His Memories

His Memories

Chapter Four

Promises

Between a blurred sagacity
That once had power to sound him,
And Love, that will not let him be
The Judas that she found him,
Her pride assuages her almost,
As if it were alone the cost,--
He sees that he will not be lost,
And waits and looks around him.
~Eros Turannos by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Eighteen months later...

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Draco asked. Ginny smiled at the floating head of her fiancé surrounded by crackling orange-red flames in the fireplace.

"No, I've already taken the last of my things to the Burrow, and everything else I own is at the new house. I need to turn in my key to the landlord and I also have a few things to pick up at Diagon Alley. I'll see you at the Manor in a half an hour."

"A half hour," he said quickly, but it almost sounded like a question. His eyes seemed to dart around what ever room he was in on the other end of the Floo.

"Well, yes," she replied, giving him a quizzical glance. "Is everything all right? You seem a bit distracted."

"Er, oh that, there was a house elf in the room." His eyes returned to her and he forced a half smile. "Take your time."

"Sure. Well, I'll see you soon. Bye, love,"

"Oh, bye," he said looking distracted again.

"Draco," she snapped. "I love you."

His head snapped forward and he stoically replied, "I love you too, Virginia."

"That didn't sound sincere," she drawled.

Draco's expression lightened. "Would you like me to prove it?"

"Of course," she replied, just before his head disappeared from the fireplace.

Ginny stood there briefly, staring down at the fire. She could still see the outline of Draco's head in the flames for few seconds after he vanished. Grinning broadly at the prospect of him 'proving it,' she slowly made her way over to the window to look down onto the street where crowds of wizards were walking in and out of the shops on Diagon Alley. She would miss living in the middle of wizarding London.

At first she was apprehensive about moving away from home right out of school, leaving the familiar surroundings of the Burrow for a bustling city. For practical reasons, she conceded to moving into the small, high ceiling flat. Her apprenticeship was at Slug and Jiggers in Diagon Alley, and the thought of taking the Floo five days a week sickened her. Several months later, when she passed her test with the Department of Magical Transportation and obtained her license, she could have easily moved back to the Burrow and Apparated to London everyday. She could have, but didn't want to.

Draco, who was still living at Malfoy Manor, helped her with the rent, which allowed her to live over the Apothecary shop where she worked. It gave them privacy when they wanted it, and also meant that Ginny could stay away from the Manor. The less time she had to spend around Draco's father the better. She was certain he knew she witnessed Harry's murder, but he never mentioned it directly.

What will it be like when we are married? she thought, fingering the engagement ring on her finger.

Finally, Ginny turned and walked to the door. Her footsteps on the creaky wooden floor echoed in the small, but empty space. Just before she left the room, she extinguished the flames in the fireplace and shut the door behind her.

Ginny emerged onto Diagon Alley through a door sandwiched between Madam Malkin's and the shop where she worked. No sooner had she stepped onto the cobblestones was she accosted by one of the last people she was in the mood to tolerate.

"Ginny Weasley, how long has it been?"

Forcing a smile, Ginny straightened and slowly turned to face her old Hogwarts roommate Beth, who was waving exuberantly from two shops down. Six months, she thought, but apparently ages ago from Beth's perspective. She grumbled beneath her smile as she casually waved back at her hypocrite ex-housemate. Beth's loathing for the Slytherin House was rivaled only by her brother Ron, but two months after they left Hogwarts, she married Justin Baddock, a Slytherin who was four years older than her.

Ginny attended the wedding. Not because she was in the same house as the bride but because Draco's mother was Justin's second cousin. Suddenly Beth assumed she and Ginny were the best of friends, and insisted that they would be "just like sisters" once Ginny and Draco were married. Actually, Ginny was in no need of more siblings and was still trying to think of the best way to tell Beth that they were simply relatives by marriage.

The look on Beth's face as she walked toward Ginny could only mean one thing: she really wanted to brag about something and Ginny was the unfortunate soul who had to hear it.

"Beth, you're looking well," Ginny said, with no feeling. Actually, she did have one feeling: nausea. Beth ignored her tone.

"Thank you. Although-" she started.

Ginny signed inwardly, knowing what was about to come.

"I've been feeling ill, nothing serious. Nothing that won't be cleared up in another seven months." If it was possible, Beth was smiling even more than when she first approached Ginny. Of course Ginny knew what she meant, and out of courtesy, she smiled back, letting Beth say, "I'm having a baby," then proceeded to elaborate more than Ginny cared to hear. She barely had the opportunity to slip in a "congratulations" between a description of the nursery and several baby names she was thinking of.

