The next day was Jade's first day on her job. She was given a small tour of the muggle agency and introduced to the humongous staff. She met her editors and the people she was supposed to run her articles through. Jade apparated home after work and received her schedule and her first assignment. She placed her papers and bag on the table and crashed onto the sofa wondering how long it would take for Draco to come home.
There was a knock on the door and Jade looked towards the door, raising an eyebrow at it. She was way too lazy to open the door but got up anyways. Opening the door, she saw Hermione standing there, wearing a long intense violet dress with her hair pulled back into a bun. Her prominent belly, sticking out.
"Jade!" Hermione breathed.
"Hermione!" Jade said hugging her best friend.
"I was afraid that you weren't going to be home. When did you arrive?" Hermione asked walking in as Jade closed the door behind her.
"I came just a minute ago." Jade said pulling off her boots.
"So how was your first day at the Daily Mail?" Hermione asked setting her purse down on the table.
"Pretty normal. Just had an introduction today with the staff, got to know who my supervisors were and all. Also received my first assignment." Jade said nodding towards the file on the table. She threw her boots aside and sat back.
"Ready for the barbeque?" Hermione asked.
"Now?" Jade asked seeing Hermione nod.
"When did you expect? I said it was today right? Come on!" Hermione said getting up.
"Fine, let me go ahead and change." Jade said getting up. She walked into the bedroom, chatting with Hermione and pulling out a short two tone dress with a black bow in the middle. "Casual enough?" Jade asked seeing Hermione nod.
"It looks adorable. We match." Hermione said pointing back in forth to Jade's dress and hers. Jade smiled nodding at Hermione. She stripped down in front of Hermione and slipped the dress on, hearing the doorbell ring.
"It must be Draco." Jade mumbled, straightening her dress.
"I'll get it." Hermione said getting up. She left the bedroom and Jade struggled to zip the dress in the back. She heard Draco and Hermione speak and enter the bedroom to see Jade stop struggling with the dress.
"Cripes! Bloody dress won't zip!" Jade complained. Draco smirked and walked over to her as Hermione helped Jade zip the dress up.
"Someone's been packing on some weight." Draco said dodging Jade's arm.
"How was your day?" Jade asked pulling him closer to him. She swung an arm around his neck and kissed him before he answered.
"Was that a rhetorical question?" Draco asked breaking off their kiss.
"I don't know, it's up to you to answer, my job is to welcome you back home." Jade said kissing him again. They heard Hermione giggle behind them and turned to see Hermione stand there, trying very hard not to laugh. "What?!" Jade asked suddenly feeling self conscious.
"It's just I never imagined you two together in Hogwarts. It's just so…different seeing you both so romantic towards each other." Hermione said.
Jade smiled goofily and looked at Draco who shrugged.
"It's like witnessing Harry and Ron-"
"Oh…ew…" Jade and Draco started.
"But you do see my point don't you?" Hermione asked seeing Draco shake his head.
"I don't." Draco said as Jade nodded.
"I do." Jade said.
Jade, Draco and Hermione apparated to the Burrow. Jade tightened her grip on Draco, feeling nervous about having to go into a place where the people who liked her least in school used to live. She looked at Draco and grimaced, seeing him mirroring the same look she had. She realized that she was entering the home of the woman who had almost stolen her best friend, the man she loved. It took a lot for Jade to even agree to come here, but if it wasn't for Hermione's pleads, Jade would have never come along.
Hermione rang the doorbell and Jade heard so many people shouting and talking from inside of the house and the backyard.
"I got it!" a deep male voice shouted.
In a few moments, the door opened and a much taller and handsome Ron opened the door, his eyes lighting up when he saw Hermione. "Mione! Did you have a hard time-"
"No I didn't Ron. Ron I told you last night that I was bringing over guests." Hermione said moving for Ron to see the people he was going to host tonight. He darkened seeing Draco looking disdainfully at him. His eyes moved to the tall and slim woman next to him. He looked at her for a while, wondering why she was smirking at him. Something about her face hinted that he had seen her before, but he simply couldn't remember when he had seen this attractive woman before.
"Love, you remember Draco of course. This is-"
"Who is it Ronnikins?" one of the Weasley twins asked appearing in the doorway. "Hello there. I'm Fred." Fred said his eyes widening and stretching his hand out towards Jade who grinned broadly at him.
She loved the Weasley twins. During their stay at Hogwarts, Jade would get along well with them, helping them with their pranks and visited their joke shop regularly before she left to America. They were very kind to her and didn't treat her badly at all. She was just one of the guys for them. Jade went to stretch her hand but Ron pushed Fred's hand away and pushed him back.
"I'm sure she's not interested." Ron said.
"Boys, will you leave my guests standing here? It's a bit rude making them stand in the doorway." Hermione said impatiently.
