Sorry I haven't updated in a long while... here... just take it!
Dislaimer: I own nothing... zip... nadda!
Ginny cautiously walked up the falling down steps. She told Draco she was going on a walk. She hadn't wanted him to worry. She knew that if he had come with he would have lost his temper, now she was starting to wonder why she hadn't asked him to come. She knocked firmly on the door. Sheryl Warde opened it.
"Why Miss Weasley what a pleasant surprise." She said sourly.
"Sheryl I need to talk to you. Can I come in?" She asked.
"Sure." She said as she walked away from the door. Ginny entered the house and was greeted with a nauseating smell. It smelt like cat urine, liquor, and cigarettes. Ginny had to struggle not to wince. She followed Sheryl into the kitchen. She saw a white powder on the table an instantly knew what it was. She had gotten here just before Sheryl was going to take a hit of cocaine. Sheryl Warde sat down on an old kitchen chair.
"So what are you here for? I sure as hell know it isn't for a friendly visit." She barked. Ginny pulled the papers from an inside pocket of her coat.
"We need to talk about something." Ginny said. Sheryl eyes the papers.
"If you're suing me, you might as well not. We don't own anything." Sheryl snapped.
"These are adoption papers. My Fiancé and I want to adopt Abby." Ginny said calmly.
"No."
"Sheryl, Abby is a ward of Government. She lives with the hospital and there is no way you can take care of her." Ginny protested.
"I won't give her up." Sheryl refused.
"Is this about money? The check you get each month from the government? Your financial aide?"
"I won't lose that money. Daniel is… in-between jobs right now." Sheryl said.
"If it's money you want I'll pay you. Just say an amount." Ginny sad as she pulled out her check book. With hers and Draco's money put together it was enough to last five lifetimes. Any amount of Money Sheryl Warde requested wouldn't have budged it by much.
"I won't take charity." Sheryl protested.
"Don't think of it as charity. Take it as support. I want Abby as my own and I will stop at nothing. Now are you willing to take the money and sign the papers or am I going to have to get legal with you? Because I am telling you now, if I take this to court you will lose. Now are you willing to sign the papers?" Ginny asked. Sheryl sighed.
"Show me where to sign."
TIMEWARPYOUDON'TSEETHISTIMEWARP
Ginny walked out of the house feeling fabulous. All she had to do was file the papers and Abby would be Draco and hers. She apparated home feeling great. She was hoping to see Draco but instead was met by Bridgette, his stepmother.
"You must be Ginny!" Bridgette cried when she saw Ginny. She hurried over to hug Gin.
"And I see my Grandchild has gotten big!"
"Grandchild?" Ginny asked. Bridgette looked nowhere near old enough to have grandchildren. She looked to only be a few years older than Ginny herself.
"Why of course! You didn't forget that I'm Draco's stepmother did you? I can't wait to see my Grandbaby." She gushed.
"Oh yeah." Ginny said.
"So how far along are you dear?" Bridgette asked.
"Umm… we have a few more days to go before I am to deliver. The doctor said by Friday at the latest." Ginny said.
"Wow! So far along! Lucius and I have been following along about your pregnancy in the papers. And I hear you're engaged!" Bridgette said.
"Yes, we were planning a small wedding after the baby was born" Ginny managed. She had no clue why the tall, leggy, Brunette was in her home let alone talking to her.
"Well Lucius and I can't wait to see your baby."
"Lucius?"
"Oh yes dear, he's thrilled! He can't wait to see his grandson! Now don't let his icy exterior offend you, he's just a teddy bear inside." Bridgette said.
"Who said we were having a boy?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, don't mind me. Lucius has this crazy notion that every Malfoy first born is a boy." Bridgette giggled.
"Bridgette, I really don't mean to sound rude but why are you here?" Ginny asked.
"Well to get to know you dear! And to show you some things that I have picked up for the baby. Lucius always says it was a waste of money but what does he know. From what I can see he's slipped a few things in there also." Bridgette said as she pulled Ginny into the living room.
"Now all the soft pastel colors are the ones I bought, and all the dark green, silver, and Black items are the ones that Lucius has slipped in there." Bridgette said happily. So this was the woman who Draco hated? This woman had bad-mouthed Narcissa? This woman had talked trash about Draco? She couldn't believe it. Bridgette started to pull out tiny outfits in neutral colors that either a boy or a girl could wear. Every once in a while she pulled out something that Ginny could tell that Lucius had slipped in. They were usually fairly male based outfits but as Ginny looked at them she realized that a little girl could wear them also. Ginny started to laugh when Bridgette pulled out an emerald green onsie that had the Slytherin Crest on it.
"I knew Lucius had been slipping things into the bag when I pulled this one out one day. He seems cold and uncaring but he really is excited about the baby and so am I. And Ginny I hope you know that whatever cruel things I have said about Draco and his mother in the past were out of pure spite and jealousy and I feel horrible for them now." Bridgette said tearfully.
