My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter One
The Hearts of the Young


Draco made his way to the highest tower in Hogwarts. He took his time, prolonging the inevitable. He was about to break the heart of the only person, other than his parents, who loved him for him, and it was killing him. The previous night his father had informed him that he was betrothed to Astoria Greengrass. His family needed this marriage; the Greengrass' were one of the few Pureblood families that had not been disgraced in the war, and they had no ties to the Dark Lord. More importantly, they were willing to partner with the Malfoy family, both personally and in business. The merger meant the Malfoys could keep their money, and Draco certainly understood the importance of that. Without money and with the horrible tattoo on his arm, he was nothing. He was not making this sacrifice for himself or his parents, but for his own children.

He knew that the family of the girl whose heart he was about to break would never accept him. They could never be together, and he would never cheapen what they had or disgrace her by asking her to be his mistress. He loved her too much for that. She was perfect.

He thought about how they came to be together. It had started while the Death Eaters had control of Hogwarts. One night they ran into each other in a hall and started fighting. She was not scared of him. He still couldn't explain how they went from fighting to sleeping together, but he knew it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He was feeling misplaced at the time and nothing made sense. Except Ginevra Weasley. The only time he felt like himself was when he was with her.

For weeks it was just sex. Then slowly it changed; she would talk to him, and he would listen and talk to her. They never talked about the war, until after the Christmas break. She had been upset when her best friend, Luna Lovegood, didn't return to Hogwarts. The reason Luna hadn't returned was because she was being held in his family's dungeons. He told her that's where her friend was. That night they didn't have sex, but he assured her that he would make sure that Luna was safe, or as safe as the girl could be.

Both Draco and Ginny knew how their families would feel about them being together, so after the war ended they continued their relationship in secret. Finally he opened the door to the tower and saw the most beautiful thing: Ginevra. She was petite, only 5 foot 2 inches, and her hair came half way down her back. She was wearing a pair of Muggle jeans; he used to hate them, but had learned to appreciate them, mostly for how Ginevra looked when she removed the tight pants. She did not move at the sound of him entering the room.

“Ginevra?” he said. She still didn't move. “Ginny?” This time her shoulders shook, so he came closer and reached out to her, gently turning her to face him. Her eyes were closed and she had tears falling down her cheeks. “Darling, what’s wrong?”

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up into his eyes. Her beautiful brown eyes were swimming in tears. “Do you love me?” she asked.

'Merlin, this is going to be even harder than I thought,' he thought to himself. “You know I do,” he told her.

“Say it, I want to hear you say it.”

'This must be what hell is like.' “I love you, Ginevra, without a doubt. Why did you need to hear it?”

“Because you’re going to hate me once I tell you what I have to tell you.”

“What, Ginevra? What’s wrong?”

“My family, they expect me to marry Harry. And I'm going to do it,” she explained. She watched as he started to laugh, his actions were confusing her. “Draco? Why are you laughing?”

He took her hand in his and led her to sit down. “Because I was coming here scared you would never understand. I have to marry Astoria Greengrass. We're both doing the same thing.”

“What?”

“Father told me last night. I have to for... Ginny, we both knew this could never be real or forever, no matter how much we wanted it to last,” he lamented, still holding her hands.

“It doesn’t change the fact that it hurts,” she whispered.

“That's how we know we really love each other,” he explained. “We're star-crossed lovers.” After a long moment, he admitted, “I hate the idea of him touching you.”

“And I'm just thrilled about her with you!” she said sarcastically. After another long moment, she asked, “When do you have to marry her?”

“Next summer, before she starts her final year at Hogwarts, but it will be announced this summer. I didn't want to keep it from you.”

She gave him a sad smile. “Thank you for that. I expected you to be more upset.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “How can I be mad when I came here to tell you that I'm doing the same thing? When are you and Potty going to get married?”

“Next summer, too. Mum's already planning it. Harry only asked my father the night before last.”

He nodded and then remained quiet for a long time, just holding her. “Promise me something.”

“What?”

“Don't ever give up on your dreams. You're excellent at Quidditch, so try out for the Holyhead Harpies, just like you always dreamed of. Don't just get married and be nothing but Potter’s trophy wife. Promise me?”

“'Kay, but why does it matter to you so much?”

“Because if we can't be together, I need to know you’re at least following your dreams.”

“Draco, hold me tonight,” she asked as she turned into him.

