I know I said I would get this out weeks ago, work got on top of me and I'm very sorry. I have to learn not to promise deadlines since A-levels are taking up most of my time right now, so the next chapter will come out when I can get it up.
I forgot to tell you the pairings before so here we go: I started this out on the basis that it was going to be a Draco/Ginny fic, But lots of Harry/Ginny thrown in for kicks. Also Ron/Hermione and Lupin/Tonks. I really don't mind in the slightest whether or not these are your favourite pairings. Some of them aren't mine, but they're the ones I decided to go with for this story, so please don't bring it up.
Thank you very much to Kellbell930 and black111star who reviewed. It doesn't take long to just say "that was…(insert one word descriptive here)" and it's really great to know who's reading, so that your not just a number on my hits list.
I forgot to add a disclaimer last time, just to clarify, I'm not getting delusions of grandeur, I really am fully aware that I own nothing. Please don't sue me, I can't afford a lawyer.
That's it from me. On with the story…
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Chapter One
Histories
Ginny looked out of her bedroom window. It was autumn and red leaves were falling outside, pulled from their branches by a strong wind that howled through the castle like a discontented spirit.
Less than three months after Harry died, Voldemort took over the ministry
About that time, the Order had started taking in refugees. With more witches and wizards joining him everyday and most others too afraid to fight back, anyone openly against him had quickly been driven into hiding.
When the number of people begging for their protection became too great to be hidden in the darkened musty space that was 12 Grimmauld Place, the Order went in search of somewhere new to hide.
Drotham Castle was situated on a coast in Scotland. It was larger than Hogwarts, but not nearly as cosy (though Ginny felt sick to think what Hogwarts would be like now that it had become a glorified Death Eater training camp). It sheltered 130 wizards and nearly two thousand Muggles.
The sun was beginning to set. Ginny turned to her daughter with a determined air about her. "Bedtime now, Lily."
Lily Potter was sitting in her favourite spot in the room, a small space between the end of the bed and the wall, doodling with wax crayons. With red hair and green eyes, she matched her namesake. She would be six this winter, and was already beginning to show magical ability.
"I don't want to go to bed." Said Lily putting down her crayons and crossing her arms stubbornly.
Ginny picked up her daughter and set her down on her bed. "If you don't go to bed now you'll be yawning all through tomorrow."
Lily shook her head. "Don't care. Not tired."
"Well that's too bad, Flowerpot," said Ginny, using the nickname that Ron had given Lily when she was quite young. She changed her daughter into pyjamas and pushed her under the covers with expert speed.
"I want my blanket."
"What do you say Lily?"
"Please Mummy, can I have my blanket?"
Ginny picked it up from under the bed where Lily had last left it and tucked it in beside her. It wasn't really a blanket; it was an old Hogwarts scarf. One of Harry's. Faded now and covered in holes. Ginny had never quite had the heart to throw it away and then Lily had found it and sort of adopted it.
"And I want a glass of milk…please"
Ginny pulled out her wand and waved it. A glass of warm milk appeared on the bedside table. She had become good at that one over the last five years.
"And a story."
"OK. But then bed." said Ginny wearily.
Lily nodded.
"What type of story?"
"One about Daddy."
Ginny smiled. "How about the time that Hagrid adopted a dragon?"
"No. I want to hear the one with the giant snake and the diary."
Ginny scowled. "Has your Uncle Ron been telling you scary stories again?"
"Uncle Ron said you know it better that him because you were there."
"Mummy and Uncle Ron are going to have words."
"Please Mummy?"
"No, you'll have nightmares."
"I won't, I won't, I promise."
Ginny sighed . "All right. I suppose if your uncle's told it to you then the damage is probably already done."
When I was eleven and your daddy was twelve, I found a diary."
"Was it a magic diary?"
"Yes."
"Was it Voldemort's diary?"
"Oh, Ron!"
ó
Ginny left the room twenty minutes later, satisfied that her daughter was finally asleep. She dearly wished that George hadn't backed out on his agreement to baby-sit Lily. Eventually, she had coaxed Luna Lovegood in the room next door to keep on eye on her daughter, but it was hardly ideal.
