Passing the Differences

Passing the Differences

Chapter one

"He's in Azkaban, Gin. He isn't going to take me or Lia, or any of our kids now!"

"He's very clever, you know that. Besides, I suspect that not all of his Death Eater pals are in Azkaban. Snape isn't."

He let out a sigh.

"Look. Snape came back from the Dark side. He's working beside people like McGonagall and Dumbledore. He has Dumbledore's trust. You know he isn't bad, you staid with him many summers at my cousin's house. And before you say that my dad isn't in Azkaban, I'll remind you that he's in the ward for the Criminally Insane in St. Mungo's." He snorted and muttered disgustedly, "Bloody git thinks he's Voldemort, since the real Voldy is 'indisposed'."

Ginny and Draco were at it again, Draco trying to go back to civilisation, while Ginny did her best to keep them hidden. This had been going on for several days since they were informed that Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy were locked up, hopefully, for good. They had been fighting for ovtwenty minutes now and it appeared as if Draco would win.

"Dumbledore's said he thinks it's safe - you always trust him! You trusted him when he said we don't need to run, you trusted him to be our secret-keeper. Trust him now, and trust me - I am your husband after all."

Draco leant back against the kitchen door looking like he had won the House and Quidditch cup all at once, while Ginny attacked the dough she was kneading with renewed vigour. She was not terribly worried about going home, as in England - in fact, she dreamt of it often. It was going home to her parents and brothers, after all these years that terrified her more than anything else. Her hands were beginning to cramp up from the strenuous kneading but her mind was elsewhere, cast back to the age of 19.

She and Draco had eloped. The romantic idea of that word almost made her laugh bitterly. There had been no romance in their escape from her furious family - particularly her brothers - and being on the run from Voldemort and Lucius left no time for love, let alone romance. She and Draco had clung to each other in fear that they would be driven apart, but the stress, tension, and fear had separated them even further. It was only their daughter, then only a baby, who kept them together. But, of course, Ginny remembered cynically, Voldemort being the evil overlord that he was decided he would have to kill their daughter to gain more power. She shook her head at these thoughts and almost laughed. Really, as far as plans go, it wouldn't have been very successful in bringing him more power - fortunately, he hadn't succeeded.

Draco had taken up pacing across the kitchen and Ginny averted her eyes, not wanting to see him so frustrated. She carelessly tossed the dough into a bowl and said angrily, "Well, where are we going to stay? I doubt any of my brothers will let us stay with them, least of all Ron. My parents won't have much room in the Burrow, what with all the nieces and nephews I assume we have now. And don't even think of mentioning Harry 'cause that would never work and I'd feel terrible. Poor thing's only just got Voldy back in a secured cell in Azkaban, for the fifth time, I might add!"

Draco crossed his arms and scowled slightly; she had him there, and he had to agree, though he would never admit that she was right. He fought down the childish urge to sulk and persisted.

"Well why don't we go visit your parents, they aren't going to turn you away are they? It's not as if we're going to stay there forever. If we stay there one night - two at the most - I'll have enough time to look for a house. You want the kids to go to Hogwarts, don't you? Lia will only be there one last year, and Dominic is... fifteen? I can never tell anymore, he's always changing it when I ask him - seven, twenty-six, seventeen..."

Ginny nodded, mumbling that he was fifteen, still in not so happy with the idea but starting to see how it made sense. Of course, just because it was logical, didn't mean that she would have to be forced to face her family, who, admittedly, had probably mellowed out over the years, but were still homicidal. She ceased her kneading and looked up at her husband exasperatedly, gesticulating in the air with wild hands as sheried to find the words. "I just... my family... I can't..."

He stopped pacing and turned towards the window where it a light drizzle was leaving droplets of water on the window and reflecting light throughout the kitchen. "I really want to go back home, Gin," he said softly. "Just.... think about it... the kids should go to Hogwarts."

She watched him as he stood there, motionless, his posture troubled and weary. After a while, she said slowly, "Well, Dominic'll have three years and it's perfect for him and Lia - they can both do their O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts at school instead of us teaching them, with the occasional visit from Dumbledore." She laughed weakly. "I mean, remember the catastrophe of Lia's O.W.Ls!"

He laughed with her, half-heartedly. "Yeah, when Lia accidentally turned the examiner into an overgrown bat during the transfiguration exam -"

"- And the library smelled like dung for a week," Ginny finished, remembering how the disgruntled examiner had left their home only after she had had a go at Draco's liquor cabinet and downed half a bottle of Fire Whiskey. Their laughter trailed off and her mind was cast back to Hogwarts where Lia should have had her exam.

"It's even better for Daisy; she's eleven so she can be sorted with the rest of her year," Draco put in. With a smirk he added, "Hopefully one of them can be a Slytherin..."

The idea warmed to Ginny and she felt her resistance crumbling as she nodded in agreement. Draco tried his best not to smirk with triumph and walked over to Ginny, who looked extremely put out and miserable even with the slight glint of hope in her eyes. He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, knowing he had won this argument and walked off to his study to prepare for their move.