"I know I still have a while, but I just can't get over this. I wanted to do it sooner, but Justin said we needed to wait until the loan from Gringotts came through and we could move into the house. You should see it. It's this beautiful brick two-family outside Edinburgh." Beth stopped briefly to catch her breath. "You and Draco should come up from Cardiff to visit after your wedding."

Ginny broke her streak of smiles and nods to shoot Beth a curious glance. "How did you know?"

"Oh," she said, her eyes darted left and right, as if she was searching for an explanation. "Justin mentioned it. When do you move in?"

"Most of our things are there, but we won't be living there until after the wedding,"

"Which is next month," Beth interrupted.

Ginny couldn't help but smile. She hadn't begun to feel nervous about the approaching date, but was fairly certain that once she was living at the Burrow again, her mother would go on and on about the details of the ceremony and reception. She would have no shortage of pixies fluttering around in her stomach then.

"Yes, that's right," was all Ginny said.

"Oh, you'll just love what we got you for a wedding present, but I won't spoil the surprise for you."

"Thank you." Ginny's face was beginning to ache from her forced pleasantries. The conversation she was having, while seemingly normal, was becoming tedious to Ginny. No sooner had Beth married Justin did she feel the need to owl or Floo Ginny at least once or twice a week. It was irritating, especially the suggestive way she spoke about Draco. The thought of it made her cringe: Beth, a married woman and someone she couldn't stand, subtly (but not really) making passes at Draco. The only reason Ginny never said anything before was because the letters had stopped coming six months ago and Beth all but dropped out of existence. Her little holiday certainly didn't change her personality, and she was still as annoying as ever.

"Well, I must be off. Justin will be home shortly and I want to be there waiting for him. Do tell Draco I say 'hello.'" Ginny gritted her teeth at the way Beth gave two syllables to the 'o' in 'hello' and merely nodded. "I'll have you to tea before the wedding if you can manage to slip away."

"That may not be possible," Ginny said. Ever, was what she wanted to tack on to the end of her sentence.

"Well then, owl me after the wedding," Beth said with a smile as she walked away.

Ginny sighed as she walked into the Apothecary to give the key to her flat to Agnes, the older witch who had owned the shop since 'before Muggles used otter-mobeels.' Ginny tried once to correct the witch with the proper pronunciation and received a lecture about respecting her elders, followed by the admission that she was a Muggle-born and had always enjoyed mispronouncing Muggle objects just because she could.

"My dear, you're certainly dressed up. Who's the lucky gentleman?"

Ginny laughed. Agnes knew perfectly well who but always managed to make small, pointless jokes about her slipping memory.

"Yes, well you just make sure he takes good care of you." The older woman smiled warmly at Ginny and took the key.

"Oh, I know he will," she said, making a mental note to ask Draco why he was distracted.

.~*~.

Draco turned his attention from the fireplace where Ginny's head disappeared to his father, who was still pacing casually through his study. His deep green robes swirled behind him with each turn. Draco would have found the pacing hypnotic had his mind not been whirling with the news his father had given him. It hit him like a Bludger to the stomach and it was all he could think of. Ginny knew he was distracted and would ask him about it later. The trouble was, he couldn't imagine a simple way to explain it to her.

Even after Voldemort returned, it didn't seem real that his fate had already been decided. Draco wanted nothing more than to take a job with the Ministry and raise a family. He could still have that, and would along with his service to Voldemort.

Draco had been raised with a strong sense of family pride, pride in pure wizarding blood, pride in what he could become if he applied himself. He'd been a prefect and head boy, the top student in his house, and would have been in the entire school had it not been for Granger. He was the seeker and captain of the team that took the Quidditch cup during his last three years at Hogwarts, and the house cup during his last year. He should be proud--he was--but now he had to face reality, his reality.

Without warning, Lucius stopped and turned to face his son.

"There is no yes or no, Draco. I did not ask you a question, I simply told you what will happen." Lucius' cheeks reddened, but he maintained his steadfast composure. "It would seem that I've been to easy on you."

Now it was Draco's turn to pace. What he wanted to say was 'How did you feel when you found out you'd be serving Voldemort?' but quickly squashed that thought when he realized he father probably sought out the dark wizard.

"You've always known this would happen."

Continuing to pace, Draco answered the question in his mind over and over before he finally spoke. Once he did, he regretted it. Then he cursed himself for regretting anything.

"That doesn't mean I wanted it to happen." It was quite possibly the worst thing he could have said to his father, along with 'I've turned you in; the Ministry Aurors are on their way.'