"Yeah, of course. Come in." Ron said.
"Oh Malfoy, I didn't see you there. See even your bleached hair won't come up to par with a pretty lady standing right next to you." Fred said winking at Jade.
"I don't remember me trying to win anyone over with my hair." Draco said touching his hair consciously.
"Even if you were, you'd lose to her, come let me show you around." Fred said nodding ahead, looking at Jade.
Ron gave a resigned sigh and shot Hermione a bewildered look. Hermione motioned him to shut up and behave. She walked off, guiding Jade and Draco to the Burrow's living room.
"So what's your name?" Fred asked giving Jade his most charming smile.
It made Jade uneasy for a bit to flirt with her that way since they were really good friends during Hogwarts and also, Draco was right next to her, seething. If it wasn't for her holding on to his hand tightly, he would have jumped on Fred back to the doorway.
"Where's Fred? He was supposed to help me carry the plates and-" Ginny stopped appearing in the hallway, in front of Hermione, Ron, Jade, Fred and Draco. She dropped the Styrofoam plates and cups and stared at Draco wide eyed.
"Everyone's in the living room." Hermione interrupted.
Jade took a quick glance at Draco and was surprised to see him give Ginny a glance. He looked away to see a few children walking down the staircase with Fleur Delacour. Jade just stared at Ginny, unable to believe how mature she looked. Her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail; she looked rounder and more motherly. She wore a sky blue T shirt and dark blue jeans with flip flop sandals. She looked beautiful in her own way, but it wasn't anything how she looked like during Hogwarts when she was still a teenage girl, free from children and a husband that led her to look so worn out.
"This way." Hermione said.
Fred jogged out of the living room and into the backyard to fetch all of the men in the backyard. Jade sat down next to Draco and looked around the Weasley's living room. Pictures were everywhere and it was unlike anything she had ever been near in the last 7 years. This place reminded her of her own home, when her father was alive. Cozy and unique. She loved the Burrow no matter how dirty the sofas or how scratched the wooden floors were. She heard people walk into the living room and she looked to see a sea full of tall red haired men walk into the room and one particular individual sticking out of the crowd.
"You came!" Harry exclaimed running towards Jade. Jade stood up and received Harry warmly, leaving everyone to gape.
"Well, that was the last person I thought would jump on her." Fred said turning to the Weasley men. Ginny, Fleur, Molly Weasley and two other women that Jade wasn't familiar with, standing next to Hermione. Ginny looked shocked to see her husband hugging a woman that she didn't know.
"Does that mean I get to hug her too?" George joked. He crumpled up like a paper ball when one of the women standing with the Weasley women shot him a dirty look.
"She'll probably die from the oxygen that Potter's depriving her of. If you can kindly let go of my woman Potter." Draco said through his teeth.
"And who is this lovely young lady?" Molly asked warmly.
Hermione and Jade turned to Molly as Harry let her go. "Mummy, this is Draco Malfoy and you all won't believe who this is." Hermione said pointing to Jade.
"What's not to believe? I'm a believer already." Fred said nudging Ron with his elbow. Ron rolled his eyes at Fred along with the other women who secretly rolled their eyes as well.
"I want you all to guess who this might be." Harry said swinging an arm around Jade's shoulders.
"You seem to know her well." Ginny said crossing her arms.
"You should know me as well as he does." Jade said standing straighter.
Ginny looked her over carefully, still unable to figure out who she was.
"This is brilliant. No one knows." Harry said to Hermione who grinned back.
"Well most of you remember me as the drinking, smoking, swearing ill mannered Jade-"
"Harper." Ron, Fred, George and Ginny chorused. Ron and Ginny paled but Fred and George were only too happy to see her.
"Look at you!" they said hugging her tightly.
"You don't look like an awkward elf anymore! Remember we used to call you Dobby?" Fred asked and Jade nodded grimacing.
"And I almost sliced your ear off, how is it by the way?" Jade asked seeing him nod.
"I still can manage to hear unfortunate for you. Where have you been all these years? I heard you left Hogwarts just a month before graduation?" Fred asked.
"Wait, how could you be Harper?" Ron asked behind them.
George turned around and scoffed. "Ronnkins, just because she hasn't punched your nose in when you opened the door or looks like an elf, doesn't mean she isn't our Jay. She's just upgraded." George said appreciatively.
"George how about helping me with Farah?" one of the Weasley women spoke up with a toddler in her arms.
"Oh Dina, Jay's just come back after all those years! I have to ask her about-"
"You have the whole barbeque but right now I think your child needs you. Excuse me Miss Jay." The woman said forcefully.
"Yeah sure." Jade said.
Dina bullied George out of the way and other one took this opportunity to take Fred out as well. "No! No! We have no children together. I swear Jay I don't know this woman. Lots of women take me with force nowadays. I can't help myself for being ridiculously good looking." Fred said looking at Jade who along with Harry and Hermione laughed. The rest were grim faced and cold.
