Sweet Bondage

Chapter 8: Twin Surprise

Ginny sat with her hands on her lap, her head down as she listened to her brothers' ranting. It was nearing noon, and they had been at it going on three hours now. She had spent the night at St. Mungo's, for observation, and Healer Johnson had only signed her discharge orders at eight the following day. The owl she had sent her mother informing her she had been cleared to go home was more than efficient as only fifteen minutes later, Molly Weasley came by to take her home. Colin had offered to come with them to the Burrow to face her siblings but she had refused his offer, knowing her brothers' unreasonable tempers would want an outlet for their anger and disappointment and Colin , being the only non-family around would be the likeliest object of their wrath. She needed Colin alive, not dead.

She glanced up as Bill abruptly stopped in front of her, his chest puffing out in anger. Unbelievably, she couldn't stop her mind from wandering as she remembered a Muggle fairytale her father used to tell her when she was a little girl. As she watched Bill huff and puff in front of her, the picture of a wolf huffing and puffing to try and get to the pigs inside the hut came vividly into her head and she did the worst things she could possibly have done that instant: she giggled.

Bill's eyes flashed dangerously as he watched his sister laughing. "You think this is funny? You think you getting pregnant is a laughing matter?"

Ginny tried to control her giggling but it was no use, her treacherous imagination would not give her a moment's reprieve. "I'm sorry, Bill, I wasn't laughing at you, or at this mess I'm in. Honestly." She giggled some more.

"Can you believe this? Can you believe her?" Bill exploded as he shook an arm in her direction. "Here we all are, struggling to make sense out of what happened and the very object of this little get-together couldn't even be bothered to take the situation seriously!" His eyes stared down at his youngest sibling, all the disappointment and hurt clear for anybody to see. "You used to be so smart, Gin, what happened to you? How could you let this happen to you?"

"That is enough, William," Mrs. Weasley said sharply when she saw that Ginny was about to turn into a weeping mess once again. "It is not for us to condemn Ginny for getting pregnant. There is nothing we can do to change what happened now, it's done and over with. Let it go." Mrs. Weasley's tone said all too clearly that she did not want to be disobeyed.

"So when's the wedding then?" Charlie asked from his corner of the living room. He had been quiet since Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had dropped the bomb on them, listening to his other brothers' loud exclamations of denial at first, then promises of vengeance on the one who dared to touch their sister. He expected their reaction of course, having seen how they were so protective of Ginny. He himself felt anger towards the bloke; but what truly amazed him was the rage Bill was displaying now. Out of all of them, he was the last person who should judge Ginny.

Bill was something of a legend around Hogwarts during his time, his sexual exploits well known and admired by the rest of the male population. He had been gifted with such a glib tongue that the witches had absolutely no chance once he set out to seduce them. It didn't hurt him, of course, that he was also quite good-looking and possessed with a body no one who was capable of getting O's in all his OWLs and acing the NEWTS should ever possess. To see him now, so worked up, was a thing to behold. If he didn't know any better, he could swear Bill was feeling guilty over Ginny's condition, but why he would feel that way he would have to talk to him to find out.

"There is going to be no wedding," Mrs. Weasley said firmly, looking at her husband pointedly.

Simultaneous shouts of 'what' reverberated around the cramped living room, making Ginny cringe in her seat. She knew the telling was going to be bad, and she knew she should have been subtler than just opening up her mouth and saying 'I'm having a baby' to them and then leaving it up to her mother to explain, but for once her wit had deserted her. These were her brothers after all, and didn't men have a one-track mind? Of course the wheels in their brains would start spinning and once they did, all they'd probably come up with would be that she'd have to have been having sex in order for her to have gotten pregnant and the thought of discussing sex with them, however vaguely, just wasn't exactly appealing.

"Of course she's getting married," Percy said pompously, as though the idea of not getting married with a baby on the way was ludicrous. "She can't get rid of the baby, there's only a very small window of opportunity for that, and she can't have it alone, she doesn't even have a real job. She has to marry the bloke that got her into this mess."