"How dare you presume any of this is your choice!" Lucius yelled. The words meant nothing to Draco. He could presume all he wanted, and he certainly didn't have to follow his father or the Dark Lord with unquestionable allegiance. Draco coldly stared back at his father, whose slate-gray eyes fell upon him as narrow slits of disdain. This was not the reaction Lucius was seeking. The line of his lips was so sharp he could have sliced a diamond in half.

"How long do I have?" Draco asked with absolutely no feeling.

"You see this as a death sentence, do you?"

"Yes," Draco replied before he could think about what his answer meant. "I mean no," he corrected himself.

"Keep up this indecision and it will be a death sentence."

"Father, " Draco said, adding just a little emotion to his tone. He could sense the familiar aggravation in his father's voice. "I believe that if I went into this without questioning your intentions, his intentions, and what is expected of me, that you would be disappointed in me."

Lucius interrupted with an incoherent outburst but Draco continued. Lucius would wait until the young man was finished with his diatribe to twist his words around, making him feel as though he was betraying his family by not accepting his fate among the Death Eaters. Draco was used to this.

"I am an adult, I can make my own decisions. I'm getting married, Virginia and I will start a family. If she wants to continue to work, she may; if she decides to keep her last name, she may. If--" Draco couldn't finish, because at that moment, Lucius exploded with more force than a botched potion.

"I will not stand for this!" Lucius said as he slammed his hand down on the oak desk. The sound reverberated through the high vaulted ceiling. "Have you learned nothing?" Draco could tell his father was going to enjoy this scolding.

"First off, never question the Dark Lords intentions. Second, never question my intentions. You may technically be an adult but you have yet to prove that you know how to bahave like one. If you succeed at your task, I may rethink this. But before that happens let her know you are in control because clearly she hasn't a clue."

Draco bit his lower lip to keep from snapping back at his father. Lucius saw this, sneered, and continued. "No self respecting Malfoy would let this happen, no self respecting pureblood would let this happen."

"She is a pureblood."

"I said self respecting," Lucius snapped. If Draco had been at his father's desk, he would have slammed his hand down.

"She has just as much self res--"

Lucius interrupted and continued as if Draco hadn't been trying to defend Virginia.

"I've tried to be patient and not interfere, but it seems I can't trust you to do anything on your own. You cannot let her walk all over you like this."

"I would hardly call this walking all over--" Draco's voice came across as quiet and expressionless against his father's. He tried to continue but Lucius drowned out his words. He seemed to be intent on not letting Draco finish any thoughts.

"Then what would you call it?" Lucius interrupted.

"It was a mutual decision, father," said Draco defensively.

"Indeed," Lucius drew his lips into a line. "It appears to be more mutual on her part."

There was a long silence broken only by the sound of Lucius crossing to the far side of the room. He purposefully plucked three books off the shelf, stirring up a halo of dust in the process.

Draco kept his feet planted but followed his father with his eyes. His fists were clenched at his sides and he could feel his manicured nails digging into his palms.

"Father, we've already decided that she'll keep her name," Draco said with conviction. His father spun on his heel and walked back to his desk. "The wedding is only two weeks away. We've already made the arrangements with the Ministry; she's keeping her name," Draco repeated for the sole purpose of further aggravating his father. He was successful.

"I will not allow this!" Lucius yelled; the anger in his voice peaked again.

"It's only a name," Draco said calmly.

"Yes, only a name," Lucius hissed. "And why anyone in their right mind would want to keep that name, I'll never know. This is perhaps the best thing that girl could have done and now she intends on wasting it? She'll soon realize you don't just throw the name Malfoy aside."

"That's not what's happening."

"Draco, you've lost all sense of family pride."

"I have not," Draco refuted, "and neither has she." He found it incredibly illogical that his father refused to see that any other family than the Malfoy's could have a sense of loyalty.

"Indeed," Lucius dropped the books on his desk, pulled out the green leather wing backed chair. As he sat, Draco turned to walk out the door.

"Where do you think you are going?" Lucius drawled, not showing any sign that their conversation had caused an increase in his blood pressure, though it had several times. "I'm not finished."

Draco accentuated his exhale to convey to his father how irritated he was. "What is it now? You clearly have other things you'd rather be doing."

"That is true, but I'm trying to talk some sense into you, boy," Lucius let out a frustrated sigh but it was muted by Draco's outburst.

"Don't call me that!"

"I'll call you what you deserve to be called. And right now, you're being an ungrateful, spineless twit." This was his father's favorite tactic, especially as Draco got older. If he couldn't talk some sense into his son, he resorted to belittling him. "You had better change your attitude in the next two months or I'll find someone else to do this."

"Two months?" Draco asked abruptly, his ears perking up at the mention of his deadline.

Without looking up from the book, Lucius replied. "Yes, after you are married and have produced an heir."

"What?" he said, indignant. "It takes more than two months, father."

