Father and Son

~Chapter 2~

Harry and Ginny?!

Harry was washing the dishes when someone knocked on the kitchen door. He quickly dried his hands and went to open it. Outside in the garden were a girl and a boy. Harry recognized them immediately. David and Diana.

'Hey, you two!' he greeted them friendly. 'I thought you would come sooner or later,' he added.

Harry didn't approve of Ginny's decision to leave her children. He had tried to convince her to talk to them, but she was too stubborn.

'So it's true? You're with mum now?' Diana shrieked and started to cry.

'What?' Harry asked, flabbergasted.

'Di, calm down, he hasn't said a word about it, yet! Get a grip, you're still a Malfoy,' David reminded her matter-of-factly.

Though David's arm was around his sister, Harry thought that he was rather cold towards her. He studied the sixteen-year-old boy. It was like looking at Draco when they were still at school. Though, Harry couldn't remember Draco holding someone in his arms - no one, except Ginny.

'Come in, we'll talk about it,' Harry said and let them in. 'Make yourselves comfortable. You want some tea, or juice perhaps?'

David and Diana sat down at the kitchen table.

'No, thanks,' David said, coldly eyeing Harry. 'We just want our mum back!'

'Of course,' Harry said and placed himself on the opposite side of the table.

'Is she here?' Diana asked, trying to dry her tears and finally looking up at the black haired man with that famous scar.

'Yes, but not now. She's at Diagon Alley with Luna. But she has been staying here since she...'

'...left us!' David finished the sentence for him.

'Look, I know it must be terrible for you, and I've tried to tell her to talk to you, at least. But she thinks she'll give in then and go home. And that's something she doesn't want at the moment. And it's not because of you or Amaris. It's because of the troubles your parents are having.'

'We can tell that!' David scowled.

'Are you in love with our mum?' Diana asked.

Harry frowned.

'Where did you get that from?!' he asked. 'No, I am not! You see, I love your mum, because she's always been like a sister to me and she's a close friend, but we are not in love.'

'Father thinks so. That's the reason they have been arguing. He said you and mum were in love once. We thought perhaps you are again and that's why she's here,' David explained.

'We were dating once, that's right, but that was when we were still at Hogwarts. Your mother's family cared for me like I was a part of it. It's my family now. That's the reason Ginny and I are so close to each other, but now there's nothing more than a brotherly feeling for her. We aren't having a love affair. And I don't think Ginny ever had one or will have one. I don't think she would cheat on your father as long as they're married.'

'That'll soon be over,' David pointed out.

'Malfoy wants to get divorced?' Harry asked, surprised.

'Everybody thinks they will! And he thinks she has left for good.'

'What do you mean by everybody?' Harry asked, confused.

'We were at our grandparents', and everybody there said it would be the right thing for mum.'

'Your grandparents said that?' Harry repeated, shocked.

How could Mister and Misses Weasley tell their grandchildren their parents should be getting divorced?!

The twins nodded.

'That was not right of them, really.'

'What? That they told us the truth? We are old enough to know what's going on!' David snapped.

'No, that they told you something they would like to see. Your grandparents never liked your father much, as you perhaps know, and I won't pretend I'm much different. Your father and your grandfather were our enemies at school. Neither of us trusted him when Ginny married him. But I've come to know that your mother really loves him and that he's the only one who can make her happy. Your grandparents think they have been right, now that the two of them have an argument.'

'That's not fair. They don't even give him a chance to explain himself,' Diana exclaimed.

'Yeah, but you shouldn't judge your grandparents to harshly, because they kind of have a point when they say that Malfoy hurt your mother.'

'We know. We heard their argument. They were shouting through the whole manor,' David said dryly.

'Mum thinks dad doesn't trust her, and dad thinks she is cheating on him.'

'I think your father knows that she isn't, but he's afraid she could do it. He's afraid she could leave him. That's probably why he's so possessive of her. He thinks she can't run away if he locks her up in the manor. And that's what your mother hates,' Harry told them.

David felt that his uncle really tried to understand them. That he was on their side.

'Can you help us?' David suddenly asked.

Harry looked at the boy intently. Green eyes met grey eyes. Harry noticed the determined expression on David's face.

'What do you mean?' he asked.

'Will you help us to get them together again?'