Putting a protective charm on the door as she left, just to be on the safe side, she made her way downstairs. She didn't leave Lily alone very often, but she had agreed to meet Hermione in the pub. Ginny wrapped a black cloak around herself and walked downstairs and out of one of the back doors.
The tiny pub that she had agreed to meet Hermione in was outside the castle. Ginny was one of the very few people who actually lived in Drotham castle. Pretty Soon after they set up the castle, they realised that there was not enough room for all the families who wanted to live inside it, so people had started to build there own houses around it. The castle itself acted as more of a public centre. It was a school, hospital, eating hall and meeting place for the Order. The pub itself, The Golden Phoenix, was on the outskirts of the town. It was one of Ginny's favourite places, mostly because it reminded her of The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.
Opening the door, she felt a wave of warmth, and took in the smell of fire smoke and the welcoming sound of chattering voices.
It took a while to spot Hermione. Over the last few years Hermione had taken to wearing her hair up in tight braids. She said it was more convenient but it did make her harder to spot in a crowd. Finally she saw her sitting at a table in the corner. She was reading a very large book; a pair of knitting needles was floating above her head clicking together at rapid speed.
Hermione's knitting skills had improved considerably over the last few years, fortunately, especially for Ron, for whom she had taken to knitting clothes. From the first few misshapen bobble hats which had all been tragically and mysteriously stolen by 'mad Puffskeins', or so Ron claimed. She had eventually moved on to things that were actually wearable, and then to things that were both wearable and looked nice. At the moment, she was making a small blue jumper with white bobbles that looked a little like snowflakes. Despite it's miniature size however, this particular garment didn't have anything to do with house elves (although the castle did employ several hundred of them, mostly inherited from Hogwarts). Hermione was, in fact, recently pregnant with her and Ron's first child . Pregnancy suited her. She was rosy and had a certain satisfied look to her expression.
Ginny ordered two Butterbeers from the bar and brought them over to her table.
"Hello, Hermione."
Hermione smiled. "How are you Ginny?"
"Pretty good. Lily's beginning to get over her awkward phase. Of course, this'll be the last year that I get to spend so much time with her." She fiddled absently with the frayed hem of her sleeve.
"Oh yes, she'll be starting school next year won't she?" said Hermione taking a sip of Butterbeer.
"I still think six is too young to start learning Defence."
Hermione bit her lip "It's only a few spells Ginny. Nothing really dangerous, and Lily's a clever girl; she'll be able to handle it." She started pulling on the end of her plait, and Ginny knew that she was thinking about an eight year old who had been badly splinched during one of her Apparation classes a few months back.
Ginny sighed and leaned back against the soft leather cushion on her chair. "Lily is her father's daughter," she said, feeling the familiar mix of pride and dread that always filled her at that thought.
Hermione dropped her plait and looked Ginny in the eye. "She has to know these things Ginny," she said resolutely. "It's tough, but we live in a tough world. If worst came to worst…"
"I know, I know. I'm probably being paranoid."
Hermione gave her a sympathetic smile and laid one hand on her stomach. Ginny wondered if Hermione would be so sure about her own child learning Defence. But then that wasn't fair. Hermione loved Lily. Of course she did. She was Harry's child. Either way she owed Hermione a lot.
"Listen Ginny. I've got a day off on Friday. I'm supposed to be teaching Apparation, but I'm not allowed while I'm pregnant. So if you want a break I could take Lily for the day. It wouldn't be a problem, and anyway, I could do with the practice."
Ginny felt a sudden wave of gratitude toward the other girl "Thanks, Hermione. That would be great."
ó ó ó
Losing Harry less than three months after she married him had hit Ginny hard. She had spent the next few months living entirely for her child, eating because the baby would need food and sleeping only when exhaustion overcame her, feeling her child grow as she watched the world crumble around her.
She sometimes thought that if she had been on her own she would have given up and died, but of course she wasn't.
