Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters in this chapter or the previous sixteen. I only take responsibility for Jeanie Birming (Jennifer S. Weasley) and Patrick Weasley. JK Rowling is the responsible owner of the main characters in the Harry Potter books and fan-fiction writings. I do not make any money off this; I only do it for the sole purpose of my amusement and others. Thank you.
Yes, chapter seventeen is finally up. I will explain at the end of the chapter why is has taken so freaking long for this one.
Enjoy!
Previously in Chapter 16:
"I didn't think you'd come. I was sitting in the kitchen wondering if you'd come," Ron said smiling. She smiled weakly.
"No, I knew I had to come. I know that I have to face them sooner or later," she said weakly.
"Okay then. Come on," he said and led her to the kitchen. She took a deep breath and followed him slowly. Ron opened the kitchen door and she heard loud talking, laughing, and Mrs. Weasley yelling at Fred and George. Everyone looked up and smiled at first. When her eyes landed on Jeanie the plate in her hand dropped and shattered on the floor.
"You can't… are you…? Jenny-Jenny Weasley?" she asked quietly. She nodded and closed her eyes tightly. She felt hands on her shoulders and then a bone-crushing hug. She slid her arms around Mrs. Weasley and cried. Mrs. Weasley cried too and held her, rocking her back and forth. "It's okay," she said running her hand down her hair.
"Where have you been Jenny?" he asked softly.
"I've been in England."
"For how long?"
"Since I was seventeen." I'm twenty-three now."
"Were you at the Christmas ball?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking at her.
"Yes she was," Ginny, said staring at her.
"Who were you with?" Bill asked.
"I was with a friend."
"A friend?" Is that what you call him? He's more than just a friend I think," she sneered. "Who are you engaged to Jenny?"
"I don't need to tell you since you've been with him behind my back now do I Ginevra?"
"I love him! He loves me!"
"I know! He doesn't love me! He never has, it's always been-" she choked on a sob. "It's always been you."
Draco was lying on the couch in the living with a bottle of firewhisky cradled in his hands. He took a sip and sighed as the liquid made a hot burning path down his throat. The drink seemed to make all of his worried and hurts disappear for the time being.
He looked up at the ceiling and wondered how he had gotten into this position. Somehow, somewhere he had lost both women. It doesn't matter how much Jeanie or Jenny tells him how she isn't in love with Harry, he knew better. He knew she was, but that isn't the worst part of it. The worst part is that she had slept with him. Harry had been in his house in his bed with his fiancée. It was that fact that Jeanie had made love to Harry, willingly, in this house.
However, at the same time he felt like he was partially at fault. Had he just given up on Ginny or moved on and been with Jeanie like he was supposed to, maybe none of this would have happened. Now… now it is too late. He had lost Ginny and now he has lost Jeanie to Harry.
What if the child isn't his? What if it turns out to be Harry's? The thought of the child having the dark hair and green eyes was enough to make him physically ill.
Then again, if the child came out with red hair then they would never know. Unless Jeanie already knew. She could have gone to the Healer and could have gotten a paternity test without him knowing. He felt the sick, hot feeling of dread churn inside his stomach. Did she know? Was she hiding it from him?
He took a swallow of firewhisky and felt the tears prick at the backs of his eyes. He had already fallen in love the child growing inside of her and it would kill him to know that it was another man's baby.
He was stuck in a difficult situation. He had unintentionally pushed Jeanie into the arms of another man. He had ruined any chance of a relationship with Ginny. He knew he was being unfair. He wanted to have his snitch and win the world cup too. He knew that at this point that wasn't possible or even an option.
He had to make a decision. He either had to let Jeanie go or marry her. I just don't want… Harry raising the child I want to raise… he thought miserably. He could always be an uncle, but he wanted to be called dad. Not father or sir, but dad. He couldn't stand it to hear the little boy or girl call Harry dad. Not at this point, he was too attached to the child.