"I understand Bridgette I-" Ginny stopped as a sharp pain ripped through her lower stomach.
"Ginny, are you okay?" Bridgette asked.
"Yeah, I think so." Ginny said panting slightly. Just then there was a pop. Ginny turned expecting to see Draco but was greeted with Lucius Malfoy instead.
"Hello Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" Bridgette asked.
"Looking for you." Lucius replied. He didn't look or sound very cheerful.
"Well, I'm just showing Ginny here the clothes that we bought for the new baby."
"We? Dear, you bought the baby clothes, not me."
"No you don't Lucius, I know you've been slipping baby clothes into this bag and this proves it." Bridgette said as she held up the tiny Slytherin onsie. Lucius looked mortified. And Ginny knew that what Bridgette had been saying was true.
"I really appreciate this but you really didn't-" She stopped suddenly when another pain ripped through her stomach.
"Ginny, I really don't think your okay." Bridgette said.
"I think I will be." Ginny said as the pain subsided.
"Ginevra, I think you're in labor." Lucius said. He had a curiously all-knowing look on his face. Ginny looked at him quickly.
"No, I can't be, I'm due on Wednesday, that's two days from now. I can't have the baby. It isn't time. And Draco isn't here, and I have no way off getting a hold of him, and I'm not ready, I'm totally unprepared and-" she was stopped short when another contraction ripped through her body.
"Ginny, we need to get you to the hospital, contractions shouldn't be coming this fast. Have you been having them for a while?" Bridgette asked.
"Now that I think about it, yes, yes I have. It started about eight this morning. I just thought it was my stomach being upset. It happens. The baby's restless sometimes." Ginny said.
"Okay, let's get you up. Lucius help me." Bridgette said standing and taking Ginny's arm gently. Lucius took the other and they both helped Ginny stand.
"Okay, now on the count of three we are all going to apparate to Prime Rose, they're closer and that short of an apparition shouldn't hurt the baby. Okay? So one, two, three." Bridgette said as they all apparated at once. They ended up in the lobby and Ginny was having another contraction.
"Can I help you?" A nurse called.
"Yes, we need to get her to the Maternity Ward." Bridgette called back. The nurse hurried over with a wheelchair and Ginny gratefully sat down in it. The contractions were coming closer and closer together and they were lasting longer.
"Do you know how far apart the contractions are?" The nurse asked.
"About one and a half minutes apart." Bridgette replied.
"Okay, and who will fill out the paper work?" The Nurse asked looking at Bridgette and Lucius.
"Draco Malfoy will! He works on the Pediatrics Ward, he will fill it out." Ginny cried as she went through another contraction.
"Is he a relative?" The nurse asked.
"Yes! He's my fiancé." Ginny gritted out.
"Okay, does one of you want to run this up to him?" The nurse asked as she motioned to her clipboard.
"I will, I know where his office is." Lucius said as he grabbed the clipboard. He hurried down the hall.
"Lucius!" Ginny called after him. Lucius turned to look at her.
"Tell him that Abby is ours. He'll understand. And thank you!" Ginny called.
"Your welcome." He said. He turned just as Ginny was being wheeled off by the nurse with Bridgette in hot pursuit.
Lucius hurried down the hallway and into his son's office. He found him sitting at his desk looking over papers.
"Draco!" Lucius cried. Draco looked up and sneered.
"What are you doing here?' He asked coldly.
"We need you to fill this out and quickly." Lucius puffed. He had run all the way there.
"Why?" Draco spat.
"Because I need you too." Lucius puffed.
"I am doing nothing for you."
"Draco please, we really need you too." Lucius pleaded. He held out the papers.
"I'm not looking at them!" Draco cried. Lucius was fed up. Ginny was in labor and they were about to have a baby sometime soon and his son was being a stubborn Jackass. He finally walked over to the desk and roughly set the clipboard in front of Draco.
"Fill it out." Lucius growled. Draco looked at the heading of the paper.
"Patient information? Maternity Ward. What the hell is this?" Draco asked and suddenly it hit him.
"Ginny's in labor isn't she?" Draco asked standing up.
"Yeah you ass, and the baby is coming quickly, now hurry up and fill it out. We need to get down to the Maternity Ward and fast!" Lucius cried. Draco filled it out in record time and they both raced down to the maternity ward.
"Sir, can I help you?" A nurse asked a panicked looking Draco and Lucius.
"My, my fiancé is having a baby. I need to get to her." Draco cried.
"What is her name?" The Nurse asked as she took the clipboard from Draco's hands.
"Ginevra Weasley." Draco said.
"She's in the delivery room right now." The Nurse said cheerily.
"What!"
"She's in good hands; a lovely woman went in with her."
"Bridgette?" Lucius and Draco cried together.
"Bridgette is in there, helping deliver your child?" Lucius cried at Draco.
"Your wife is helping my Fiancé give birth? That's supposed to be my job!" Draco roared as he paced across the waiting room. And then Draco did what he thought he would never do. He sat down and cried.
