CHAPTER 6
THREE MONTHS LATER
-DRACO
"Alright Mother, I'm off I have an appointment," I leaned over and kissed my mother goodbye. She smiled at me warmly.
"Goodbye my dear. Remember Mummy loves you darling. Have fun at work." She winked at me and patted my cheek. I laughed and shook my head; my mother was absolutely incorrigible sometimes. I stepped into the Floo and called out "The Silver Snitch!" I hated travelling by magical means in general and I considered Floo the lesser of the evils. I stepped out of the Floo in my new office and immediately I heard shouting in the front shop. I rushed out to see Harry, my beautiful employer, yelling at his best friend, the Weasel.
"Harry, I'm telling you something is wrong with Ginny!"
"Ron, mate, I don't know what to do! I've been trying to talk to her but she won't tell me anything! She won't even talk to Hermione or your mum! What makes you think she'll talk to her ex-husband! Have George try; he's the only one who understands her! Or Charlie! I'm telling you I'm the wrong person!"
The Weasel spotted me and looked slightly embarrassed.
"Hey Draco…"
Harry turned around, he was red in the face and he looked slightly sheepish.
"Hi Dray, I'm sorry about the shouting."
"Not a problem. Hi Ron, I'm sorry to have interrupted. Can I help? I can be quite a skilled negotiator. Slytherin trait, you know."
Three seconds here and I had them smiling. The Weasel looked at me, even though we were getting along fairly well and were on the way to becoming friends, I still thought of him as the Weasel. And I'm sure he still thought of me as the Ferret. We even called each other these names occasionally.
"Actually Ferret, you may be perfect. You know that Harry and Ginny's divorce and custody agreement was finalized about a month ago. Since then, Ginny won't leave the house. I know she's pregnant and all that but she's been losing her fire since Harry announced that he plays for the other Quidditch team, if you catch my drift."
"Ron, you're oversimplifying it!"
"Harry shut it, I'm talking. My sister has not been herself recently."
They glared at each other. I shook my head.
"Harry, Ron? Did Ginny ever tell you why she gave Harry full custody of the baby?"
They both looked at me surprised. Ron spoke first.
"N-no. Supposedly Dad knows and he won't tell anyone. He won't even tell Mum. Brave man."
Him and Harry shared a knowing look and laughed. They laughed the way friends who share a life together laugh. I was briefly jealous of Ron, once again wishing Harry had taken my hand in first year.
"Well then boys, I think you need to find that out."
"Draco's right, Harry. And you need to do that. She won't talk to me. You know how she is when it comes to me. Now, I'm off. I have to get to the Auror office before Hermione kills me. Don't want the husband to look like he's taking advantage of the fact that his wife might be Minister of Magic soon and all that."
We waved him off and he Apparated with a small pop. Harry put his head in his hands and sighed. I put my hand on his back in an effort to comfort him. He leaned into me and I eased my arm around him.
"Draco…" He whispered my name. He looked at me; he had tears in his eyes. This was the closest we had been in the past few months. He leaned over to me and my eyes widened as he gently kissed me. It was chaste, merely lips brushing against each other but there was a promise of more. I felt a lifetime of kisses in that kiss, if only I could make it happen. Harry rested his forehead on mine and we sat there and smiled at each other.
-THAT AFTERNOON
-GINNY
"GINEVRA! Tell me what is going on!"
"MUM, it's nothing, I promise!"
"It is most certainly not nothing Ginevra Weasley!"
My mother and I were at a standoff. We were standing in the kitchen at the Burrow, fighting once again about what may or may not be occurring in my life. Harry and I decided to sell our house and spilt the profits. He moved back into Number 12 Grimmauld Place and I am temporarily back at the Burrow. Although I am now considering moving in with Bill and Fleur or George to escape my mother's constant nagging.
"Enough is enough, Ginevra. You are carrying a child and I can tell something is wrong! I don't care that in a few months you yourself will be a mother; you are still my child. And you will tell me what is wrong. You told your father!"
I sat at the table and just shook my head.
"Mum, you don't get it! I can't tell you or George or Bill or Ron or Harry or Hermione or anyone! Dad is the only person that can know right now!"
There was a knock on the window and we both looked over. There was a brown barn owl waiting with a letter attached to its leg. I got up and walked over to the window, I let the owl in and gave it a treat. The letter was addressed to me from the realty agency.