Did he really have a choice though? In the end, when it all boiled down to it, it was Jeanie's choice on who would get to be the father to the child.
He had done this to himself though and this time both sides of his conscious agreed. He sighed in frustration and stood up. He began pacing in front of the fireplace, running a hand through his hair. Should he confront her? On the other hand, should he let her come to him about it? No, that wouldn't work. He knew she would never come to him about that. She had already told him so much and was painful enough. Yet I have to know! He thought angrily slamming his fist in his hand.
He couldn't just floo over to the Weasley's and demand to know who the father of the child is. That wouldn't go over well and she would probably leave him by the next day. No, no he couldn't do that. He had to think of another way.
Perhaps he could talk to her Healer? If it were someone other then Remus Lupin, he might have taken that idea and gone with it. He sat back down on the couch and hung his head in his hands. This was driving him to the brink of insanity.
If it is born with red hair and brown eyes then I will never know either, he thought sadly to himself.
"But then again… it wouldn't bother me so much, because it would look like her. I hope it looks like her instead," he said to himself with a small smile.
Lucius was sitting in the drawing room waiting. She had owled and said that she was coming to collect the rest of her things. He had to talk to her. He had to make her understand and listen that what she heard Draco say was untrue. Draco was angry and resentful at the time.
He may have been a Death Eater, but one thing he wasn't was a cheater. He loved Narcissa with all of his heart. He may not have shown it then, but he does.
His fingers were tapping on the desk in a nervous rhythm. He hadn't been this nervous since he was inducted into becoming a Death Eater. He heard a knock on the door and stood up, smoothing his hair. He wanted to look handsome for her, despite the fact that he was already the ripe old age of fifty-three.
A house-elf entered the room shyly.
"Master, the misses has arrived sir. She has refused to talks with you sir. She has gone straights to her rooms sir," the little creature said quietly and sadly.
"Did she say why?" he demanded. "Tell me now." The house elf's eyes got large.
"She said, "I hate the old fool. If he wants to talk to me then he has to come to me. Bugger him." I am sorry sir, I tried. Really," he said, bowing his head. Lucius swore under his breath and scooted around the creature to get to the stairs. He took them two at a time and he know that he must look ridiculous, but he did not care.
He reached the room and stood outside of it for a moment trying to catch his breath. He reached for the handle but it was locked. He trying unlocking it, but it was not working.
"Narcissa open this door," he said laying a hand on the cold wood.
"I have nothing to say to you," came her voice. Her voice, he loved her voice. It was feminine, yet strong as well. "I have said all that I need to say to you."
"You said what you needed to say, but I have not. You haven't listen to a word I've said. Cissa, when you heard Draco… we were fighting. He was angry with me and being resentful. I was telling him that he could not have Ginevra and this new girl Jeanie. Potter had told him those things and he had believed them. I am not what you think I am. I was a Death Eater, but I never slept with another woman," he said sadly, laying his head against the door.
"I love you Narcissa. If I didn't I wouldn't be here begging you to come home. I wouldn't be begging you to love me as you used to. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't care if I ever saw you again. Nevertheless, dammit, Narcissa, I do love you and I want you here for the rest of our lives." He stood there, waiting. Waiting for what? He didn't even know.
"I have always loved you Narcissa. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I knew I loved you. I know I've changed about a million times, but I am staying this way. I have changed for the better now and I want you to love me as you once did. Maybe it's a fruitless attempt at love now. Maybe I have ruined any chance of you ever loving me, but I want too at least try. I promise you, that I have only been with you. You have been the only woman that I have been with," he said, his voice getting lower.
The door opened and he stood up staring at her. The look on her face was unreadable. He had done that to her. He had made her cold like that. He felt his heart break.
"You mean that I am the only woman you have been with since we got married," she said. He blushed, which was something he never did, but he didn't look away. "I knew you were experienced when we got married Lucius."
