Chapter 18
Ginny's POV
This is all so odd, but Severus had been the most amazing with all of this, even taking into account last night. He loves me and is right here when I needed him, helping both me and Eva deal with it all. I'm rather lucky to have him. Many, to this day, can't understand why I'm with him.
Severus and I have a lot in common. We grew up in homes without a lot of money, we were both used by Tom, and we both dealt with unrequited love. These are huge things; nothing like having the same favorite colour. No, these issues affect our core values. Truly understanding these only helps our relationship.
I think back to when we first came to this country and Severus wanted to build us our home. I, of course, was concerned about costs, as I never expected a home as big or lovely as this. I worried for a long time about the costs. Severus was willing to spend an insane amount of money on the house, but I wanted to be cheaper. We were both looking at the issue from the same side, but different views. I was worried about the total cost. He was thinking long term; things like repair costs, but he always was thinking about the end game. We fought over the issue because I never realised how much money Severus had saved over his time at Hogwarts. He had been making good money and had nearly no living expenses, so the cost of a high quality, high end home wasn't an issue for him. In fact, the house was paid for in full before we moved in.
Also for him, it was a huge issue to be able to give me such a lovely home. It said to him that he was a better provider than his father. We still need to discuss things, but I think it makes our understanding of each other better.
It's like this thing with Lucius. Severus knows we have a good marriage and that I'm happy with him and proud to be his wife, but deep down, there's a fear that he will lose me. I know I would feel the same if Lily were suddenly alive and here. And for him, Lucius has to be worse in some ways than Lily would be for me, for two reasons; one, Lucius was not unrequited love but real love. And two, because Lucius was a friend to him. I understand his issues, sometimes better than he does.
I was getting out of the tub when Severus came into the bathroom. "You'll need to come back down, Ginny."
"Why? What's going on?"
"We and Lucius need to talk. Eva wants the full story of everything, and she wants to hear it from all of us. She agreed to allow us adults to talk and figure out what's appropriate for her age."
"And she won't drop it until we do," I finished.
"Correct."
"I love that child, but I don't know who she takes after on this."
Twenty minutes later, Severus, Lucius, and I were all sitting down at the dining room table. "I think we might be wise to adjust the story to a Muggle version, as I'm pretty sure Eva was asking not because she doesn't believe what she has been told, but she can't figure out how to explain it to Marie," Lucius stated.
"There's nothing a Muggle can't hear about the story," I said. "We were together until you said you didn't want marriage. I didn't want to have you marry me because of Eva, so I left."
"Really, Ginny, they're nosy teenage girls. They want to understand why you were willing to marry me so soon after walking out on Lucius. They're smart kids and can do math. They do need to understand how we came to be together," Severus stressed.
I sighed heavily. There was no Muggle friendly version to this. "Maybe we could say you were a friend of my family? It's close to nearly true. I don't know, Severus; you're the one who was a spy living in secrets and lies." I pleaded with him to help me out.
"They think I was in the services. We could cover a lot by claiming the details are still top secret and therefore, due to the risk of treason, we can't give details."
"I hate that we are about to teach our daughter how to lie to her best friend," I lamented.
"This is why it's better to not deal with Muggles," Lucius stated and I sent him a death glare.
Severus teased about how Marie is like our third child, but because of her, I understood how Mum felt about Harry. I truly don't want to lie to her. Severus reached for my hand and squeezed it tightly. "Don't view it as lying; think of it as protecting her."
"What if we waited until she's checked out? Maybe we could tell her the truth," I suggested.
"Do you think it's really fair to leave Evangelina waiting for all that?" Lucius pointed out to me.
"No, but we could tell her and then just say we're waiting for clearance before we let Marie hear it. That way, we aren't really lying and we aren't making Eva lie."
"That would work," Severus agreed.
"Tell me, Severus; why do the Muggles think you were in the services and a commanding officer over one of the Princes?" Lucius asked.
I laughed, recalling the story. "Go on Ginny, you explain it," Severus insisted.
"We were outside and I had made a comment about how Severus was the only person I knew that didn't treat Harry as the second coming when he was in charge of Harry. The one nosy neighbour couple, who have since moved, put together that we were British, rather quiet about our past, and that somehow being in charge of Harry didn't faze Severus meant there was more than we were letting on. This made sense to them, so we neither confirmed nor denied these 'facts.' They think it's cool, and it allows us to leave details of our past out of the way."
"It's also the reason we visit Ginny's family rather than have them here. There's an obsession with the Royal Family, and if they thought that Ginny's past with Potter was with Prince Harry, there would be no rest for us," Severus explained.
"You told Marie's father I served with Severus?" Lucius asked.
"I did, and it's true. You just weren't serving the Queen. Their belief in the past they decided for us provides a level of security. They think we all have a small level of protection because they think Severus is combat trained. In truth, they're all more protected than they know."
"When do we talk to Eva?" Severus asked.
"After Marie leaves on the twenty- fourth. We may as well have Wyatt sit in on it too. He must have questions," I conceded.
Later that night, in the dark stillness of the night, I laid in bed with Severus holding me close. I whispered to him, "Thank you for being you."