"I guess we're going back to the Burrow, then," Ginny mumbled.

* * *

Ginny called up to her husband and kids for dinner.. Sudden thumps and a shaking staircase told her that her eager husband and all three of children were stampeding to the kitchen. It always made Ginlaugh when Draco acted like a child at the sound of dinner.

As Ginny sat down to dinner, she looked over her family. There was Amelia (Lia) who had long strawberry-blonde hair, tied up in a bun, with piercing blue eyes, like her mother. Draco had always been pleased to see that Lia could do the Malfoy sneer perfectly.. Then there was Dominic, Draco's very own mini-me: white-blond hair, usually spiked, with sharp grey eyes and a cocky attitude. Last, was the spirited Daisy, the youngest of the three, with wavy auburn hair and hazel eyes, much like her Uncle Ron, although she didn't know it.

She smiled at her children, then looked at her husband, eating in his usual dignified way. He had obviously grown into his looks since his first year at Hogwarts: his hair was not slicked back anymore, which made it fall into his face in a rugged manner that was damned sexy. His eyes didn't look so sharp and cold as they had when he was younger; they were calmer now, like a subsiding storm, and had acquired a mercury hue, compared to the dull flint they were whhe was young. He had acquired a cheeky grin but the old Malfoy cockiness occasionally shone through, prompting her to fondly call him Malfoy - or Ferret - which always managed to get an amusing expression of annoyance out of him. He wasn't as lanky as he once was at Hogwarts; he was broader in the shoulder's now and his rigorous Quidditch training, as seeker had given him a lithe and muscular physique that he put to great use when they were alone...

"I know I'm dead sexy but stop staring at me, Weasley, you naughty wench," Draco said teasingly, kicking her softly from under the round table.

Ginny just grinned and finished her meal.

By desert Draco was giving her his 'Tell them' look, so she sighed, leaving the rest of her apple pie, courtesy of their house-elf, Adminta.

"Kids, we have some exciting news-"

"We're getting a dog?" Daisy squealed jumping up and down, knocking over her milk.

Draco rolled his eyes and cleaned it up with a wave of his wand, while Ginny carried on, "No, we're, erm, well... We're going to go back to England. We'll see my family, and you're going to Hogwarts."

Ginny and her husband waited anxiously for some reaction, but the kids merely looked gob smacked. Draco, being the impatient man that he was, was just about to explain further, when suddenly the girls got up squealing.

"Does this mean we have to go shopping?" Dom groaned, who hated shopping and all things girly. Despite his groaning, though, Ginny could tell he was excited - just like his father, it was difficult to get a real show of emotion out of him - she was glad, however, that he did not follow suit of the girls and jump up squealing. Her poor ear drums had already been harassed enough.

"Yes, but it does mean that we'll be moving, so tomorrow, we are going to start packing," Draco said leaning his head in his hand. He hated packing.

"What about Professor Dumbledore? He's coming to do a lesson with me and Dom tomorrow," Lia asked.

"Well, we need to tell him anyway." Ginny beamed at her children as the girls ran out of the room, with her son trudging slowly after them.

Draco watched them wryly and heaved a sigh of relief. "Well that went well, Gin."

* * *

The next morning, Ginny woke up and groggily watched Draco storming out of the bed to find out what all the noise was about.

"Draco, let me go, besides, they'll see your-." Draco stopped, his left forearm twitching slightly and quickly got back into bed. Ginny caught a rare and brief glance at the offending mark before he hid it under the covers. Kissing him on the cheek, she got out of bed, tugging at her little blue nightgown.

She groaned and put a hand to her head when she saw the commotion. "What are you doing?" Ginny shouted at Daisy, Lia and Dominic. "It's six in the morning, I have a headache, and you almost got your father out here, and I am not going to be peeling you off the ceiling and walls! Why can't you be like normal children and have to be pulled out of bed?"

"Because you do the sleeping in for us?" Dom suggested cheekily.

"We were packing, Mummy..." Daisy squeaked, looking slightly pink. As if to prove Daisy's statement, Lia pointed to the three boxes they had already done.

"Can't you do it when we're relatively conscious, and have had breakfast? Why don't you go out into the back garden and play a game of quidditch?"

They all nodded at their mum and ran out of the room.

When Ginny got back into bed, Draco burst out into laughter.

"What's so funny?" she grumbled.

"I'm not the one that makes them stick to the ceiling, hon."

Ginny grumbled and turned her back on Draco.

He stopped laughing and snuggled up to her.

"You know I love you really, Ginny. Even if you do have a horrible weasel like brother."

"Which one?" Ginny grinned, snuggling against him and kissing his forehead, which led to more kisses, and more touches, until Draco closed the door so the two could have some more privacy.

***

When Draco and Ginny finally got up, after having to fix Daisy's grazed knee and stop Lia attacking Dominic for kicking her, they started to plan how they were going to sort out the packing.