He willingly took hold of her; kissing her, and then he made love to her.

Afterwards, he looked down at her. “Once we're married, this can't happen, no matter how much we want it to.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

“Ginny, I know some part of you does love him. It's okay to love him.” He suddenly had tears of his own escaping.

“Why do you say that?” she questioned as she lifted herself up to look him in the eyes.

“Because I know he loves you, and you have to be happy.”

“I won't lie; a part of me does love him, but it's nothing like the way I love you.”

“I will carry that thought with me to the grave,” he stated seriously.

The night Harry asked Ginny to be his wife, she cried. Everyone believed it was because her childhood fantasy was coming true. Harry had done his best to make it romantic for her, and she was thankful for that. One week later, when the paper had their wedding announcement in it, Ginny received an owl from Draco.

Ginevra,
Please remember your promise to me!
Always yours in soul,
D.M.

Two weeks later, Ginny read Draco's engagement announcement, then spent the next two days in bed.

The following school year, Ginny played the part of the happily engaged girl who was marrying the saviour of the Wizarding world. Harry would come to Hogsmeade for all of her weekends there.

Then that summer, three weeks before Ginny’s wedding, she received another owl from Draco.

Ginevra,
Please meet me at the Hilton Hotel in London at seven tonight. I'll be at the bar.
Always yours in soul,
D.M.

Ginny was surprised that he asked her to meet him in a Muggle hotel, but she was willing to go. When she arrived at the bar, there was only a woman sitting at the bar. She sat down and ordered a white wine. The woman moved closer, and after watching Ginny for awhile, she spoke, “Always yours in soul...”

Ginny's eyes opened wide, and the woman smiled in a way that told her the woman was really Draco in disguise.

“Don't say anything. I'm going to leave now. In about fifteen minutes, use the room key that's now in your purse and join me.”

Ginny nodded, and she watched as the female Draco Malfoy left. She took her time finishing her wine and then slowly made her way to the room number that was on the key. She was thankful that her father loved all things Muggle because she knew how to use the key card to open the door. As she stepped into the room, she saw it was bathed in candlelight.

Once the door fully closed, Draco, looking like himself, stepped into view. “You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

“Draco, what's all of this about?”

“I'm getting married this weekend and you are in three weeks time. I wanted us to have one last night together, a perfect night. Will you stay with me tonight?” He had a pleading look in his eyes.

“Why?” she asked, her eyes beginning to water.

“Because I know that both of us will look back on the last time we were together many times over the rest of our lives. I don't want that to be hiding in a room on a hard floor, scared that Filch could walk in on us. For tonight, be my wife. Let me treat you like a queen. Please?”

That night they made love slowly and beautifully, enjoying every second of it. Both were trying to memorize every last touch, sound, even breath. The following morning, as she dressed to leave, Draco stopped her. “Ginevra, wait; I have one more thing for you.” He handed her a rectangular box. “Open it.”

When she did, she found a beautiful diamond cross necklace. She looked up at him, puzzled. “Why?”

“A heart would cause too many questions. I want you to wear this all the time. That way, when we see each other and you long to tell me you love me, just touch it. Then I will know.”

She looked at him and then questioned, “And how will I know?”

He took the box from her and removed the necklace from it. As he placed it upon her neck, he replied, “Trust me, you will see me watching, waiting to see you touch it.” He then stepped back in front of her and smiled. “I meant what I said in my letters; I'm always yours and my soul belongs to you, Ginevra. Never forget that.” She reached out to him and sobbed. “Ginny, please don't. I don't want to remember our last moments alone together to be of you crying.”

“It's just so unfair!”

“Ginny, if I thought for a minute that we could be together and that you wouldn't have to turn your back on your family, I would marry you myself. But I could never ask you to give up your family. Ginny, we will be together, just maybe not in this life. If I know anything, I know this; I know you are my soul mate.”

Sunday morning Ginny picked up the paper and instantly wished she hadn't, for on the front page was Draco and Astoria's wedding photo. He looked so handsome, but in his eyes she could see pain. It made her smile to know that, yes, he was hurting too. After a minute or two she could no longer stand to look at it and tossed the paper into the fireplace.

“Don't worry, Ginny. Our wedding will get the whole paper, not just the front page,” Harry assured her.

She looked across the table at him. She didn't hate him and it wasn't his fault. He didn't know she loved someone else more. In that moment she decided Harry would never know that she loved Draco more. She would put herself into her marriage with everything she had, but she would keep her promise to Draco.