Ginny's chin rose defiantly. To heck with looking guilty, this was her life they were talking about! "I'm sorry you think the only choice a woman has when she gets knocked up is marriage, Percy, but I have to disabuse you of the notion that I have to marry the father of my baby. Because I won't. And nobody is getting rid of my baby either, least of all me. I am having this baby; I alone will take care of my baby. I don't care what you all think of me because of this, and I won't take it against you if none of you will ever speak to me again, but I'm a grown woman who can make up her own mind, and my mind is made up."

Six stunned faces were gaping at her like fishes out of water. Hearing their sister talk so forcefully to them was a surprise. Sure, when she was younger she was a hellion in her own right, not as much of a troublemaker as the twins were, but she could hold her own to them. She didn't quibble about letting you know her opinion about things and was always trigger happy with her wand. But all of her previous stubbornness was all about petty, inconsequential things, something easy to give in to since they were not harmful and were sure to please her. Staunchly refusing marriage was not trivial, however, and her tone clearly suggested that she was very serious about her decision.

"If you had no intention of marrying then why the heck did you let yourself get knocked up?" Ron asked furiously, his face red.

Ginny sighed in frustration. "I didn't let myself get knocked up, Ronald, it just happened. Did you think I wanted to get pregnant? Because I assure you, it was the last thing on my mind at that moment." She watched as Ron's face turned redder as her answer registered on him and she shook her head. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Ron, it only happened once. You don't have to look at me as though I make a habit of shagging some boy every chance I get."

"Who is it then? You never did tell us who this fellow was who couldn't keep his pants closed," Fred demanded. He looked at his twin as an evil grin touched the corner of his lips. "I'd like to introduce him to Mr. Smiley and see how he likes touching what he shouldn't be touching."

"And what? Have you setting Mr. Smiley on him?" Ginny shuddered. She didn't even know who or what Mr. Smiley was, but anything that could put that smile on the twins' face could not be good. "No thanks. I like him just the way he is, thank you."

"If you truly liked him, then why won't you let me arrange the marriage?" Arthur Weasley piped in and Ginny barely controlled the urge to groan in despair.

"I've already explained to you, Arthur, don't let's get into this now. You promised that you wouldn't be pushing Ginny into changing her mind," Mrs. Weasley said to her husband.

"But Molly - "

"No buts, Arthur, leave Ginny alone. You of all people should understand her decision. It's not so different to what we had to go through ourselves and I will not have you conveniently forgetting about it just because it's happening to your daughter now." She fixed her children with a frosty glare. "I understand that you all feel impotent for having failed to look after your sister, but there is no need for that. Everything happens for a reason." Her eyes softened as it settled on Ginny. "Your sister needs you; is your anger so great that you are ready to abandon her now when she needs you the most?"

They all fell into uncomfortable silence, digesting what the Weasley matriarch said. She had been right; even though it wasn't said out loud, they all thought they had failed to protect their sister. They had been guilt-stricken with what had happened to her back in her first year at Hogwarts and were thankful that there hadn't been any lingering after effects with her exposure to something so evil. They had told themselves that there was no way they could have prevented Lucius Malfoy from slipping her that diary, and her from using it as the demands of school and being away from England was something that took up most of their time. These excuses, however, no longer hold true; they were all out of school, Bill had requested a transfer from Gringotts and now had a flat in London, while Charlie had made it a habit to drop by at the Burrow everyday after a long day taking care of dragons in Bulgaria. Fred, George and Ron spent more and more time at their respective jobs but still lived at the Burrow, their mother wouldn't have it any other way. They hated to say it, but they hadn't felt it necessary to keep watch over their sister since they knew for a fact that she didn't have a boyfriend, hadn't had a boyfriend since Dean Thomas. It came as a blow that because of their neglect, someone had seen to it that they were going to regret their complacency.

It was Charlie who broke the oppressive silence; he left his corner and walked over to Ginny, sitting down beside her and taking her into his arms.

"I'm sorry Gin," he whispered, "for being a complete git and ignoring how you must be feeling." He pulled away to look at her more closely. "I got so caught up with the news of the baby that I forgot you were my sister first above all else. Your happiness comes first and foremost and I'm sorry if my denseness made you feel bad."

Ginny hugged her brother back. "It's okay Charlie, I don't blame you really, any one of you. I'd be angry too if I were in your place." She smiled tremulously at him as he wiped a wayward tear from her face. "I just hate to be the cause of dissension in our family, I could never live with myself if that'll happen."