"I don't know what you mean," he said, sounding confused.
"Tonight you knew what was upsetting me and how to calm me." I smiled, even though I knew he couldn't see my smile.
"I have to calm you now while I still can. In a matter of hours, you will become full on crazy."
"You always complain about it beforehand, but you're always happy with the end result."
"You never fail to create the picture perfect holiday for us and the children." He's quiet for a minute. "Eva seems to be getting along with Lucius."
I turned so I was on my back. "She does, but she really hasn't talked to me about all of this."
"That bothers you?"
"It does. I mean, I know part of it is Marie being here."
"Partly, but mostly it's that she's trying to balance myself and Lucius and she feels that you're her constant. You're safe; she doesn't have to worry about her relationship with you. You will be there to understand, and nothing between you and her will have changed."
"Are you bothered by her having a relationship with him?" I asked cautiously.
"We always knew this day would come. I have been ready for it."
"Being ready doesn't mean it's easy." I wanted him to open up to me on this.
"Ginny, focus on your own feelings and on Eva. I can deal with my own feelings this time," he tried to assure me.
I gave a small chuckle. "You're still the strict professor whose class I sat in, and also the most amazingly understanding husband I ever could have hoped for."
"Thank you on both counts," he said with a kiss on the tip of my nose.
I snuggled in closer to him to fall asleep. This is one of the things I love most about my husband; the LOVE I feel from him when he holds me.
The next morning, I made the last dreaded trip to the grocery store. Severus came with me for this trip. He was good to have around to push the trolley and to reach items off the top shelves, but he always looked so bored pushing the trolley. I had a list nearly as long as my arm. This trip became easier since the kids have been old enough to stay home. The key to this trip is to arrive the second the store opens and be done in an hour or less.
As we loaded the groceries into the car, he asked, "Can I buy you a coffee for the drive home?"
"That would be amazing."
As we drove, he informed me, "I cleared room in the cold storage in my lab in case you need it."
Later, as I was doing my prep work, both Severus and Lucius were chatting at the breakfast bar. The girls came down the stairs in a panicked rush. "Mom, can we go to the Mall please? A bunch of us want to hang out and catch a movie."
A couple of hours without Marie in the house would really help. I looked at Severus. "Would you be willing to drive them?" He gave me a look that told me he would rather not, but will do it for me. "Thank you, I love you."
"Thanks, Dad!" Eva beamed at him. "We can be ready in twenty minutes. Does that work?"
"It does. Lucius, do you want to join me for the drive?" Severus asked.
"Actually, I made a promise to your son. Could he accompany myself to the mall as well?"
"Lucius, the mall will be ten times worse than Diagon Alley today!" I warned, a bit worried. "It's the worst time for Muggles. I swear they all lose their minds!"
"I'm sure we'll be fine," he insisted.
I looked at Severus and he gave me this look that told me to allow it.
I got a ton of things done with magic. Lucius would be pleased to see me using my wand. By the time Severus returned from dropping them all at the mall, I was on pins and needles. "Are we sane? We just allowed our eleven year old to supervise Lucius Malfoy in a mall full of panicked Muggles!"
"Ginny, he's up to something, but I don't think we need to worry about the Muggles," Severus assured me.
"What do you think he's up to?" I asked as I folded towels. I always found folding towels therapeutic.
"I would suspect something that shows the wizard kind is superior to Muggles," he answered dryly.
I laughed. He's probably right. "Do you find it odd that he seems to be getting along with Wyatt?" I asked.
"Not really. You forget I was close to Draco when he was younger."
"I can't help but worry a bit," I admitted.
"That's the part of you who is Arthur's daughter. Ginny, you lived with the man…"
"I know, and I understand him and Eva. I just never dreamed he would take any interest in Wyatt."
"Wyatt is something safe and known to him right now. Lucius is adjusting to you and me as a couple. Think about that; he never dealt with me as anything other than the male version of a spinster. I'm now married, and to the woman he loved yet! Eva is a teenage girl and, believe it or not, they're not easy to handle with all those emotions. Top it all off by putting him into this whole Muggle world! But an eleven year old boy? He gets them; he understands where Wyatt is coming from. You spent enough time around young boys. They're simple creatures."
"Did you just call our son a creature?"
His eyes bored into me. "You have to admit, he does smell a bit."
"I think that has to do with the fact that boys seem to think cheap, cologne smelling deodorant replaces a shower. I was hoping that being at Hogwarts might change that. Perhaps you could start working on something that allows the wearer, and everyone of the same gender and age range, to think they smell like a can of that stuff, but instead they just smell clean."
"Now that, we could make millions on! Both Muggles and wizards would buy it! I might look into the idea after Christmas. What can I help you with?"
"Not much, now that Marie is out of the house. I used magic for most everything. I'm stuck at the point where I can't do much more until right before."
"So you're telling me that you have some free time and we're alone in the house for the first time in nearly a week?" he asked.
"I guess I am." I smiled broadly.
"Let's make good use of our time then!" He offered me his hand, then led me upstairs.