“Harry, I wanted to talk to you about something before the wedding.”

“I'm all ears, Ginny. What's on your mind?” He moved closer to her.

“I want to try out for the Holyhead Harpies. Tryouts are six weeks after our wedding.”

He looked at her and then stated, “Ginny, why do you feel you have to ask? You know I would never hold you back.”

“I don't know. I guess I just...”

“Ginny, we're marrying very young, and I don’t want to start a family just yet. My job is risky, but I would be a hypocrite to tell you you can't play. Marriage is a partnership; we both need to be happy.” He had taken her hand and was playing with it.

“Thanks, Harry. I do love you.”

“I love you too, Gin.”

On the morning of her wedding, Ginny was hurt that Draco hadn't sent a note. As everyone in her house ran around doing things for her, and to her, she was actually getting excited. Honestly, if she couldn't have Draco, Harry was still pretty good, and she knew they would be happy.

As she spoke her vows, she knew she would never betray them. They didn't say she could only love Harry, or that she had to love him more than anyone else. No, the vows were to love, honor, and cherish each other, and to remain faithful. She would do that. Later on, Owls from well-wishers were read. George, who was reading them, declared, “Here's one that I don't think any of my family ever believed would be received for one of our weddings: 'Wishing you all the happiness this world can give you. Narcissa Malfoy.' Will wonders never cease?”

The next morning, as Ginny and Harry enjoyed breakfast in bed, Harry looked over at her. “Gin, I don't want to upset you, but you were still a virgin before I left to look for the Horcruxes. Who was it?”

She looked back at him. She could tell the truth here. “Harry, I don't want to tell you who, but know this; at the time, Hogwarts was a very scary place. It was unplanned and a way to escape the reality of life there. What matters now is that we're together.”

He looked at her again. “Do I know the bloke?”

“Harry!”

“No, Ginny, I just want to know if one of my friends slept with my wife. I don't think I would want to have a guy over for dinner and have him thinking about and knowing what it was like to be with you.”

“Harry, I promise that will never happen.” She paused, “Are you mad?”

“I think disappointed is a better word for it. Ginny, you’re a beautiful witch, and I knew when I ended things with you that you would find someone else. I'm just happy I got you back.”

“Well, I'm all yours.” Harry pulled her into his arms to kiss her.


That same morning, Draco picked up the paper knowing full well he would be seeing the love of his life with Potter. He couldn't help himself; he had to see how beautiful she looked. There, she looked perfectly stunning. Her dress was an off-the-shoulder corset style that gave way to a full ball skirt. Her hair was pulled back, not up, and her beauty charm made her face perfect. He watched as the picture moved and Potter kissed Ginevra. It caused him to throw the paper to the side.

He had thought about going to the wedding, just for the chance to see her. Perhaps dance with her. Or at least he could have sent a note, but he did want her to be happy, even if it was with Potter. To contact her on her wedding day would have only made it harder for her to marry 'the boy who lived' and make his life a living hell. He again thought about sending her a note, if only to tell her how beautiful she looked on her day. However, he didn't think he should with her on her honeymoon.

Tryouts for Holyhead came, and Ginny made the team as Seeker. Ginny was happy. Almost six months later, Harry and Ginny were at a Ministry function. She had chosen a little black dress that was very sexy, and she also wore the cross necklace Draco had given her. In fact, other than her wedding day or when she and Harry made love, she hadn't removed it. Harry could hardly keep his hands off of her. After a couple of hours, she needed air and went out onto the terrace. After a few minutes to herself, she heard footsteps behind her.

“Mrs. Potter,” came Draco's voice, “I believe I owe you congratulations on your marriage.”

She turned towards him and smiled at him. “Don't call me that,” she requested softly.

“I hate to point it out, but it is your name now,” he said coldly as he watched for her to touch the cross.

“I know, but please, anything but that! My name is Ginny.”

He shook his head. “That’s too personal.” He still looked intensely at her.

“Please, anything but that.”

“Weaslette?” he said lovingly.

She smiled at him. “That’s better.” She finally gave him what he had been waiting for; she reached up and played with the cross.

He gave her a smile. “I saw the photo from your wedding, you looked stunning.” He then checked over his shoulder to see if anyone was coming. “I wanted to come or at least write, but I didn't want to disturb you day.”

