, her arms around Harry and their child, and they stood like that for a long time, Ron looking on awkwardly until they finally broke apart.
"Did he hurt her?" Ginny asked Ron, an angry gleam in her eyes.
Ron shook his head. "He didn't do anything to her. I warn you, she has been living off of chocolate bars and hamburgers though."
"Where is that –"(Harry said a name that made Ginny quickly cover Torie's ears) "I'm going to kill him."
"His trial is the day after tomorrow. Try not to kill him until then, ok? Maybe we'll even find out why he took her."
"Thank you, Ron. You're the best brother a girl could ask for,"Ginny said, kissing his cheek, and hugging him tightly.
Ron patter her back, saying, "actually it's really Malfoy you've got to thank. He led us there and arrested him right away. Without him, I don't know if we'd have found Krum."
Harry scowled and hoisted the sleeping child higher in his hip. "I better put Torie to bed."
Ron nodded and turned to the fireplace. "Lock all your doors. Come and get me if anything happens, ok?"
Ginny nodded and gave him one last squeeze before he stepped back into the fire and disappeared.
---
Ginny pressed her finger into the doorbell and stepped back from the large front doors of the manor house before her. She shivered in the cold and rubbed her hands together, her breath coming out as mist around her. It was only October but the weather was turning bitterly cold early this year. As Ginny blew on her hands, attempting to warm them, the door was thrown open. Malfoy stood in front of her, wearing khaki slacks and a greens cashmere sweater that looked expensive.
"Ginny! Good timing, Tania's just gone out to get her hair done," Malfoy stepped aside to let her in, and Ginny passed him, wondering why Tania being gone made this good timing.
"Ron says I have you to thank for returning Torie," Ginny said quietly, sitting on the sofa and taking a warm cup of coffee from Malfoy, who just shrugged and blew on his own drink.
"It was nothing. I'm just glad she's safe. Where is she now?"
"Harry took her down to the playground." She shook her head and smiled. "He didn't sleep a wink last night…kept going in to check on her." Ginny blew on her tea again, aware of Malfoy's eyes watching her intently. Again she spoke, this time almost urgently, "Malfoy I don't know how to thank you. That child is my life. If there is anything…anything I can do for you…" She trailed off and looked up at Malfoy who was still gazing at her, but now with the tiniest smirk on his face.
"I think you know what I want, Ginny." Malfoy got up and sat down next to Ginny. "I did it all for you…found her, brought her home. I wanted you to realise I'm a good man."
"Malfoy," Ginny said sharply, scooting away from him on the couch. "Don't play games."
"But you know you want this as much as I do."
Ginny shook her head firmly, a stubborn gleam in her eye.
"If it wasn't for me, your daughter could be dead right now," he said harshly, but his face softened almost instantly. "Just one kiss, no one will know. No one will find out. It'll be our little secret."
Malfoy was leaning closer now, his breath on her face, his lips gently grazing her own. Gently, he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her softly, and slowly, hating herself, she kissed him back. She didn't know why she was doing it but she felt she had to, like she owed him something.
Unbeknownst to either of them, a tall lady with long blonde hair and a shocked expression on her face stood in the doorway, watching her husband kiss Ginny, and Ginny kiss him back. She covered her mouth with a trembling hand, turned on her heel and ran.
A second later, the feeling had passed and Ginny pushed Malfoy away. "Draco, please don't," she whispered. "I don't want-."
"Shh," he interrupted her. "It's ok, Weasley, no one will know." He leaned in to kiss her again but she pushed him away.
"It's not 'Weasley' anymore, Malfoy. It's Potter. And I'll know. And for your information, I don't want to kiss you." Ginny stood up but paused, hearing the sound of footsteps on the stairs. "I thought you said Tania was out."
---
Harry stood in the doorway, his hands sunk deep in his pockets, a small smile playing on his face. Ginny stood by the window, singing softly to James who lay in her arms, gurgling happily. Harry listened closely and recognized the song at once; it was the first song Ginny had sung to Torie after she was born:
You called and I came running
You cried and now I'm here
So hold this faith
accept our faith
These are little fears
Harry strolled over to her and kissed the back of her neck genlty, causing Ginny to start.
"Harry," she exclaimed softly. "I didn't hear you come in."
"Mm, I was being sneaky," he said, grinning at her and taking the sleeping child out of her arms and laying him in the crib. Stroking his son's soft head, he muttered, "g'night Jamie," before taking Ginny's hand in his and leading her from the room.
Would she tell him? Could she? Ginny didn't know what the right thing to do was. Maybe she shouldn't…what he didn't know couldn't hurt him. And it meant nothing! She hadn't wanted to kiss Malfoy…had she?
AN: Again, thank you everyone for reading. Please leave a review! I like reading them, no matter how bizarre! hehe. xxx oh and dont worry Harryginny shippers, this story is most definatley harryginny. :)