"I should hope not." His father raised only his eyes to look at him, which made his expression wholly condescending. Draco's feeling of apprehension increased and his father picked up on this. "You've already done it, haven't you." Lucius said without feeling and turned a page. Draco almost lost his balance at his father's bluntness.

"What?" he repeated.

"You're a terrible liar, Draco," he said shaking his head.

Draco stood motionless, his legs locked, and he stared at a point past the opposite wall giving his eyes a glazed over appearance.

Finally Lucius spoke. "Are you waiting for some fatherly advice? Or a little congratulations that you managed to do as you were told?"

Draco shook his head but his father wasn't looking.

"All I can say is that it had better be a son."

Draco would have responded, but at that moment, there was a loud crack! signaling the arrival of a house elf. Unfortunately, it was the worst possible time for the creature to appear in the room. Lucius pushed his chair out and fluidly rose to his feet. The elf shrunk to half its height as Lucius hovered over it with a threatening air and an Italian leather boot ready send it half-way across the room into a bookshelf.

"What," Lucius hissed, "do you want?"

The house elf squeaked, expecting to be beaten, but Lucius slowly lowered himself into his chair.

"Well?" Lucius prompted.

"M--master, Miss Weasley is--is in the foyer."

Lucius lazily swept his gaze over the elf to Draco. "Leave," he said to both. The elf squeaked and disappeared. Draco straightened his posture and walked to the double-doors.

"This is not over, Draco," Lucius said flatly as Draco pushed open the doors.

"No," he whispered to himself, "it isn't."

He paused momentarily then walked out into the corridor, pushing the doors shut. The sound of both doors hitting the jamb sending a shockwave down the corridor, which returned several octaves lower. Draco didn't notice it; he didn't notice anything, until he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. He froze, but what he wanted to do was take Virginia in his arms and run away, leave his father and his fate behind.

.~*~.

Ginny Apparated just down the hill outside the main iron gate of Malfoy Manor. She was expected, and a house elf promptly opened the gate. She walked the rest of the way along the flagstone path that lead up to the marble steps and mahogany doors. The doors creaked open slowly, and the same house elf allowed her into the entry hall. She was requested to wait while the elf informed Master Malfoy (that meant Draco, she hoped) that she had arrived. After ten minutes, she was bored and proceeded up the main staircase. She knew Draco was in his father's study the moment she reached the top of the stairs because she could hear him yelling. It wasn't very often that Lucius Malfoy raised his voice, however, he was in his own home and could speak at any volume he wished.

"What?" she heard Draco say. Ginny could tell he was close to the door. If she walked two feet closer she would be able to see in the room through the gap between the two partly open doors. She quickly gathered that she shouldn't be eavesdropping, but she was very curious as to why Mr. Malfoy had been yelling.

"You're a terrible liar, Draco."

What is he lying about, she thought.

"Are you waiting for some fatherly advice? Or a little congratulations that you managed to do as you were told?"

"All I can say is that it had better be a son."

"I'm pregnant?" she whispered, instinctively cradling her stomach. That explained it. She'd been feeling ill for almost three weeks. It was the last time she and Draco had been together. He was acting strange that whole night, but it never occurred to her that he was trying to get her pregnant.

She didn't cry, not immediately. She couldn't decide on one emotion: confusion about why Draco didn't tell her, anger because his father seemed to know more about it than she though he should, joy at learning she was having a baby. Betrayal. She settled on betrayal and the tears began to fall down her cheeks.

The arrival of the house elf startled her, and once she heard what the unfortunate creature said, she jumped to her feet and backed up toward the wall. There was no time to run back down to the foyer where she should have been waiting so she pressed herself against the wall, willing herself to be invisible (not that she could). She clearly wasn't supposed to hear what she did.

"This is not over, Draco," she heard Lucius say. She jumped as the doors were flung open.

"No, it's not," she heard Draco whisper as he emerged from the study, slamming the doors behind him. Ginny hesitated before finally stepping forward to where Draco was standing in the middle of the corridor with his arms crossed and head hung low. Ginny didn't like seeing Draco demeaned by his father, nor did he like knowing she had witnessed it.

She had other things on her mind now. How dare you do this without telling me? she thought.

As quietly as she could, she approached him. The hallway would have been dark had it not been for the torches set in pewter brackets on the wall every ten feet on either side. The uneven lighting flickered in Draco's fair hair and caught the silver strands of thread woven into the black fabric of his robes. He didn't recoil as she brought her right hand up to his shoulder, running it down his arm and around front, lacing her fingers with his. He squeezed her hand gently and released it. He turned to look down at her, his eyes were dark and his cheeks were still flushed from the exchange he'd had with his father moments ago.