“Thank you, I guess.” They were standing a respectable distance apart.

“God, I miss you,” he whispered.

She had to look away to try and fight off the tears, then changing the subject, she asked, “Where's Astoria?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out to hold her. “She is still finishing her last year at Hogwarts.”

“Gin, there you... Malfoy!” Harry walked up to Ginny and placed an arm around her. “Is he bothering you?”

“No, Harry. He was just congratulating me on our wedding,” Ginny explained.

“Oh. Well, thanks, and the same to you.” Draco nodded. “Let’s go in and dance,” Harry said to Ginny.

“Sure. Good night, Draco.”

“Weaslette, Potter,” Draco said and turned away.

Harry went to react, but Ginny stopped him. “Don't, Harry, it doesn't bother me.”

As the sound of Ginny’s heels got closer to the door, he turned back and watched her, wishing it was he that would be holding her tonight, wondering how he was supposed to live the next 70 or 80 years without her.

That night when Harry and Ginny got home, she claimed to be tired and went straight to bed. She couldn't have sex with Harry when she was thinking about Draco. That was wrong to do, to either one of them.

Months later, when Draco’s wife finished her last year at Hogwarts, she joined him in living at Malfoy Manor. It didn't escape Draco that she was a beautiful witch in her own right, and she did try to be a good wife to him. He, too, tried to work on his marriage with her, but found most nights when he had sex with her that he was thinking of Ginny.

At times Draco found himself wishing Voldemort had won, because if he had, there would have been a chance that he could have claimed her as a prize. Or, even if she was picked by someone else, he would know she was not enjoying that man touching her. At other times he was angry that she chose to marry Potter and that she hadn't cried and begged him to stay with her.

There were days when, in Diagon Alley, he would catch a glimpse of her with Potter, the Scar Head's arm around her or holding her hand. He had to stop himself from drawing his wand. Then at Christmas time, Draco ran headlong into them at the entrance to Diagon Alley. They were waiting for the bricks to finish opening and Potter was kissing her passionately. Harry slowly pulled away from her and whispered something in her ear. Draco couldn't hear what it was, but he heard Ginny's reply:

“Harry, I love you so much.”

The first time he heard her say the words 'I love you' in over a year and it was to another man. They then broke apart and Harry noticed Draco. He took a less familiar stance. “Sorry, Malfoy – but you know, newlyweds and all.” The fool had a stupid, goofy grin on his face also.

Ginny spun around and looked at Draco, and he could tell she was sorry. However, Draco was hurting, so he made a point of not watching for her to touch the necklace. He needed to hurt her back.

“I think you've been married a little too long for that to still be a reasonable excuse.” he declared, then walked right between them, careful not to look at Ginny.

One week later was the annual Ministry Christmas ball, and Ginny was finishing getting ready when Harry walked into their bedroom. He let out a gasp at the sight of his wife. She was wearing a dark green silk gown that clung to her body in a suggestive manner and finally flowed away from her body about mid thigh. “Ginny, you can't wear that!” he exclaimed.

Ginny spun around. “Why not?” she asked, her nostrils flaring.

Harry put on a straight face. “For one thing, it's Slytherin green!”

She placed her hands on her hips, reminding Harry of her mother. “It's green, which happens to be the colour of the team I play for, and the colour of my husband’s eyes.”

“For another thing, if you don't take it off, I can’t be responsible for my actions. That dress looks better than amazing on you, though all I want to do is take it off you and make love to you,” he confessed, then playfully advanced on her.

She ducked him and laughed as he reached out again. He caught her arm and held it tight, pulling her closer. He then kissed her, but as the kiss heated up she pulled away. “Harry, we have to get going!”

“But I want to stay here with you,” he protested.

She smirked at him. “Then next time let someone else save the world. The only reason we have to go is because you're the 'One Who Won.'”

“One more reason to hate Tom; missing the chance to ravish my wife. Instead, I get to spend the evening with every other man in the room undressing you with his eyes.”

“Come on, Harry, or we'll be late.”

Draco and Astoria were already there when the Potters arrived. He would never lie; Ginny took his breath away. He did his best to ignore her until the dancing began. Then he saw it, the bruises on her upper arm.

He had seen bruises before on her, but they were from Quidditch. He was about to go up to Harry and confront him when Shacklebolt came up and Ginny headed out of the room. This did not make sense to Draco; Ginny was not the type to put up with being abused. He followed her.