Harry thought about it for a moment.

'I think I will. As long as your parents want to,' he finally decided.

'Do you think they want to?' Diana asked, her voice sounding nearly scared.

'I think Ginny is still in love with him or she wouldn't be playing this run-and-hide-game,' Harry told them and smiled warmly.

Diana's face lit up with joy. Harry's smile widened. She had Malfoy's features. The high cheekbones, the pointed nose, the grey eyes and the light blond hair. But besides that one could still see, that she was Ginny Weasley's daughter. She had inherited Ginny's smile and full red lips. And Harry had recognized the shining eyes that went along with Diana's smile. It was something that he had always liked about Ginny. That she could smile with all her face, all her body. Her happiness could infect others within seconds. But since Ginny had left Malfoy Manor, she hadn't laughed like this anymore. There were always tired smiles, nearly sad, but never such a hearty one that Diana gave him now. Yes, he would help them. Ginny belonged with her family.

'What would you suggest?' David interrupted his thoughts.

'You must talk to your mum, first. You've got to convince her that she has to talk with your father. Only they can sort their problems out.'

David nodded.

'When does she return from Diagon Alley?' Diana asked.

'They wanted to stay there till six. You can wait here, if you'd like to. You could help me wash the dishes.' Harry grinned and got up.

'Why don't you use a washing-charm?' Diana asked, confused, as she followed Harry to the sink.

'Why don't you get yourself a house elf?' David muttered and rolled his eyes.

'I was raised in a muggle house. I'm used to washing the dishes. And I don't even know how to use such a spell,' Harry confessed.

Diana grinned, took out her wand and explained Harry how to perform the charm with a short flick.

'Granny taught me how to do it,' she told him after the dishes had been cleaned up all by themselves.

'And there I thought you were as spoilt as your father,' Harry mocked.

'He's not spoilt!' David snapped. 'But this is servant's work.'

Harry raised his eyebrows and then smiled at the boy.

'You are so much like Malfoy!' He shook his head.

'Who is like Malfoy?' Ron asked, when he entered the kitchen.

'Hey, mate!' Harry greeted him.

'Hi, Harry!' Hermione greeted him joyfully and gave him a kiss.

'Where are the kids?' Harry asked.

'They went straight for the garden. They are crazy for your pool, mate,' Ron told him.

Suddenly, he held still. He had noticed David and Diana.

'Hi, you two,' he said, carefully eyeing them.

'David, Diana! How nice. I didn't know, you were staying with Harry, too,' Hermione said and smiled.

'Actually, we are not,' Diana said coldly.

Harry was surprised about the changed expressions of the twins. He looked to Hermione and Ron and then back to the twins.

'We are staying with our father,' David added proudly.

'Oh,' Hermione bit her lip.

Harry knew she was cursing herself mentally.

'We just talked about Gin and Malfoy,' Harry explained. 'I promised them I would help to get their parents together again.'

'You what?' Ron asked, shocked.

Hermione swatted him on the arm and clicked her tongue.

'Do you have a little time, before you leave for Hermione's parents?' Harry asked, indicating to the living room.

'Of course!' Hermione said at once and looked seriously over to her niece and nephew.

'What? I thought...' Before Ron could finish the sentence, Hermione had sent him a look that let no room for discussions.

They all moved to the living room and sat together, David and Diana on the couch, facing Ron and Hermione on the other one. Harry joined them with a tray with big cups of tea. While David studied his uncle and aunt, Diana looked around in the living room. They had never been here. Harry and Luna had only moved in a few years ago, and the only time when they saw them was at the Burrow or at the Manor. Diana admired the way Harry and Luna's house looked. It had the country style of the Burrow, although it was much richer furnished. There were lots of wood and warm colours. She understood why her mother loved to come here. The house must have something familiar to Ginny. Something of home.

'You must be missing her like hell,' Hermione said in a motherly voice.

Ron frowned. Of course. Ginny had three children which needed her home. He remembered how he always missed his own kids when they weren't there. And as much as he hated the thought of Malfoy being their father, he hated the thought of his nieces and nephew being brought up without their father, in a broken family, even more. He had stopped hating Malfoy through the years. He didn't liked him, but at least he was not hostile towards him anymore. But now the old feelings had welled up again.

He felt a sudden pang of guilt when he saw Diana nod.