"You're ridiculously thick headed as well." She said. She dragged Fred out and Jade raised her eyebrows and fiddled with the hem of her dress feeling the extremely hostile vibes coming from the women in the room with the exception of Molly, Hermione and Fleur.
Ginny whispered something to a brunette that was standing next to her and the two left the living room to the backyard.
"Charlie." The brunette barked.
"Oh…now?" Charlie asked when he was advancing towards Jade and Draco to introduce himself.
"Yes…now. It's an emergency." The brunette said. Charlie gave Draco and Jade an apologetic look and left.
"Fleur, aren't you coming along?" Ginny asked seeing Fleur nod.
"I must give an introduction." She chirped up. Ginny didn't bother to stay and left. "My name is Fleur Delacour Weasley." Fleur said rapidly. She shook hands with Draco and Jade warmly and smiled at them.
"I am Draco Malfoy. Very nice to meet you Mrs. Delacour Weasley." Draco said seeing Fleur smile and giggle.
"I am still in love wiz my married name." Fleur said.
"I'm Jade Harper, really pleasant to see you. You can call me Jay." Jade said seeing Fleur nod.
"Jhay." Fleur said.
"I like how you say my name." Jade said.
The two women giggled, leaving Bill and Harry to smile to themselves. "Zis is my husband Bill." Fleur said seeing Bill nod at Draco and Jade.
"Nice to meet you Draco and Jade. I'm Bill…duh." Bill said. He shook hands with Draco and Jade. "I see Draco every day at the bank." Bill said seeing Draco nod.
"Business often requires a lot of visits to the banks, so since Bill is there to manage my money, we see each other almost every other day." Draco explained.
"You were quite the subject to talk about in this household." Bill commented, receiving a jab from his mother.
"Don't worry sweetheart, Fred and George loved to speak about you." Molly said taking Jade's hands.
"And I bet Ginny and Ron have colorful conversations about me as well." Jade said seeing Molly give Jade a nervous smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Molly Weasley. Hermione basically sang our way here about you and your cooking." Jade said kissing the woman's cheeks.
"Oh! Hermione! How sweet." Molly blushed.
"She also wasn't joking when she said how beautiful you were either." Draco commented, kissing Molly's hand.
"You two are impeccably charming!" she said turning to the bright crimson shade of her shirt.
"We don't need to stay inside. It's pretty stuffy in here; I think it's better if we all move outside." Hermione said as Molly nodded.
"Indeed!" Molly agreed.
They all walked out of the living room and outside into the backyard, where there was a large lake nearby. It brought Jade to a sense of peace, that this environment felt so calm and Jade would have enjoyed it a lot more if some people weren't glaring at her. She sat down next to Draco and held his hand.
"Comfortable?" Draco asked giving Jade a short smile.
Jade nodded and smiled back equally. She didn't want to be here as much as he did. Hermione sat next to them and Harry joined in also. Fred and George came close by and they all started to speak. Jade knew how badly Hermione, Harry, Fred and George tried to cover up the hostility Jade was receiving from the rest of the Weasley's. Jade had seen Molly argue silently with Ginny and the rest to mingle with Jade and Draco but they stood in their spots like heavy anchors. Harry introduced Jade to his three children and Jade was delighted to meet them.
"James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter and Lily Luna Potter." Harry said.
"Hello James." Jade said shaking the 5 year olds hand.
"Hello." He said shyly. She smiled and greeted Albus who stood behind his father blushing madly. Jade reached over and touched Lily's cheek, who drooled and stared at Jade with wide brown eyes.
"She looks so much like your wife." Jade said holding the child's hand.
"Every bit of her. You wouldn't believe that James is exactly like his uncles. Right from birth a prankster." Harry said.
Jade laughed and looked at James who seemed offended by his father's description of him. "You're too old to understand Dad." James said narrowing his green eyes at his father.
"Yeah Dad. You're too old. That's my nephew." Fred said holding his hand out for James to slap. Lily reached out towards Jade and Harry smiled at her.
"She wants you. May I?" he asked holding out his child.
"Oh…yeah sure, I guess." Jade said as Harry placed Lily on her lap.
Jade held the baby awkwardly and almost cried when Lily took a fistful of Jade's hair and yanked.
"Oh no, don't do that to the pretty lady Lily, do it to the funny looking albino-what?" George asked when Draco shot him a look.
"What about your children? I bet you both have children for me to see." Jade said.
Fred pointed to George who nodded. "Farah, you're going to love her." George said walking off. He went to take Farah from Dina who shook her head and refused to give her to George. George looked a bit angry and Dina walked away from him with Farah in her arms. George turned to Ginny and asked her what was wrong but Ginny didn't give him an answer, she only glanced towards Jade and Draco's way.