Ginny had seen Draco the minute they arrived, and she had waited for him to watch for her to touch the cross, only it never came. She was hurt. Twice she had seen him and twice he did not care.

He caught up to her. “Ginny, I need to talk to you.” He pulled her into an empty room. “Ginevra, what is going on?”

She was puzzled by his behaviour. “What are you talking about?”

He grabbed her arm and pulled it up so she could see the purple marks. “Don't try to tell me that they're from Quidditch!” he said angrily.

She smiled. “They're not...look, I know how it looks, but I promise you it's completely innocent. I know you don't like Harry, but he has enough brains so that if he was like that, he would cover up any marks he left.”

“Then how did this happen?”

“Draco, I don't want to hurt you, so please believe me, it's nothing,” she pleaded. He finally let go of her arm.

“You didn't care about hurting me last week,” he hissed.

“I didn’t do anything to hurt you! How was I supposed to know you were there? Besides, you're the one who told me it was okay to love him.”

He reached up and caressed her cheek. “I didn’t realize it would hurt like this.”

“I'm sorry,” she murmured. He still held her close.

“You know, if you ever need anything, I want you to come to me. I will always be here for you.”

She could smell his aftershave; it was very manly. “Draco, we need some space between us,” she said, hoping he would give her some room before she forgot she was a married woman.

He stepped away. “You’re sure everything is fine?”

“Yes.”

“You took my breath away tonight,” he whispered.

Just then the door opened and Harry walked in. “What's going on here?” he asked. He could tell Ginny was emotional.

“Nothing, Harry. Draco saw these bruises and was concerned,” Ginny explained as she showed Harry the bruises on her arm.

Harry's eyes grew wide at the sight of them. “Honey, I'm sorry! I didn't realize I grabbed you that hard.” He then looked at Draco. “I didn't think any Malfoy worried about the well being of a Weasley.”

“I worry about any lady who I see is black and blue, and even more so when the world believes her husband can do no wrong. How did it happen?” he pushed.

“Well, if you must know, I was trying to convince her to stay home in bed tonight.”

“Well, rather than marking her up, you might try a gentle seduction instead.” He looked at Ginny, then at her cross. She touched it right away and Draco then left.

One year later, Draco stood in St Mungo's Hospital, waiting outside his wife's room when Ginny came around the corner. She was smiling and carrying a floral arrangement made up mostly of pink shades. She also had a pink teddy bear. Her hair was shorter than Draco remembered, but it looked smart on her and in a way Draco could not explain, the style made her look a little taller.

She didn't seem to notice him.

As she passed him, he uttered, “Weaslette.”

She stopped dead and looked at him. “Draco!” she smiled. “What are you doing here?”

He looked down at his shoes for a minute, then back at her. “Astoria just suffered a miscarriage.”

The smile left her face as she now felt funny about the flowers and teddy she was holding. “I'm sorry. Is she going to be alright?”

“The healers are trying to determine that now,” he replied.

“How far along was she?” Ginny asked. She could tell he was hurting.

“Three months, only three months.”

Ginny wanted to do something for him. “Do you need anything?” she inquired.

“No, thanks. I see you still wear that cross,” he commented.

Ginny knew this was his way of begging her to touch the cross. Instead, she put down the things in her arms and reached out, hugging him while whispering, “I do love you.”

He put all his strength into hugging her back, knowing it could only last for a few seconds. “Merlin, I miss you!” he mumbled into her shoulder.

She then pulled away. “We can't have the world seeing you hug me,” she explained.

“I know. So, who had a baby?”

“Percy's wife, Audrey had a girl this morning. They named her Molly.”

He smiled and nodded.

“Draco, I need to go.”

“I know. Ginevra, I'm proud of you. I have followed your career.”

She had tears in her eyes. “Draco, your wife needs you now.”

He nodded. “Where's Potter?”

“Away on assignment. I have to go.” She picked up her stuff again. “Things will get better. Take care.” She then headed down the hall.

Draco watched until she vanished from sight, then sighed.

“Are you sleeping with her?” Lucius asked.

Draco jumped a little with surprise. “No, not since before my wedding,” he answered. Lucius must have been around the corner, only stepping out when Ginny walked away. Draco hadn't sensed anyone else's presence.

“Then you love her?” his father asked.

Draco was even more surprised. “Yes I do.”