Simultaneous reassurances rang from everyone in the room, the previous discourse forgotten as they all assured Ginny that nothing she could ever do would make them turn their back on her. She was humbled by their loyalty to her; even Ron, who was the worst when it comes to the idea of his sister and dating in the same sentence, assured her that he would be there for her should she need him for anything. She had never felt more grateful than that moment for belonging to such a loving and devoted family and even if it took her forever, she would be making amends for regretting even for one moment that she bore the name Weasley.

Molly Weasley looked at her children, huddled together, and felt justified once again for the choices she made more than 25 years ago. She looked up as her husband came over and stood by her side, drawing her into his arms as he too looked over the family they had managed to create together.

"Thank you."

Arthur was surprised and confused by his wife's quiet expression of gratitude. "For what?"

"For being who you are; for loving me, for giving me a choice, and for not giving up on me. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if you hadn't made me see what I would be missing." She snuggled into his arms and sighed contentedly.

"I think I have a good idea, Molly," Arthur said, giving her a kiss on her still bright red hair as they looked over their children, "I think I have a very good idea."

Seven young people were too engrossed in their reconciliation to notice their parents. As all six boys converged on Ginny, she could not help but feel that everything was going to be all right after all; she had her family, and that was all she would ever need.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Nice night, isn't it," Charlie said quietly as he stood beside his brother, looking up at the clear night sky.

Bill nodded without bothering to turn and acknowledge his brother's presence. It had been a difficult night and he had been too worked up to feel the pull of sleep. Instead of tossing and turning on his bed, he had gone out and had done some soul searching, something he had never done before, or ever felt the need to.

"So." Charlie picked a piece of rock and flung it past the wooden fence of the Burrow's yard. "Wanna tell me what it was all about back there earlier?"

Bill didn't even blink and Charlie admired that about his brother, his stoicism. He had waited all afternoon and the better part of the night to talk to him. After the rather eventful day in the Burrow, they had all decided to spend the rest of the day together; how ironic that it would take devastating news to get them together in one place. It was clear to see on their parents' faces that they were happy to see all the Weasley children united in such a way and to some degree, Ginny's pregnancy had a lot to do with that; the other reason was unspoken, but they all knew they were one in planning to maim and dismember the unfortunate fellow who didn't know any better than to lay their finger on the lone Weasley female.

But through the afternoon's happy reunion, Charlie could not help noticing that Bill didn't seem to be sharing in their lightheartedness. He was cool and rather stilted; he would look at Ginny with sad and regretful eyes and was more apt to stay away from their company. This was not ordinary behavior for Bill Weasley, the suave and articulate oldest child among the Weasley brood. And he was truly worried for his brother. In any other family, sibling rivalry would have been the norm, especially if the children were so close in age to the other, and truth be told, Charlie had a lot to be envious about with Bill. But they were Weasleys, and to hear it said in the world where they live in, they were a weird lot. Proof is in the fact that Charlie, despite there being only two years difference in their age, looked up to Bill and took pride in his achievements. He was his big brother, and to borrow one of Fred's oft repeated mockery of their stalwart brother, Bill Weasley was a prince among men and never you doubt it. And yet tonight, for the first time in his 26 years, he saw his brother not as the indefatigable man he was, but one who was vulnerable and lost, and he didn't like how it made him feel.

"Ginny's news was a shock. I was angry. End of discussion." Bill's voice was cool and collected, practiced.

Charlie shook his head as he picked up another rock and examined it absentmindedly. "No, it was more than that. Your reaction was too extreme, not like you at all. It was almost as though you blamed yourself for what happened?" He threw the rock as hard as he could past the fence. "The only question is: why?"

Bill's face tightened. "Drop it, Charlie," he warned, his tone low but dangerous, his body tightly coiled as if ready to spring.

Charlie eyed him shrewdly and came to the conclusion that his first impression was correct. "No. I don't know about you Bill, but none of us is at fault here. Heck, we shouldn't even think of this as a problem." He ran weary hands through his hair and sighed. "Okay, maybe this is a problem, but we can get through this. It's not healthy to go around carrying guilt for something that basically had nothing to do with you. Ginny is a big girl, she might not have known exactly what it was she was letting herself in for but at the end of the day, it's her life, her choices."