She'd been crying, and hoped he would see it in her eyes. He did and wrapped his arms around her. It was a silent apology. He still had a lot of explaining to do, but his actions were a start. Ginny rested her head on Draco's shoulder, closed her eyes, and held him. Like touching a Portkey, she was pulled into a colorful swirl. But just as with a Portkey, she landed hard and without warning. Draco tensed, released her, and pulled away.

After her delayed reaction, she turned to see Lucius with both hands on the double doors. His eyes were narrowed, and the loathing in his eyes reminded Ginny why she hated that man. Draco took another step away from Ginny, which made her rather uncomfortable.

His silence was more than enough to make them both cower, like they had been caught doing something they shouldn't have done. After what seemed like hours, but was actually less than a minute, Draco's father pulled the doors closed.

His father's silence had been enough for Draco to change his mood and once the door clicked shut, he forcefully spun Ginny around.

"What were you doing up here?"

"I--I just," she stuttered. Ginny couldn't comprehend the look on Draco's face. It wasn't him, it was as though that one last look from his father completely altered his attitude. Ginny rested her hands to her hips.

Neither blinked until Draco finally spoke. "We'll be late for dinner," he said, motioning down the hallway.

"I think my parents will understand if we're late," Ginny said through clenched teeth. "Right now I need an explanation from you."

.~*~.

Two months later...

The sun, still low in the east, was cutting through the distant trees scattering broken strips of diamonds across the untouched snow. The wind that had blown the clouds from the sky moved drifts of snow against the granite wall that surrounded the modest brick mansion. Ginny brought her arms in close, folding them across her chest. She shivered as she stared out the window of the second floor master bedroom at the crisp January morning.

The door didn't creak as it was opened, but she could hear the tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap of Draco's shoes as he walked across the hardwood floor.

"You're awake," he said, "Mrs. Malfoy."

"I'm hyphenating, remember?" Ginny smiled. Draco laid his hand on her shoulder and ran it down the soft satin sleeve of her dressing gown, following it around to her front where he laced his fingers with hers.

"And why is that exactly?" Draco asked in between affectionate kisses on her neck and cheek. Ginny turned her head to the right and leaned toward him.

"To get your father hacked off." She smiled half-heartedly remembering Lucius' reaction when she finally conceded to the compromise. He wasn't pleased with her, not that she cared what he thought, but he did speak to Draco at length about asserting patriarchal dominance over his family. It didn't matter to Ginny what her surname was, but it was necessary for the diary to work properly, when she finally put her name in it.

"Right then, I'll see you this evening." He kissed her dimple. "Remember dinner at the Manor tonight." With a soft pop, Draco Disapparated.

Her smile disappeared with a heavy sigh when she realized she was alone in a large and unfamiliar house. Ginny and Draco had been living in the mansion, which was part of Draco's inheritance, since they returned from their honeymoon two days ago. The house was enormous, and she still hadn't been in every room.

CRACK!

Ginny gasped and jumped six feet, startling their house elf in the process.

"Pinny is so sorry Mistress," the overly apologetic house elf raised her hand to snap and pop out of sight.

"No, wait, you just startled me is all." This only frightened the house elf more.

"Mistress is wanting breakfast now?"

"Yes, please."

CRACK!

Ginny didn't jump as high but her heart was still pounding. It had only been two days since they moved into their new house, and she still wasn't used to the thought of having a house elf. In a house that size, however, it only made sense. She certainly didn't want to spend her days cleaning it.

.~*~.

~ Well, this is it. I can't Apparate anymore. I suppose I could go another month or so, but I don't want to risk losing the baby.

So you are feeling better about all this now?

~ About the baby yes, but not about the way it happened. I wish he had told me what was going on.

I can't help but think that you are making this sacrifice because of my diary.

~ It's not a sacrifice. And I would hardly just go into this marriage if I didn't think there was something there. I love Draco. He is also in a difficult situation. He's made a few stupid mistakes, but was willing to give him a second chance. And a third, and a fourth.

What did you parents say? How much did you tell them?

.

Ginny hesitated.

.

~ I haven't told them yet.

You're kidding, right?

~ No.

Why? They are your parents. I would've thought they would be the first people you told.

~ They will be, when I finally do. Mum would be disappointed that it happened before Draco and I were officially married. Yes, I know she'll figure it out.

You need to tell her soon or she'll feel hurt. Sensitive woman, your mum.

~ I know.

Take the Floo, right now. Go see her.

~ Without Draco?

That's probably the best way.

~ When did you become logical?

Four years of you writing in this diary.

