“It seems like we’re always buying her presents,” Draco sighed, as he sent a sideways glance at the shop windows. There were owls, broomsticks and shrivelfig aplenty but nothing he thought his daughter would like.

“That’s because you always are buying her presents,” teased Ginny, who was trotting merrily alongside him. “You’re spoiling her.”

Draco glared at his companion. Ginny was always very conservative when it came to buying things. She didn’t like to spend money and she didn’t think it was good for Cassie. Every now and then, Draco’d come home with a big present for his only daughter for no other reason than he liked to hear her squeal when he came through the door. Ginny’d frown but she wouldn’t start the nagging until Cassie had gone to bed. Now he was tired of hearing how he spoiled Cassie. You’d think that was a bad thing. “I was spoiled as a boy, and look how well I turned out,” he replied, ironically.

Ginny snorted. “You know,” she said, “there’s so much I could say now. But I won’t.” She smiled ingenuously. She was in a good mood today. Tomorrow was Christmas and that always put her in good spirits. And now, especially, she had reason to celebrate. It would be her and Cassie’s first Christmas in a real home, without having to fear for their lives. To think, only a year ago they had been on the run from Lord Voldemort and had to remain in hiding all the time. Now here Ginny was walking in broad daylight with the father of her child.

He wasn’t nearly so merry. He was very concerned about finding something good to get Cassie for her first real Christmas. He had been searching unsuccessfully for several weeks. And now it was Christmas Eve. Diagon Alley was packed full of last-minute shoppers, pushing their way through the crowd. It was really quite annoying. Draco hated people.

“Ginny? Ginny Weasley?” cried a cheerful voice from the masses.

Ginny whirled around, searching the crowd for the source of the voice. Streams of people pushed their way around the stopped pair, jostling them apart. Moments later, the small form of Colin Creevey emerged from the multitude. He still had a camera clutched in his hands, just as he had at Hogwarts. Ginny smiled politely when she recognized him and allowed him to escort her out of the middle of the walkway. Grumbling, Draco navigated to a nearby spot, close enough that she could see him, but not so close that she’d feel like he was intruding on her conversation.

“Happy Christmas, Ginny! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you,” said Colin.

“Happy Christmas to you too,” replied Ginny, glancing over Colin’s head at Draco. “It has been awhile.”

“You disappeared. People were worried,” he said with concern. Then he began to laugh. “Hey, I heard the craziest rumor about you,” he chuckled loudly. “I heard you ran off and shacked up with Draco Malfoy. Isn’t that mad?”

Ginny turned beet red. “Er, yeah, Colin, that is hysterical.” Draco had noticed her embarrassment. He had a puzzled look on his face, unsure if he should come over to rescue her or if that would be presumptuous. “I’ve got to go, Colin,” Ginny lied, “lots of Christmas shopping to do. You know, big family.” Colin nodded. “It was nice seeing you again.”

“Glad you’re all right.” He leaned forward to give her a hug. Awkwardly, she hugged him back, staring at Draco’s perturbed expression the entire time.

“What’d he want?” Draco asked when she found her way back to his side.

“Just to say ‘hi’ and ask me where I’ve been,” Ginny mumbled, looking at her feet.

They were both silent at that, thinking of where she had been. Between the running for her life, being held captive and being forced to have a baby, they weren’t exactly happy memories. And that wasn’t even mentioning the super uncomfortable knowledge that she had sweaty sex with Draco. They each knew the other one was thinking about it, and avoided the other one’s eye.

“We should get going,” said Ginny without looking at him, “Cassie will be mad if Santa doesn’t bring her any presents this year.”

“Right.” Draco nodded. Silently, he cursed Colin Creevey. Things had been good between them for once, and then he had to show up. Draco hated people.

* * *

“What’d you get me? What’d you get me?” Cassie hopped up and down, trying to get a look at the bags her mother and father carried as they came in the door. Thankfully, Ginny had already thought to hide all of Cassie’s presents at the Burrow so that no matter where she looked, Cassie wouldn’t be able to find them. You could never be too careful with Cassie.

“These aren’t for you, they’re for your Uncles,” said Ginny pleasantly. “If you want, you can help me wrap them.”

Cassie squealed with delight. She wasn’t really a good wrapper but she liked to put the bows on her head. “Are you going to help too, Daddy?” she asked, excitedly. She loved to have them do things as a family.

“Not tonight,” answered Draco wearily. He needed some time to think. He was too drained to deal with Cassie now; he had no idea how Ginny did it. He was ready to pass out. “I’m going to lie down.”

“You’re too big for a nap,” teased Cassie. She made Draco lean over so she could kiss him on his cheek. He smiled weakly and ruffled her hair.

Cassie frowned as she watched her father disappear into his room and close the door behind him. She didn’t know why he spent so much time in there. It wasn’t a fun room like hers. The people who owned the house before them used it as a study, but Draco had converted it into his room since there were only two bedrooms on the second floor. Cassie thought her room was the best. It had all the toys and she had been able to keep the pink bed that she used when they were at Hogwarts. Her mother’s room was second best. The big bed was good for jumping on.