"Damn it, Charlie!" Bill exploded, his hands balled into fists by his sides. "You don't understand! You don't know what's going through my head right now and as much as I love having you for a brother, there are things about me that will make you not want to be related to me."

"Bollocks!" Charlie scoffed. "I'm only two years behind you Bill, I was there for most of your years at school and I don't see what you have to be feeling so guilty about. Just because you spent more time away doesn't officially make you the black sheep of the family."

"I'm him, all right, the bastard who did that to Ginny, that's me!" Bill said through clenched teeth.

Charlie's brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you on about?"

Bill marched over to the fence and rested his tense hands on the vine covered wooden spikes. He took several deep breaths as he hang his head, his eyes closed as he attempted to shut out the memory of his sister looking so miserable.

"Bill?" Charlie called to him hesitantly, starting to fear that there was more to Bill's guilt than he had at first thought.

"The bloke who did that to Ginny," Bill started to say in a quiet voice, "I'm just like him, Charlie, I'm no better than him." He started to shake in his fury, whether at the faceless seducer or at himself, Charlie didn't know. "All this time, I took what I wanted, took what was offered, and never bothered to look back. I always tell myself that it wasn't my fault, that they were the ones who initiated it. But what if I was wrong? What if somewhere along the way, I hurt someone as much as Ginny's hurting now?" He looked at his brother with sad, helpless eyes. "What if this is fate's way of getting back at me? Of getting me to see, and feel, just what it's like to be left behind? What if this is all my fault?"

Charlie's eyes had widened in understanding as soon as Bill had started speaking. Merlin help him, this was the last thing he expected to hear from Bill Weasley, the voice of reason in the Weasley household.

"Don't go there Bill, don't go comparing yourself to that bastard," Charlie implored hotly.

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked harshly.

"Because I know you damn it! You'll never just abandon anyone who needs you! That's the kind of person you are. Just because you had your fair share of women throwing themselves at you doesn't make you a bad person. Merlin! Any normal man would kill to have half your luck; it doesn't make them a fucking bastard. Does it make me?"

Bill's eyes locked with Charlie's; he had never thought his brother had ever felt like that towards him and after the way he had been castigating himself, he didn't quite know how to deal with his revelation.

"C'mon Bill, just let it go," Charlie said wearily. "Ginny wouldn't want you feeling this way, she'd only feel more guilty if she knew. Do you really want that?"

Bill looked away. "I don't know how, I can't even look at her. How sad is that?"

"Try," Charlie said simply. "Now come on. It's late, you wouldn't want Mum coming out and finding you out here, would you?"

"In a minute, I just need some time alone," he answered quietly.

Charlie sighed. "Fine. But don't you go crying now, you don't want your image ruined more than it already has been in my book."

Bill cracked a smile at Charlie's impudence. "Shut it, you wanker. Now go, before I decide to whip your arse into oblivion."

"Yeah? You and what army?" he threw at him cockily before sprinting inside the Burrow, avoiding Bill's playful punch as he called out to him not to stay out long.

Bill stuffed his hands in his pockets as he stared into the inky blackness of night. Charlie was right; he had to sort himself out if he hoped to be of any help to his sister. He had already failed her once, he wouldn't be so remiss in his duties as her brother again in the future.

With one last sigh, he followed on his brothers' heels.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why you've waited this long to visit a Med-Witch I will never understand," Mrs. Weasley grumbled as she helped Ginny sit down on one of the plastic seats in St. Mungo's waiting area. "I kept telling you to have yourself checked out more than a month ago but no, you just kept on using the same excuse that it's too early. Now look at you!" She looked pointedly at her daughter's rounded abdomen. "You look like you swallowed one of Hagrid's giant pumpkins. And you're only three months along!"

Ginny rolled her eyes at her mother's exaggerated description of her advancing pregnancy. True, she was bigger than she had at first thought women in their third month of pregnancy were but she wasn't that huge!

"Mum, Healer Johnson assured me when I was here last that the baby was fine. What would be the point of coming in three weeks later just to be told the same thing?"

"Healer Johnson does not specialize in obstetrics, that's the point," Mrs. Weasley said reasonably as she settled comfortably in her chair beside her daughter. "She couldn't even tell you the sex of the baby. Why? Because she didn't know the proper spells for it, that's why."