~ Okay, I'll go, because I know you are right, but I reluctantly admit that. A Malfoy never admits to being wrong, but since I'm only one by marriage, I guess it's all right. But before I do

I already know what you are going to say. I know you too well.

~ Draco and I agreed that I should wait until after the baby is born for me to write my name on the first page. I hope you understand.

Of course I do.

.

Ginny had cheered up considerably talking to the diary (she still talked while writing). Now she had to face her mother. It was a Friday afternoon, and Draco wouldn't be home for three more hours. She stood for several minutes in front of her wardrobe, trying to pick the best robes to wear to see her mother.

"Something dark." she muttered to herself. "I don't want the soot from the Floo to dirty my best robes." She just wished that she could Apparate. Finally, she decided on dark maroon robes, no trim, not too flashy, but she hoped that the red in the robes would draw attention away from her hair. Her mother never did like the auburn.

With their wedding photo album in her hand, she descended the main staircase to the foyer. She still couldn't get over the size of the house. It seemed unnecessarily large, but every room was filled with something, as if five families lived there. Ginny had to think for a moment where the Floo fireplace was. She knew it was in the dining room, which was the only fireplace in the house large enough to stand in, but she had to think about where the dining room was.

She took a handful of Floo powder, and also a pouch with extra, just in case she had trouble getting back. She'd never taken the Floo to or from their new home yet.

"The Burrow," she said slowly and clearly, and stepped into the flames. There was no turning back now. Molly Weasley let out a short scream as Ginny stepped out of the fireplace. She had been preparing dinner, and her back was turned when Ginny arrived.

"Ginny, what are you doing here?"

Not the greeting she was expecting. "I had to see you, mum," she choked, brushing some of the soot off of her robes. She didn't even get the chance to tell her mother why she was there. Molly knew more than she let on, but she also knew that Ginny was excellent at Apparition, and hated the Floo.

"Oh, my dear, how far along?" Molly asked, but was uncharacteristically reserved.

Ginny was caught off guard, she should have known that just popping in on her mother by Floo was a dead give-away. "Two months," she said, realizing that she was admitting that it all happened before she was married. Ginny smiled, unsure of how her mother would take the news.

Molly took in a deep breath, then smiled. "That's just wonderful, dear. Can I get you some tea?"

Ginny was uncomfortable with her mother's reaction. She nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table.

Molly poured two cups of tea, and sat down across the table from her daughter. She opened the photo album, and began looking through the pictures. It was clear that Molly wasn't ready to talk about the baby just yet. She turned a couple pages, and stopped on one. Her mother's expression brightened and she laughed. Ginny knew she was looking at the family picture with all the Weasleys and all the Malfoys.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Just picturing that poor photographer. I used to have a difficult time getting all of you kids to smile and stay still for a picture. Not that it matters, the way these things move. But, well, just look at this." Molly turned the book around, pointing out the look on Narcissa's face. "I didn't realize she hadn't smiled the entire time."

Now Ginny was laughing. "Yes, that's my mother-in-law, and not the only grandmother I want my children to know." Ginny reached across the table and took her mother's hand. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner mum. I don't really have an excuse."

"Don't worry about it; it's forgotten. I'll admit that I never expected my youngest child to give me my first grandchild." Molly was beaming now which made Ginny feel better about taking so long to tell her mother about the baby.

They spent the afternoon talking about the wedding, the honeymoon in Greece, the new house, and of course, the baby. It was getting close to five, when Ginny finally said she needed to be going.

"When Draco and I get settled in, we'll invite you to dinner. I'd like you to see the house, once I learn my way around it."

"Well it sounds just lovely, dear, they way you've described it."

"It's still too cold, but we've only been living there for a few days."

"I wish you'd stay until your father gets home. He should really hear this from you."

"I know, but I have to be going, Draco will be home soon."

"Do his parents know?"

Ginny felt a lump in her throat. "We're telling them tonight."

"Well, then you better go," Molly said, followed by a uncomfortable, no, unbearable silence. Ginny pulled out the pouch of Floo powder.

"Concord Place," Ginny said clearly, hoping it was the right thing to say to get back home. When her dining room appeared, she exhaled, blowing soot all over. Draco was standing next to the fireplace and wearing an impatient expression.

"Virginia, where have you been? We have to leave in less than a half-hour."

"What?"

"Don't you remember me telling you that this morning?"

"No."

"Where were you?"

"I...uh..." Ginny brushed out her robes. "I better get ready."

Draco grabbed her arm. "Well?"

"I was at the Burrow."

"You told your parents? Without me?"

"My mum figured it out the second I arrived by Floo. Draco, I had to tell her, she's my mother. I'll have you know that I just lied to her and said your parents didn't know yet. I don't plan on telling her that you're father knew about it before I did."