"Excuse me." Hermione said leaving when he saw Ron step in and speak to George.
"You both are probably hungry, I'll get something if you-" Harry said but Draco interrupted him.
"No thanks Potter. We'll get the food ourselves; just tell us where to go." Draco said getting up.
"The plates, glasses, forks, spoons, knives are all there on that table. Dad's over there grilling with Bill and Charlie so they'll give you whatever you want. Make yourself at home Malfoy." Harry said seeing Draco nod.
"Thanks Potter." Draco said. Draco walked off, holding Jade's hand and Jade winked at Harry. She turned to Draco and kissed his hand, elated that he was finally getting himself to be civil with Harry. They reached the plate and Bill walked up to them smiling graciously.
"So what will the two of you have? We have lamb chops that I made, Charlie's barbeque ribs, Dad's chicken and steak and a little shrimp with grilled vegetables on the side." Bill said.
"Wow can I get all of it?" Jade asked.
"You must be mad." Draco said grinning at her.
"No I'm not. I'll get a little bit of everything." Jade said seeing Bill smile and take her plate. She turned to Draco who looked incredulous. "What? Do you not know me and my infamous eating habits?" Jade asked seeing him shake his head and hand in his plate to Bill.
"I should keep reminding myself not to underestimate you." Draco said.
Jade stuck her tongue out at him and took her plate from Bill's hand. "Thanks." She said seeing Bill nod.
"I guess some vegetables would do me well." Draco said seeing Bill raise an eyebrow at him. Charlie chuckled right next to him and Draco and Jade looked up to see why.
"I would have expected the girl to take less." Charlie said.
Jade smiled and looked at Draco who looked embarrassed.
"Ah Malfoy don't take it personally. We were just having a little fun with you that's all." Bill said good humouredly.
"Yeah, no harm." Charlie said.
"None taken. Thank you." Draco said turning around, placing a hand on the small of Jade's back. As they walked slowly to their seats, Jade picked at her food and mumbled.
"The Weasley's aren't all that bad. Even though most of them don't like us, there will always be that small part of them that do." Jade said seeing Draco nod.
"You can't please everyone. There will always be someone there that won't like you for who you are." Draco said seeing Jade nod.
"Or who you're with." Jade said.
Draco turned his head towards her and set his plate down on a small table next to his chair and touched Jade's face. "Do you regret being with me?" he asked softly.
"No…of course I don't. I don't care who hates me for being with you. I was just saying what I was experienced when I walked in here. Some people aren't as; I don't know what the word is, gracious. Some people won't be gracious to you." Jade said seeing Draco nod.
"Don't let it bother you Jade. You've never given a damn what people thought about you, so don't let this get to you now." Draco said.
"I only give a damn about what you, Hermione, Harry or Nessie think. No one else." Jade said. Draco smiled and took his plate as they ate and spoke to each other.
They spoke to Harry, Hermione and sometimes Fred, George, Molly, Arthur, Fleur, Bill and Charlie that would come by whenever they weren't taken from Ginny and the rest of the women. The sky darkened and it was soon evening. One by one, the Weasley's either left or went back inside and it was Draco, Jade, Harry and Hermione outside.
"Sorry." Harry apologized when Ginny called him from inside for the thousandth time.
"I'll help to see what she needs. You both can come in you know, it's getting a bit chilly outside." Hermione said wrapping her arms around herself.
"We're both fine outside." Jade said nodding. Hermione looked apologetic for Ginny's rude behavior towards them. She knew that Ginny was intentionally separating Hermione and Harry from Draco and Jade on purpose.
"We have to leave soon anyways so we won't be here for long." Draco said seeing Hermione nod.
"You're right. Maybe this barbeque was a bad idea, I should have just-"
"Oh fuck it Hermione. I got to see you and Harry didn't I? And I love the rest of your family, they're so funny. It was so refreshing to see Fred and George again; I forgot how to laugh until my sides hurt." Jade said as Draco agreed.
Hermione smiled a bit and shook her head. "But still-"
"We're not complaining Hermione, Merlin, I had a great time today, I honestly did. Go on, we'll wait until you get back and we'll take your leave." Jade said nodding towards the house.
"I'll be right back." Hermione said. She hurried off into the house and Jade turned to Draco, squeezing his hands together.
"Thank you so much for making her feel comfortable. I know it's not a Malfoy thing to do, but I do appreciate you for everything today." Jade said seeing
Draco grin and grab her chin. "Can't you appreciate me for every day?" Draco joked. Jade lightly slapped his cheek and saw him look a bit shocked. "You'll pay for that you know." He said leaning in to kiss her. Jade placed her hands on the sides of his face, feeling his arm wrap around her waist.