"Mum, I don't care about the sex; as long as my baby's healthy, that's all that matters to me." She shook her head in amusement when her mother just harrumphed at her. It was hard saying no to Molly Weasley when she had her mind set on something. Trying it was almost an exercise in futility; how she managed to put her foot down on her demand she would always wonder about.

They only waited a few minutes before she heard her name being called, and together with her mother, proceeded to the room indicated by the receptionist. Healer Candace Forsythe on a brass plaque didn't tell her very much about the person that was going to assist her throughout her pregnancy, but since her short stint as a Healer trainee didn't give her enough time to get to know the resident specialists at St. Mungo's, she had no alternative but to settle for what was available.

A tall, willowy brunette dressed in white robes with an easy smile and warm blue eyes greeted them as they passed through the door. Ginny mentally sighed in relief as she felt positive energies emanating from her assigned Med-Witch.

"Ms. Weasley," the Med-Witch said in a friendly voice as she looked over her notes, "I see this is your first visit and you're well into your 12^th week of gestation. You should have come to see me sooner."

Ginny had a hard time resisting the urge to stick out her tongue at her mother who was sporting an 'I-told-you-so' look.

"Never mind that now, let's have a look at you. Why don't you change behind that screen and sit over here when you're ready." She pointed to a closed in quarter and Ginny immediately complied, changing from her sleeveless empire style dress that concealed her pregnancy to a white gown which tied at the back. Once finished, she came back out and proceeded to sit on a high and narrow examination table and waited for the Med-Witch to tell her what to do next.

"Okay. Lay down for me, please." When Ginny did so, she took out her wand and said an incantation she didn't catch she was too fascinated by the light rising from her abdominal area.

"Interesting," she murmured, a small smile hovering on her lips. Ginny looked at her mother and was surprised by the tears gathering in her eyes and the tremulous smile on her lips. She turned to look back at the Med-Witch as she uttered another incantation and the lights changed to another color. Her brows drew to a frown when the Med-Witch put away her wand and walked back to her worktable, telling her she could change again.

Bemused, Ginny did as she was bid and rejoined her mother, who was still looking rather emotional. Her eyes a study in confusion, she sat on the plush seats in front of the Med-Witch's desk, waiting for her mother to tell her what had brought such conflicting emotions to her face.

"Well, let me start by congratulating you, Ms. Weasley," Med-Witch Forsythe said, smiling at Ginny beautifully. "It isn't everyday that I get a patient such as yourself. I was beginning to despair that I would shortly have to find another specialization by the dwindling number of pregnancies in Great Britain. Now if I had more expectant mothers like yourself, it would be a whole different story altogether. Ah, I see you don't quite understand what I'm talking about." Her gaze darted over to the elder witch who was still in some form of shock. "Mrs. Weasley? Would you like to be the one to tell her?"

Ginny looked at her mother expectantly. "Mum?" She was surprised when the elder witch suddenly took her in her arms and embraced her tightly.

"Oh Gin, this is wonderful news, truly wonderful! I can't wait to tell your father you're having twins!"

Ginny stiffened in shock. Twins? What the bloody hell does she mean twins?

"Twins?" Ginny croaked in complete stupefaction.

Mrs. Weasley pulled back right away, her radiant smile almost blinding. "Yes! Twins! A boy and a girl! Am I right, Med-Witch Forsythe?"

"Quite so, Mrs. Weasley, and please just call me Candace, none of that Med-Witch stuff now, makes me feel positively ancient," she said candidly.

"Twins?" Ginny was having a hard time wrapping her mind around that fact. "Are you bloody kidding me? How could I possibly be having twins?"

"Ginevra!" Mrs. Weasley admonished. "How many times do I have to tell you not to swear? And no, it's not a joke, and not a surprise either; twins do run in our family."

Ginny was slowly beginning to hyperventilate. Merlin help her, when will this nightmare end?

Candace took pity on Ginny and tried to soothe her frazzled nerves. "You don't have anything to worry about Ms. Weasley, you're in perfect health, and so are your babies. If you're worried about the whole maternity issue, don't be. We have excellent programs for young mothers here at St. Mungo's which includes financial aid should you need it. You'll be well taken care of."