"We don't have time for this right now," Draco said nervously. "You still need to change."

"I'm not trying to argue," she sighed. "And I didn't mean to bring up your father." Ginny kissed him on the cheek and left the room. As she reached the top of the stairs, Draco yelled up.

"Have you seen the wedding album? I've been looking for it for the last twenty minutes. My mother wanted me to bring it tonight."

"Oh, that's right. I knew I forgot something." Ginny stopped and turned on the last step. "I left it at the Burrow."

Draco crossed his arms.

"Sorry. Why don't you just Apparate there to get it while I'm getting ready."

"You want me to go to your parents' house, alone?"

"I'm going to yours," she said with a smile. Draco Disapparated and she went to her room. The purple and silver robes she planned on wearing had already been laid out by the house elf, and all she really needed to do was take a shower, and charm some color on her face. Draco was back by the time she stepped out of the shower.

"Did you get it?"

"Well...yes." Draco was biting his lip. He looked like a scared fourteen year old.

"What happened?"

"Your father knows now."

"I figured my mum couldn't keep it from him. I told her I would be there tomorrow."

"Yes, and that's nice, but," Draco's eyes were darting around the room. "Apparently my father let the news slip this afternoon when he saw yours."

"Damn. I told my mother we hadn't told you parents yet."

"I know. So you better go there tomorrow and smooth things over, because whatever you told her this afternoon needs some explaining."

Ginny sighed, then looked at the clock. "Can you tell your parents we'll be late?"

"No, we are taking a Portkey, it leaves from the foyer in ten minutes. The manor is temporarily disconnected from the Floo Network right now," Draco explained.

Ginny turned back to the mirror and using her wand, dried her hair, and charmed some curl into the ends. Five minutes later, Draco came back. He was wearing black velvet robes, with silver and purple to match Ginny's. He looked especially pale when he wore black. "I'm almost ready, love." Ginny double-checked her hasty make-up job, smacked the Muggle lipstick she had applied, and met Draco on the hallway. He was holding a small bed knob that she assumed was the Portkey. They were just in time, because after standing in the foyer for less than a minute, the hook behind her navel pulled them into a swirl of colors, and eventually into the Malfoy's foyer.

Ginny held her stomach, feeling like she was going to be sick.

"Virginia, are you alright?"

"Yes." She swallowed. "I've just never taken a Portkey while pregnant."

"Oh, I know how that feels. I tried it once when I was pregnant and Lucius was never able to convince me to do it again." Narcissa, who has apparently stolen some unfortunate person's pleasant personality, smiled and took Ginny's arm. "I have something that will make you feel much better." Narcissa lead her out of the foyer, and she looked back mouthing 'help' in Draco's direction, but his father already distracted him.

"Fifteen minutes Narcissa," Lucius said as she left the room. They were in the sitting room, which, despite the roaring fire, was frigid. Ginny shivered as she walked in, prompting Narcissa to cast a warming charm that did very little to actually warm.

"Here, drink this," Narcissa said handing a goblet to Ginny. "The fireplace will be on the network next week, and you won't have to worry about another Portkey." Ginny held the concoction up to her nose then took a sip. It smelled like ginger, and tasted like dirt.

"What is it?" she asked, handing the goblet back to Narcissa.

"Just a potion to settle your stomach. I took it almost daily during my first trimester."

The nausea from the Portkey was wearing off, but her mother-in-law's behavior was starting to make her ill.

Dinner was delicious, but the company was something to be desired. It made her miss the noisy family dinners at the Burrow. Draco could see that Ginny didn't want to be there, but as the meal wore on, he paid less and less attention to her. Actually, he was paying less and less attention to everything.

After dinner, they adjourned to the sitting room, where Lucius, after complaining how cold it was, cast another warming charm that finally made Ginny comfortable, temperature wise. The house elf brought Ginny and Narcissa Chamomile tea, and brandy for Draco and his father. It was almost worse than at dinner. They had run out of things to talk about half-way though second course, now all Ginny could do was count down the half-hour until the return Portkey activated (even though it would make her ill). She kept checking the mantle clock each time Narcissa turned a page of the photo album.

One glass of brandy later, Lucius lead Draco out of the sitting room leaving Ginny alone with her mother-in-law. When Ginny asked where they were off to, Narcissa changed the subject back to the wedding album, and how wonderful the family photo had turned out. Narcissa was referring to the Malfoy-only one where she had actually managed to smile.

Finally Draco came back in. Ginny stood up and walked over to him with a 'save me' look in her eyes. "Will you excuse us, mother? We have to leave in a few minutes."