"I never denied that. I just said that while we have been married you are the only woman I have been with," he said in a gentle tone. She bit her lip and her eyes filled with tears.
"Lucius," she whispered, but she didn't have to say any more. His lips came down on hers and she felt rapture like no other. She loved him, she couldn't deny it. She pulled back, out of breath to whisper, "I love you. I have always love you, you old brute."
He laughed and together they walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind them.
"Jen, I am so sorry about what I said earlier." Ginny was looking at her cousin, wanting her to know that she truly meant it.
"I know. It's okay. I understand, honestly," she said with a small smile.
"Do you know what it is?" she asked, motioning to her stomach, which was now showing. She sighed.
"No, I've decided to wait until I give birth," she said, running her hands on her stomach.
"What about Draco? Does he want to know?" Jennifer shrugged.
"I don't know. We haven't really talked about the sex of it. It doesn't really matter, I'm happy with what it is, no matter what." Ginny watched her cousin. It was uncanny, she thought. That she looked so much like her. Except that, they were so different.
She sighed. She didn't know what to say to her really. They hadn't seen each other in years and now that she was here, what do you say?
"Have you told Draco?" she asked.
"Told him about me? Like who I am?" Ginny nodded. "Yes, I told him before I came over here. It was so hard. It was hard telling him that it was his father who murdered my family, because I know that they have changed. When I met Lucius, I was so afraid that he was going to know who I was. However, he didn't. Which I was grateful for. When I was telling Draco, it was all I could do not to throw up. He accepted it though… well, he's trying to anyway," she said with a laugh.
"Yes, I know how Draco can be," Ginny agreed with a smile.
They sat in silence, both thinking about two separate things. Ginny was about to ask her something when Hermione came bursting in the room.
"Hermione? What is it?" She placed a hand on her stomach and was trying to catch her breath.
"Harry's here. He just wants to hang out here for some reason," she said as she closed the door. "Ron is going to try and keep him downstairs. Although, I think he's getting curious." She sat down in the chair opposite them.
"Why do you want to know where Ginny is?" They heard Ron asking.
"So we can all play Quidditch. Where'd Hermione go? What are you hiding Ron?"
"Maybe he just doesn't want to play Quidditch." Fred of George said.
"You're hiding something. Just tell me what it is," he said angrily. "Move Ron, let me go upstairs. I saw Hermione dash up here just a moment ago."
"Harry, we have some Treacle Tart if you want some."
"They are getting closer," Hermione whispered.
"I don't want Harry knowing I'm here. We had a… falling out, so to speak," Jenny said softly.
"We know," Ginny said. Jenny looked at her. "I heard Harry talking to himself in his room one night about you. He's really upset and in love with you." Jenny placed a hand on her stomach.
"I know, so you told her?" she asked, looking at Hermione. She flushed and nodded. "It's okay. I just don't know what to do. I was never good at making decisions."
"Do you love him?" Hermione asked.
"Draco? Or Harry?" she asked, just to clarify it.
"Harry," Ginny answered. Her heart was beating faster. If Jenny was in love with Harry then she could be with Draco. It would all fall into place. "Please tell me."
They heard footsteps running down the hall. She had to answer her, she knew that.
"Harry just wait a minute!"
"No, I want to know what you're hiding from me. I'm tired of people hiding things from me."
The door burst open just as Jenny answered.
"Yes, I love him."
The three girls jumped to look at the men standing there. Ron was panting and Harry was staring at them. Fred and George looked nervous and Bill was calm.
"You love who?" he asked, daring himself to hope.
"I love you."
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: I am so sorry this took so long. I know that I had chapter 17 up before, but I hated it and I had to re-write it. I hope you enjoy this chapter a lot more. I think it's the best so far. I hope you liked it. Please leave a review!
Tune in for chapter 18:
We will continue from this point on, we will get to see more of Narcissa and Lucius, Draco and Ginny and much other goodies.