Ginny shook her head. "It's not the cost I'm worried about, money's not an issue with me." She pretended not to see the surprised look her mother threw her way. "It's just that I'm worried if I would be able to take care of two babies at once. What if I hurt one of them? What if I'm a terrible mother to them? I've never been a mother before, I'm not sure if I'd know what to do."

Candace nodded in understanding. "A reasonable concern and one which I have heard before. Don't worry, Ms. Weasley, every new mother learns to care for her babies as they go on from day to day. There's no manual you can refer to in case you're not sure of yourself. Learn to trust your instinct, it will never lead you astray." She wrote down something on a piece of parchment and handed it to her. "I want you to take supplements together with a proper meal, I'm sure your mother knows what I mean. You may be physically fit now, but it never hurts to take extra care. Don't overexert yourself; twin gestations are very unpredictable, we wouldn't want you going into earlier labor more than you have to. And I want to see you again in four weeks; I want to closely monitor your progress. I have a feeling your babies will be rather excitable and as such, I want to check their growth as often as possible. Okay?"

Ginny nodded as she stood and allowed herself to be ushered out the door of the Med-Witch's room. Her mother was talking a mile a minute in her giddiness and she tuned her out, too preoccupied with thoughts of the twins growing inside of her. Could she do it by herself? Could she really raise two kids without going batty? Fred and George were twin horrors as kids; she could clearly recall the many pranks they had visited on her and how she wished she could hex them back to where her parents had gotten them. What if her twins took after their uncles? Would she be able to cope with the trouble they'd come up with? Was she right in her decision not to inform Draco of his impending parenthood?

She was so deep into her musings that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and walked into a wall. At least, she thought it was a wall. Til it moved. And talked.

"Watch where you're going there, Miss - " The wall, er, person, trailed off when he saw who it was he had bumped into. " - Weasley."

Ginny blinked. Then paled. Lucius Malfoy. Here. In St. Mungo's. Of course. She really shouldn't be surprised; after all, whatever malevolent God who had it in for her surely wasn't satisfied yet with the shit she was currently buried in. Whatever offense she had done in a past life, she certainly hoped she had made that aggrieved someone as wretched as she was feeling now. Truly, payback was a bitch in stiletto heels.

Seemingly from a distance she heard her mother talk fast but all she could do was stare at the man before her. Draco Malfoy's father. Her unborn children's grandfather. She paled even more.

"You don't look well, Ms. Weasley," Lucius Malfoy drawled lazily, watching the young witch nearly resemble death.

"She's not feeling well, yes." Mrs. Weasley covered for her daughter quickly seeing as Ginny looked like she wasn't up to speaking coherently or otherwise. "We've just been to see a Medi-Witch and we're on our way home. So if you'll excuse us, Mr. Malfoy," Mrs. Weasley said hurriedly, practically pulling her daughter along.

"Mrs. Weasley, Ms. Weasley," Lucius said politely as he watched the two women scurry away.

Ginny looked back at the imposing form of the head of the Malfoy family, disbelief warring with fear on her face. Snapping out of her daze, she tugged on her arm until her mother turned to look at her inquiringly.

"Since when has Lucius Malfoy been civil to a Weasley, Mum? I'm finding it impossible to believe that was really him."

Molly Weasley gave her daughter a fleeting smile. "He's been quite tolerable after the war. You were still in Hogwarts then so you didn't really know. And I don't know what's gotten into him. Come to think of it, it was really quite a surprise when he suddenly did a turnaround and fought with our side to defeat the Dark Lord. Nobody dared question his motives, though, especially after Dumbledore staunchly backed him up. Whatever it was that made him turn, only Dumbledore and Lucius know."

They had reached the apparition point by now. "Do you want to go back to your flat right away or do you feel like going to Diagon Alley and do a bit of shopping first? The weather won't be this agreeable for awhile in the next few months."

Ginny smiled. If there was one thing she enjoyed more than anything, it was shopping. "Do you even need to ask?" And a second later, they both disappeared with a pop.

Lucius started for his destination again as soon as he saw mother and daughter disappear. His being here at St. Mungo's while they were here was no coincidence; it was time to have official proof of his future heirs.

He didn't bother consulting with the receptionist or knocking on the Med-Witch's door before he barged in; he practically owned the whole institution and the building it was operating in, there was no need for him to play nice.