Dear Mrs. Ginevra Weasley-Potter,
I am happy to tell you that yours and Mr. Harry James Potter's property at 135 Lion Lane in the town of Godric's Hollow has been sold! The property at 135 Lion Lane was appraised at 39,721 galleons, 16 sickles, and 2 knuts. It was a three bedroom and two bath two floor house with a basement and a spacious backyard. The house is located in the wizarding town of Godric's Hollow and has the necessary concealment charms. As per your agreement, half of the profits has been sent to Mr. Harry James Potter's Gringotts Vault and half has been sent to yours. The total earnings of the sale of the property was 45,654 galleons, 14 sickles, and 3 knuts! This puts your's and Mr. Harry James Potter's individual earnings at 22,827 galleons, 7 sickles, and 1 knut! I hope that this is satisfactory and it was a pleasure doing business with you.
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Millicent Bullstrode-Nott
Senior Vice President
The Honest Snake's Realty
345 Diagon Alley
"Mummy, we got the settlement! And we got almost 6,000 galleons more than the appraisal!"
"Oh Ginny, that's wonderful!"
"I can buy that flat next to George now! It's 97 galleons a month to rent or I can buy it outright for 1,450 galleons! George owns his, I can buy mine!"
I ran over to the desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing:
Dear Georgie,
I got the settlement from the house! Harry and I got 6,000 more than expected! I have over 22,000 galleons now! I'm going to buy the flat next door to yours, Georgie! Can you send over that application ASAP? Mum is driving me absolutely bonkers and I need to sign those papers.
Lots of love,
Ginny
I sealed the letter and gave it to the new family owl, Fillibuster. I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, things were beginning to fall into place.
-THE NEXT DAY
HERMIONE
"Ronald, leave Harry alone."
"But 'Mione! This is Ginny we're talking about."
"Ronald, shut it. Harry doesn't need this. He's finally doing well with this whole divorce. He sees Ginny at her doctor appointments and for any legal appointments. He doesn't need to interfere in her life right now. It's no good for either of them."
"I hate it when you make sense."
"I know, dear."
I kissed my husband on the cheek and went to go fix dinner. Harry's new owl, Grindy, was sitting on the perch next to Pig, eating owl treats. I laughed and untied the letter from his leg.
Hey 'Mione,
We got the settlement. 6,000 galleons more than expected. I told Ginny I wanted her to take all of it but she insisted that we split it evenly. So I figured that the earnings from the house would go directly into a private bank account for the baby. I have something I really need to talk to you about. Without Ron, please. I'll tell him eventually but right now this is something I need to keep between me and you. Come over to Grimmauld Place when you can.
Love you,
Harry
This worried me slightly. I got rid of the letter so that Ron wouldn't find it and I quickly fixed Ron his favorite dinner, roasted chicken and garlic potatoes.
"Ronald! Dinner's ready. I'm going to bring some to Harry quickly."
"You made me chicken 'Mione! You're amazing."
He kissed me lovingly. He was truly a great husband. I wrapped some up quickly and stepped into the floo.
I coughed slightly as I stepped out of Harry's main floo in the living room.
"Harry? It's Hermione, I brought you some dinner."
"Hello Mrs. Weasley, may Kreacher take your things?"
"Oh hello Kreacher! I didn't see you there. Yes, that would be lovely. I made Harry some dinner. Is he home?"
"Yes Miss, he is in Master Sirus's old bedroom. I will fetch him for you."
"Oh thank you Kreacher. You are most helpful! I love your new outfit by the way!"
"Thank you, Miss. They were Dobby's socks, it's a great honor to wear them and Master Harry bought me the rest."
"Kreacher, if it isn't too presumptuous, I would love to knit you a scarf or a hat!"
"I would be most honored, Miss." Kreacher bowed low and bounded up the stairs. Ever since Harry gave him that locket all those years ago, Kreacher was a changed elf. And all of those laws that I managed to pass for the welfare of magical creatures has helped a great deal. Straight after the war, Harry gave Kreacher a pair of Dobby's socks and told him that he would pay him as much as Kreacher wanted for as long as Kreacher wanted to stay on. Kreacher refused payment for himself and had all of the money sent to help other house elves and magical creatures.
"I smell chicken! Ron must be having a coronary; he never lets so much as a wing get away from him. Hi 'Mione."
I gave my best friend a hugged and laughed with him.
"Don't worry. Ron has a whole chicken all to himself. I made two: one for him and one for us to share. Now what did you want to tell me?"
"Hermione, I kissed Draco."
Harry blurted the words out so fast that I thought I misheard him.
"Oh Harry, that's good. Isn't it?"
Suddenly, he got this dreamy look in his eyes. I smiled; this is good. Harry is finally happy.
"I think it's going to be wonderful."