"Why don't I help Dom in his room, and you help the girls?" yawned Draco; sticking on a black shirt, over his firm, hairless chest, which made Ginny feel like pulling him back into their room for some more privacy.

"So, I have to do our room, and their two rooms? A little unfair don't you think? How about you do our room and Dom's room, I'll do their rooms, then we'll all do downstairs and the bathrooms?" Ginny said, struggling to do up some tight jeans.

Draco sniggered evilly at her plight and gave her an affectionate peck on thheek. "Hmm, okay, deal."

When they got downstairs, Adminta had already done the kitchen. "I have done the kitchen, and I is now on the living room, missus and sir." She beamed, curtseying to them both.

"Great, thank you, Adminta!" Ginny smiled, stroking Adminta's potato shaped head.

Adminta was a very young house-elf that they had gotten from an old man, whose house-elf had given birth. Draco always insisted that you had to be firm with the house-elves, but Ginny treated them like any normal, human servant. Her mother had always toler house elves grew out of cabbages and she giggled as she thought back to Draco and their morning.

Once the elf had gone off into the living room, Draco grabbed Ginny's hand, and they both went to look for the children.

By eleven o'clock, all the children were either learning potions, courtesy of Draco, or their eight times tables; Ginny loved these.

Dumbledore arrived soon after to teach Lia and Dom Herbology as both Draco and Ginny were hopeless at the subject.

"Good morning, Mrs. Malfoy!" he chimed. He returned her embraced in a grandfatherly manner.

She pulled back, almost vibrating with excitement and said, "Hello Professor, Dumbledore! We have great news!" Ginny bounced.

"Calm down Ginny, you'll make him dizzy." Draco had arrived, grinning lazily. He nodded to Dumbledore, who nodded back. Ginny had always wished they could be as close to the old gentleman as Harry was - and she was truly fond of him - but neither she nor Draco could ever really open up to him. Draco, partly because he had been taught to hate and mistrust Dumbledore for the st part of his life, and Ginny because she rarely trusted people anymore.

"What's this great news then?" Dumbledore asked, genially.

"I finally got Ginny to agree to move back to England, and let the children go to Hogwarts."

"Oh, that's marvellous news! I can't wait to see your children at Hogwarts. I hope they are as excited as I am." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled and you could tell he was smiling under his silver beard. "Well, I guess we can skip today's lesson, then? Why don't I help you?" Before they could answer, he his wand a deft flick, several boxes appeared, and things were floating into them.

"Thank you ever so much. The children are in the living room learning potions and Daisy is learning her times tables. We'd be grateful if you could watch them for awhile - we just need to go and finish upstairs," Draco said, smiling.

By this time, Daisy had run up to Dumbledore and given him a huge hug, for he was the closest she ever had to a grandfather.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Ginny asked as Draco made his way up the stairs.

"That would be splendid," Dumbledore replied, as Daisy tugged him into the living room. "Have you got any sherbet lemons, by any chance? Some cockroach cluster? No? I'll settle for some animal crackers then."

~*~

Five hours and twenty boxes later, they had finished packing the small things, and Dumbledore had gone home.

Draco slumped the sofa, where Ginny collapsed on top of him and the kids sprawled on the floor in an exhausted heap.

"Tomorrow, we need to put all our furniture into storage in Hertigald's storage rental. Then we can take our suitcases and go and see my parents..." Ginny trailed off. Draco squeezed her shoulders and sent the kids to bed, Dominic and Lia complaining that they were older, as usual. By eleven, Draco and Ginny had made their way to bed and were sitting down, talking.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, they aren't exactly going to turn you away. You are their daughter. I'm the one most likely to get thrown out - that, or end up six feet under," Draco sighed.

"They won't, they may not like your family but they aren't heartless." She snuggled up against him, stroking his left arm, which twitched every time she touched it.

"The Mark isn't going to go away, and my touching it isn't going to kill me or you," she said softly. "That Dark Mark burned into your skin... it's a reminder of what you were. The kids and I are a reminder of what you are." She kissed it, feeling the muscles in his arm tense up. "So, lighten up," she chided gently, nudging him in the chest.

"It's just..." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and struggled to find the right words. "Why was I so stupid? Following Voldemort, joining his Death Eaters and now I'm in hiding because of it. Putting my wife and children in danger..."

Ginny put a slender finger to his lips, silencing him quickly.

"We won't be in hiding tomorrow, and you were misguided by your bastard of a father, so stop blaming yourself, goddamn it!"

Before he could argue, she moved up from his shoulder and kissed him. By the time their fervent kiss ended, he had forgotten what he was going to say, which is what he always said was odd about her kisses.

"Mmh... I love your corny speeches... particularly when they end like this," Draco mumbled contentedly, which earned him small punch in the stomach and a big kiss on the lips.

* * *

The next morning, Ginny woke up to find herself alone in a cold bed and to see everything in the room trembling slightly from her children's wild antics downstairs. She squinted sleepily at the clock on her bedside table and groaned - half past ten. She swore loudly and ran down the stairs, her dressing gown flapping behind her, almost colliding with Draco.