The Med-Witch behind the desk looked up in surprise at the intrusion.

"I see news travel fast," Candace Forsythe said derisively as she sat back on her chair, looking over her forbidding visitor.

"I'm not here for a social call, Forsythe. You know what I want to hear."

Dark eyebrows rose in amusement. "Since when are you ever social, Lucius? And don't bother with the grim look, you know it doesn't work with me." She straightened her back again as she became all businesslike. "I don't know why you know so much about the young woman but yes, she is pregnant. Twins, I might add."

"Yes, yes, I know that already. Are they healthy? Do you think they'll come to term?"

Candace Forsythe regarded the anxious wizard before her. She had known Lucius a long time, she had grown up right next door to him and this was the first time he had shown real emotion; in public, anyway.

"Of course; the twins are very healthy, and rather well gifted. I was surprised at how much energy was emanating from such babies and at such an early stage of their development." She took note of the excited gleam in the blonde's eyes. "Tell me why you're so interested in these twins, Lucius, and I want to know the truth." She might be twenty years younger than him, but she was not someone to trifle with, Lucius had first hand knowledge of that.

Gray eyes flashed with joy at her. "You'd be interested too if it were your grandchildren, Candace, believe me." He smirked at the open-mouthed shock on the brunette's face before he turned and left in the same dramatic fashion he had come. Now, if only the next stage of his plan were to fall accordingly, he'd be a very happy wizard indeed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginny walked as hurriedly as she could through the halls of St. Mungo's, horribly late for her appointment with her Med-Witch. Drat Colin and his sorry piece of arse, she cursed inwardly, as she stood to the side while a Healer with a gaggle of trainees trailing behind him passed. Colin had forgotten her appointment with her Med-Witch and had commandeered her entire day for a photo shoot; she had only had enough time left to swing her bag at him in irritation before she took an emergency portkey that took her in front of the reception area at St. Mungo's.

As she took a left turn that would take her to the hallway where Med-Witch Forsythe's clinic were located, she nearly collided with a witch who was too engrossed looking through her bag to watch where she was going.

"Sorry, I - " Ginny forgot what she was about to say when she saw who it was standing before her.

The other witch looked up and for a moment, as Ginny saw the blankness in her eyes, she prayed to all her ancestors that she would continue not to recognize her. As those same beady eyes cleared when it registered to her who Ginny was, she knew it was all over for her.

"Ginevra Weasley! Lovely to see you!" Rita Skeeter's eyes roamed all over Ginny, from her upswept auburn hair, to her perfectly made up face, down to her light peach dress which clearly showed her advancing pregnancy. The gleam in her eye was something that Ginny knew bore unpleasantness for her. "My, my, have you been keeping something from the public, Ms. Weasley?" she asked nastily, her eyes fixed on Ginny's swollen abdomen.

"Excuse me, Ms. Skeeter," Ginny said dismissively as she tried to push past the horrible reporter; she only wished the hag would take the hint and leave her alone.

"Why the hurry, Ms. Weasley, surely you could spare an old friend a few moments of your time? I'm sure everyone would be fascinated to hear about your impending motherhood. I wasn't aware that you had wed; the invitation must have been lost in the mail."

"You're no friend of mine, Skeeter," Ginny said tightly, lengthening her stride as she neared the door to her Med-Witch's rooms.

"You wound me, Ms. Weasley," she said dramatically, her tone anything but. "We have been through so much; the least you could do is grant me an interview so the wizarding readers are apprised of the current developments in the lives of the heroes of the war."

Without giving a backward look at the reporter, Ginny entered the Med-Witch's room and shut the door on Rita Skeeter's face. As she faced her Med-Witch, she knew she hadn't seen the last of the vicious cow.

Her talk with Candace Forsythe was more of the same; she assured her that the twins were fine, she was in good form; she asked her some questions about her appetite and her activities and suggested some exercise she could take up to further insure she remain healthy.

Ginny nodded to all that the Med-Witch were saying, but her mind gravitated more to what awaited her outside her Med-Witch's doors. When it was time for her to go, she seriously considered just apparating from the clinic back to her flat but she knew it was not only impossible because of the wards put up around St. Mungo's, but it would also be very risky for her babies. She tried to appear as normal as she could when she bid Med-Witch Forsythe goodbye but she knew the older witch could see that she was unsettled. She quickly left the room to avoid another kind of questioning from her well-meaning Med-Witch.