Ginny loved their new house. It was close enough to her parent’s that she could see them whenever she wanted, but far enough away that she could get away from them if she wanted to. The years apart had made her long desperately for her family. They had also taught her to get along without them, something her mother forgot at times. The house itself actually reminded Ginny of the Burrow for some reason. They didn’t actually look at all the same. No house could ever hope to look like the Burrow. Their house was smaller, less cluttered and it didn’t have any barnyard animals. It was homey though, a comfortable place to live. But it was different enough from her childhood home that Draco would actually consent to living there.

Ginny sighed to herself once Draco had escaped. He seemed to be doing that more and more lately. She carried the bags of presents into the living room, hoping he’d come take Cassie off her hands later. She’d need a break.

“How come Daddy never plays with us anymore?” piped Cassie still looking sadly at her father’s door.

Again, Ginny sighed. Sometimes her daughter was annoyingly astute for a six-year-old. It came with having a precog for an offspring. “Of course he plays with us,” she said, trying to sound convincing, “he took you on that sleigh ride last week and showed you the garden with the fairy lights a fortnight ago. Remember? You liked the fairies.”

“How come he never plays with us?” Cassie huffed.

“Do you want to curl the ribbon with your fingernails? I’ll show you have to make it really twirly…” Ginny announced, hoping Cassie wouldn’t notice that she was changing the subject.

“You know most Mummies and Daddies are married,” said Cassie sweetly, gazing at her mother with big, gray eyes.

Ginny didn’t know what to say to that.

* * *

It was four o’clock am when Ginny’s alarm clock roused her from a deep sleep. She wanted to put the presents under the tree at a time she knew Cassie wouldn’t be up. She was grateful for the extra time to sleep. Cassie had tired her out with questions like, “how come Santa doesn’t just use Floo powder? It’d be faster than reindeer…” and the like. Ginny popped over to her parents’ house in a haze and grabbed the presents without troubling to wake them up.

It took Ginny three trips to get all the presents to their house. She grumbled the whole way, damning Draco and his money to spend on “lots of gifts.” She was sure her parents never had to this many under the tree on Christmas and they had seven children.

“Ugh!” exclaimed Ginny as she attempted to carry the last load to the tree, and failed miserably. Her hands slipped and the presents fell to the hardwood floors, knocking over several her candy jar with a crash and causing the candy to skid all across the floor and under all the furniture.

She held her breath, waiting for the telltale squeal of, “Santa!” from upstairs but it didn’t come. She thanked whatever Christmas gods were looking after her. Then she heard the lock turning from within the former study. She looked up to see Draco poke his head out of the door. “Santa?” he queried sarcastically.

Silently, Ginny motioned him over with an annoyed gesture. “Don’t wake her,” she hissed.

Draco surveyed the scene. “What happened?” he asked.

“I dropped some of the presents. There were too many to carry,” Ginny answered, as though that should be obvious.

“How come you didn’t wake me up? I would’ve helped.” He reached into his pajama pockets and produced his wand. With a swish and flick, all the candy was restored to the jar.

“I know but… er… I didn’t think you wanted to…” Ginny blushed. “You went to bed early and all…”

“Oh,” said Draco, understandingly as he got down on his knees to pick up the fallen presents. They seemed to be everywhere. After a few minutes of this, he stood back up and said, “She really is spoiled,” as if it were news to him.

Ginny had to laugh. It eased the tension between them. Feeling bad, she got down on all fours to assist him. “We are trying to compensate for five Christmases with nothing,” she said, while sliding a particularly large gift into place.

“Overcompensating,” he pointed out.

“You don’t have any trouble buying her the mountains of gifts,” Ginny teased, “but as soon as you have to move them, you complain.”

“Half this mountain is yours,” he huffed. “And I spoil her every holiday, birthday and special occasion. What’s your excuse?”

Ginny put a few presents in place and was silent. She wore the look of concentration of someone thinking of something very specific, but unsure how to open discussion of it. “Do you remember when my Dad dressed up as Santa Claus for her and asked her what she wanted for Christmas?” she asked finally. Draco nodded. Again, she paused. “She said she wanted her Mummy and Daddy to get married so she could be a flower girl and wear a frilly dress.”

“Oh,” said Draco, making a face like he had been struck. “That’s good and uncomfortable.”

She nodded. “I don’t know what I’m going to tell her.”

“Maybe tell her that Mummy and Daddy’s relationship is all backwards and it’s confusing them,” mused Draco. “First we have a kid then we move in together and now I don’t know how to ask you out…”

“You want to ask me out?” asked Ginny, her eyes hopeful.

“Well yeah,” he admitted, feeling suddenly bashful, “we’ll have to find someone to look after Cassie though…”

Ginny’s face light up like the Christmas tree. She crawled toward him on her hands and knees. For the first time in months, she leaned forward and kissed him. It felt like coming home. “That’s the beauty of living near Mum and Dad,” she said when they broke apart.

“Don’t tell Cassie why we’re going,” Draco sighed. “She’ll gloat.”

But the squeal from upstairs told them she already knew.