There are times when having a very large family has it's uses and becoming a pregnant widow at the age of sixteen certainly helped Ginny to fully appreciate them. Hermione had only become an official member of that family two years after Harry's death. She never had been one to rush things.
But long before then Ginny remembered Hermione as being the one who stayed up with her when she couldn't sleep, who made sure she looked after herself and who listened to all her worries about the future, never once rebuking her for them. All this in between trawling through piles of heavy volumes in search of the last two Horcrux'es, which they never did find.
From the moment Ginny first laid eyes on Lily she was in love, but the thought of bringing up a child on her own and making a good job of it seemed beyond all imagination to her.
ó ó ó
"Ginny, your necklace is glowing."
Ginny took the locket from around her neck and opened it. It was an adaptation of the clock her mother had owned, that told her where her family members were. Mrs. Weasley had given it to her when Lily was born. On one side was a baby picture of Lily which was dribbling contentedly. On the other side was written the word 'awake'. Ginny sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I have to go. Lily's woken up."
Hermione nodded understandingly.
"Thanks again," said Ginny over her shoulder as she left the bar at a swift walk.
ó
She reached her room at a sprint. The door was ajar and Lily was nowhere to be found. Checking her locket again, she saw it had now changed from 'awake' to 'wandering'.
"Oh Merlin Lily, not again."
Leaning against the wall, Ginny slid to the ground putting her head in her hands. She had had a long day, one not made easier by Lily's constant demands for attention.
It wasn't as though this was a new feeling. She was a single mum after all, and she usually coped with it well. But recently she had just started to feel unbelievably alone.
"I believe this is yours," said a familiar drawling voice to her left.
Ginny looked up to see Draco Malfoy holding a squirming Lily at arms length as she tried to pull his nose. Ginny stifled a snigger. He pushed Lily into her arms with a look of vague disgust.
"Do keep your offspring out of my way in future."
ó ó ó
Draco and his mother had been living in the castle for just under four years now. He had not lasted long as a Death Eater. Pretty Soon after Drotham Castle had been established, Lucius Malfoy had been ordered by Voldemort to find it. He had been tipped off by a Muggle farmer who had seen people around the area. A memory charm from Snape had saved Malfoy from revealing their whereabouts. Unfortunately, when Malfoy informed Voldemort that he knew nothing, the dark wizard flew into a rage and killed him where he stood.
Ginny had never understood the Malfoy family dynamic, but apparently they weren't completely unfeeling towards each other because Draco had decided to kill Voldermort in revenge. Snape had been forced to break cover just to pull him out.
Draco had woken up about half the castle screaming. Ginny remembered coming down the stairs in the middle of the night to find Snape it the entrance hall trying to restrain him.
"LET GO OF ME! HE KILLED MY FATHER!! HE KILLED MY FATHER!!!"
"AND HOW WILL YOU DYING HELP THAT?" Ginny remembered Snape shouting before turning round and hitting him with a stunning spell.
By the next morning, Narcissa was staying at the castle too.
There had been a lot of debate over whether the Malfoys could be trusted. Although, as Snape was quick to point out, with Draco having recently escaped from attempting to assassinate Voldemort, the Malfoys had very few choices. It was eventually agreed that they could stay under the basis that they didn't leave the confines of the town, and Snape kept a close watch on them both. None the less Narcissa and her son saw Drotham Castle as a prison and resented their confinement in it.
ó ó ó
"Thank you for bringing her back, Draco," said Ginny with a patience that she could have never managed a few years ago.
Draco wrinkled his nose. "Next time I might decide not to. I could do with a new house elf." He gave her a look that she couldn't quite read before stalking off.
Ginny laughed. She should have known Lily would be with Draco. The little girl seemed to have taken quite a liking to him recently, much to Draco's distaste. The reason for this was completely beyond Ginny. Lily said that he was funny. Ginny watched him skulk off with amusement and decided that she had to agree.
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Next chapter, Some old faces, some new. Bad dreams from the past and worries for the future.
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