As expected, Rita Skeeter was waiting for her outside and as soon as she spotted her quarry, she didn't waste any time and pounced right away.

"Ms. Weasley, would you mind telling the Daily Prophet which lucky wizard fathered the baby you're carrying? Why hasn't the public been informed that the daughter of the next Minister of Magic had married? Why all the secrecy?"

Ginny glared at the human parasite dogging her step. If only Hermione had reported this cow to the Ministry, maybe then the Wizarding world would be a lot less chaotic than it already was. She continued ignoring the harridan as she walked to the nearest fireplace where she could floo back to her flat, refusing to dignify her with an answer even when her line of questioning slowly turned from irritating to downright revolting. She quickly grabbed a fistful of floo powder and threw it at the grate, yelled her destination and quickly stepped into the fire, the malicious sneer on Rita Skeeter's face the last thing she saw before the swirling fire obscured her vision. Today was going to be the worst day of her life, she was positive of that.

As Rita Skeeter happily skipped to write up her story, two owls were immediately dispatched to two separate destinations. When the first owl was received by its intended, there was an immediate scramble for the suspension of the following day's edition of the Daily Prophet. The second owl was received with a great deal of anger and the poor bird flew away without bothering to receive a treat.

Lucius Malfoy's mind was starting to turn methodically again. The message he had just received was the worst piece of news he had ever gotten in his life, and once he had calmed down enough, he had immediately sent a missive to his son, asking him to come right away to the Head office of Malfoy Industries. He had to act quickly, or else everything he had worked for would be ruined.

As Lucius was contemplating how to properly wring one meddlesome reporter's neck, Draco walked through the door of his lavish office. Lucius immediately shot to his feet.

"Draco, I'm glad you could come so quickly. I have come to the conclusion that it is high time for you to learn how to handle an enterprise on your own. So I have decided to send you to France to oversee our branch office in Marseilles."

Draco frowned in confusion. "Why the sudden rush, father? I thought you didn't want me to do that until I reach my twenty first birthday."

Lucius impatiently waved his hand. "I have changed my mind. You are to leave today. There won't be a problem with your accommodation since the Chateau Malfoy has been prepared for any surprise visits. I'll have your things sent to you, you don't have to pack. Frederique is awaiting your arrival even as we speak."

Draco was still confused. "Did something go wrong with the operations in our French offices? I don't understand why it is imperative for me to go right now."

"Don't question me, Draco. Just go. I will come to check on you as soon as I am able. I'm sure there isn't anything here that is holding you back." It was a statement of fact, but underneath the casual comment, Lucius was hoping that his son would tell him otherwise.

Draco shook his head. "No, no there isn't. Very well, Father, I'll go to France as you requested. Will you tell mother I won't be seeing her this evening?"

Lucius nodded. "Of course. Now go, I have some important correspondence to attend to and I will be appeased only once I know that the French situation is being attended to. Go to Hilton and ask him for one of our emergency portkeys, I've already informed him that you'll be by today."

Draco nodded and turned to go to the apparition area of the Malfoy holdings where their transportation director offices were located.

Once the doors closed behind his son, Lucius sank back into his seat, his hands cradling his head. Thank Merlin Draco didn't bother looking into his demands that closely, he wasn't sure if he could come up with a better excuse had that been the case. There were only two things he had to do before he could feel complete relief. He sent out instructions to his curse maintenance crew and told them what he wanted done. After that was taken care of, he put on his cloak and prepared to apparate to the last place he knew he would be welcomed, but he had no other choice. Before he disapparated, the last thing he thought of was that he hoped he wouldn't be hexed before he could open his mouth.

The area he appeared in not a few seconds later was not something he particularly liked, nor ever wanted to visit. He walked through several potholes and overgrown bushes, not to mention that what seemed to be this house's garden was infested with gnomes.

When he knocked on the rickety door, he wondered if he would be too surprised if the door fell on his face as he was applying his knuckles to it. Luckily, it opened before that catastrophe could happen and he came face to face with the last person he ever wanted to see up close again.

"Arthur, we need to talk."