'Gin is missing you, too. She wants nothing more than go back to you and your sister, but she thinks your father will never change when she gives in. She wants him to see his mistake. She wants him to give in and admit that she's right, you see?' Harry explained.

'Right about what?' David asked.

'Well... I don't know exactly, but I think it's about your father imprisoning her, trying to tell her what she has got to do, and mostly about him not trusting her. She hates his jealousy.'

'But he is kind of right, too, isn't he?' David stated.

The others looked at him astonished at this statement.

'Well, you see, she has been seeing you a lot, and she never talked about it much. Sometimes she didn't even tell dad that she was here or meeting you. Sometimes he only found out by chance,' Diana said seriously.

Nobody missed the guilty expression Harry suddenly wore.

'Harry?' Hermione asked carefully. 'What...'

'No, Hermione! Do you think I would do something like that? Cheat on my wife, cheat with a married woman, with the best friend of my wife? And then bring her here, letting my wife care for her?!'

'For one second I really thought so,' Hermione admitted.

'But why did you meet her in secret, then? Why not tell Luna and Malfoy about it?' Ron asked.

Everybody watched Harry as he tried to find an answer for them.

'Luna always knew. She was with us most of the time.'

'She was what?!' Ron asked, flabbergasted.

'Ron, you pig, it's not what you think!' Harry said, annoyed.

'Why did mum keep it a secret?' David asked. 'Why not tell father?'

'Because it was something your father would not easily have agreed with,' Harry said carefully.

'Harry, come on, tell us!' Hermione demanded, sounding worried.

'Yeah, what is this all about?' Ron asked, confused.

Harry looked at his hands. He seemed to feel uncomfortable.

'It was a stupid idea,' he said, more to himself then to the others.

He stood up and went to the tall French windows of the living room. Watching Ron and Hermione's children playing in the pool, he thought about the whole idea that he, Luna and Ginny had made up. He couldn't explain it to David and Diana. They wouldn't understand, and even if they did, they'd spill it out to Malfoy. It would make everything worse for Ginny's marriage. Malfoy would be furious and even less reasonable. No, that wasn't the right way.

'I can't tell you. It's something personal, but I swear it's not about sex or something like that.'

Hermione looked still worried but nodded.

'All right, mate,' Ron said, not sure what was going on.

Harry studied the expressions of the twins.

Diana looked confused, and David seemed to not quite believe what Harry had said.

'So... so what are we going to do about it?' Hermione tried to break the uncomfortable silence.

Harry rubbed his neck.

'I think, perhaps mum should tell dad about this secret. Then he'll understand,' Diana suggested.

'Your mother wants to make a difference between the two subjects. She thinks her husband should trust her without proof for her faithfulness. That's what trust is about,' Harry said.

'And Malfoy probably won't do that. He thinks he has a proof for her unfaithfulness,' Hermione said.

'Exactly. And there's the problem. That's what Ginny can't see,' Harry agreed.

'I think I understand.' David suddenly said. 'Father will never make the first step, if mum does not tell him about this secret. He'll go on thinking she cheated on him, and mum won't come home. But if mum makes the first step and tells him the secret, she'll never really know if he trusts her, so she won't make the first step, either.'

Harry nodded, still standing at the window.

Hermione held onto her cup of tea and stared at the table. She was obviously thinking very hard.

'That means, if we want them to trust each other again,' Diana said, 'we must convince dad that she would never cheat on him and that he has to trust her.'

'What if we put them in a room and locked it?' Ron asked.

'It would get worse!' David said.

'We already considered that.' Diana nodded.

'You are right, they are too stubborn and too bad tempered,' Harry agreed.

'What about a Polyjuicepotion?!' Ron suggested.

Everybody looked at him.

'Okay, okay, it was just an idea!' Ron said and put up his hands defensively.

Hermione sighed and put down her tea.

'You know that it needs a month to make it and we don't have time. And it wouldn't be right to make up something just to bring them together again. It wouldn't last. They'd argue again, sooner or later. But I have another idea... It would be illegal, and it could go horribly wrong for the two of them but...' Hermione made a dramatic pause.

''Mione! Spill it out, we know your ideas!' Ron said and rolled his eyes at his wife.

'What about Veritaserum?' Hermione asked.