Narcissa walked them out to the foyer and Lucius was nowhere in sight. Not a moment too soon, they were gone. Unfortunately, this time the Portkey did make her sick--all over the foyer rug. With a crack, their house elf was there to clean up the mess.

"I guess I won't be traveling like that for a while." She wiped her mouth with a towel Draco had conjured up for her. He helped her up to the bedroom, and into bed. Within ten minutes, she was sound asleep, only vaguely remembering a kiss on the forehead.

.~*~.

The room was completely dark when she finally woke up and reached over. But the other side of the bed was empty. "Draco?" she said, but there was no answer. "Illuminus," she murmured, and the light from the lamp next to the bed slowly intensified. She was alone, and hoping that Draco was just sleeping in another room because she had been ill.

Ginny clapped, and the house elf appeared. "Where is Draco?" she asked.

"Master Malfoy is not here. Master is leaving after Mistress is asleep," she said.

"What!?" Pinny took a step back. "Do you know where he went?" she asked, but of course the house elf wouldn't know.

Pinny was confused and hesitantly said, "Master is not saying anything to Pinny."

"He isn't saying anything to me either," she mumbled

"Mistress?" she said.

"Could you bring me some water?"

The house elf squeaked acknowledgement and left the room, returning in less than a minute with a pitcher and goblet.

Ginny sat up, lost in thought as she drank the water Pinny had poured just before she left.

Suddenly it hit her. "I know where he went." They had talked about it only a few times, but now, she knew. Ginny reached into the drawer of her bedside table and pulled out the diary.

~ He did it.

Did what? And who?

~ Well, he's there right now, at least I'm sure he is.

.

Ginny explained the dinner and Draco's strange behavior, and the fact that it was one in the morning and he wasn't there.

.

But he didn't actually tell you.

~ I still know. It was only a matter of time. Don't tell me you are surprised. I though you were the one who told me Draco was going to do this, whether he wanted to or not. So I'm telling you that he's going through with it, right now.

I guess I knew, but just never thought about it actually happening.

So did you tell your mother about the baby?

"Shit," she said, but didn't write it. She still had to smooth things over after the trouble Draco's father caused.

~ Yes, but I still have more talking to do.

How did she take it?

~ She actually guessed, but there were some problems when my father got home. I need to go back there in the morning. I just wish I could Apparate there. I hate the Floo, and after the Portkey tonight, I would almost rather take a car, or the Knight Bus from now on.

I guess the hook behind your navel must feel strange when there is a baby in the way.

~ I can't even feel a baby yet, it's too soon, but I'm still nauseated. Sorry for the play by play of my pregnancy. I'll keep that to a minimum.

I'm a captive audience. You can tell me whatever you need to--you always have.

~ Then I'll tell you that I'm afraid for Draco. Yes, I know you don't trust him, but if he is where I think he is, I don't want to think about what's happening. I just hope that it's nothing too bad that the Ministry won't overlook it when this is all over.

Maybe he's just picking up a belated wedding present

~ Oh, like congratulations on your wedding, here's a Dark Mark. It's not much, and you really can't share it with your wife, but

Something like that.

.

Ginny abruptly set down her quill. What she wrote made her think. Draco was doing something he had confessed scared him to death. It suddenly seemed selfish of her to think that she was the only one making a sacrifice, and in that moment, she decided to make her life change. She picked up the quill again and turned to the first page.

.

~ It's about damn time we did something about that bastard.

What are you doing? Please tell me that it's been seven months and that you just haven't written anything since that night. It was a boy right? girl?

.

Ginny almost forgot that the diary had no real concept of time, only what she told it.

.

~ It is.

You are lying.

~ Virginia

It's not too late.

.

Her name did not disappear, so she knew that it wasn't enough. She needed to add the rest.

.

~ Erin

Please

~ Malfoy

.

The word "Malfoy" disappeared. Ginny dipped her quill, and for a brief moment considered closing the diary.

.

~ Weasley

Just think about if before you

> No. It has to be now. I'll be careful.

.

Her words dissolved and she slowly wrote:

.

~ -Malfoy

.

The page now read, "Virginia Erin Weasley-Malfoy". Before Ginny could do anything further, a beam of yellow light shot from the diary and hit her squarely in the forehead. She blacked out.

.~*~.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to review. It keeps me going, that and a lot of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. Reviewers on Schnoogle: head_girl_granger, SlytherinPrincess821, edition1013, Alexa Malfoy, kinsel, smoo (thanks for the suggestion about Draco, you inspired one of the scenes in this chapter), Jenni Bundick, H_Dom, and 13 Satanic Monkeys; and on ff.net: Alyssa Raven, nirvana, and Robyn Maddison.