Lucius looked his son up and down. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Draco finally took a seat. “Because she's a Weasley. I didn't believe you would understand.”

Lucius then sighed. “She is a Pure blood, though. Had you told me earlier, things could have been different.”

Draco looked shocked at what he was hearing.

“I knew you weren't happy and I hoped that if there was someone else you would have told me.”

“I never believed you would understand.”

“How long were you two together for?”

Draco thought back. “About seven months. How do you know?”

“I saw her hug you. You looked like if you let go it would kill you. What's your plan?” the father asked his son.

“There is no plan. She loves me too, but married Potter because her family expected her to. In some ways, she loves him too. However I would never ask her to be my mistress. She's too good for that.”

“Draco, I wish you had told me. I only want to see you happy.”

“That's what I want for her. We both knew that we could never really be together. Her family would never accept me, and I could have never asked her to walk away from them. I know what they mean to her.”

“You really have matured, Draco. Now, how's your wife doing?” Lucius asked, changing the subject.


Meanwhile in Audrey's room, Hermione asked Ginny, “Did I see you talking to Draco Malfoy out in the hall?”

Ginny looked at Hermione. “Yes, his wife had a miscarriage.”

“Oh. But still, he's a-”

“Hermione, you weren't at Hogwarts the year of the war. That year, things were very odd, and when I ran into him here, he looked like he needed someone to talk to. I mean, think about it; his wife must be really upset. He has to be strong for her, but he could show a little weakness to me and then hate me for seeing it because I'm a Weasley,” Ginny covered.

“Oh. Do you want to talk about what happened that year?”

“No. It's fine, Hermione.”



One week later, Ginny received an owl:

Ginevra,
I wanted to thank you for your kind words the other day. It meant the world to me.
Yours always in soul,
D.M.
P.S. I like the new hairstyle.

Ginny held the note close to her heart for a long moment. It would be another six months before she would see him again. This time, she was in a pub near Wilshire with her teammates after a Quidditch win. Harry was again out on assignment, but he still had sent her flowers for good luck that morning. The group of women she was with were a feisty bunch, and the dive they were in suited them.

Ginny saw Draco come down the hall with a woman who was not his wife. Clearly, she was a stripper, with red hair. Draco didn't see Ginny, so she watched as he went to get a room after being handed a key.

He started to lead the girl to the hotel above the pub.

Ginny couldn't stand it; she got up and made her way over to them. “Draco Malfoy! I believe you have a wife at home!” she barked.

“Ginny?” he slurred. He clearly had been drinking.

Ginny looked at the woman with him. “Excuse us for a minute.” She then pulled Draco to the side of the room. “Your wife is still recovering from her miscarriage and you're going to sleep with a whore?”

“Ginny, you don't understand!” More slurring.

Ginny looked over at the girl. “It she supposed be a replacement for me?” She was hurt now.

Draco shook his head. “No, no one could ever replace you.”

“Then why are you about to cheat on Astoria?” she pointed out.

“Why do you care?” Draco hissed.

“Because, we... Draco, please! Go home and work on your marriage.”

“Ginny, I love you.”

She sighed. “Me too, but Draco? Please don't betray the woman that I have accepted as the one who can have you now that I can't.”

“So I can sleep with my wife, but no one else?” he uttered drunkenly.

“I couldn't handle anyone else,” she admitted. She could feel the tears burning her eyes.

“Why don't you come up there with me?” He reached out and played with a piece of her hair.

Ginny then realized just how drunk he was. She didn't want to hurt him; that would only ensure he would cheat on his wife. “Draco, if you were sober I would think about it, but I know you wouldn't ask that of me if you were sober.” She looked over his shoulder and saw Blaise Zabini, so she waved him over.

She put on a sweet smile. “Zabini, I think you need to take Malfoy home. He's clearly too drunk to even think.” Blaise only smirked at her.

So to prove her point she added, “He just asked me to have sex with him.”

The man's eyes widened and he then reached out to grab Draco's shoulder. “Come on, mate. Let's get you home.”

Draco looked at Ginny. “Party pooper!” he spat.

“Sorry, Mrs. Potter. Just a stag night gone a little wild,” Blaise explained.

“I figured it was something like that,” Ginny said, then headed back to her table.



The next afternoon, Blaise returned to Malfoy Manor. Draco showed no signs of a hangover. “You sure don't look like the man I dropped off here last night. How mad was Astoria?”

“She wasn't; she expected me to come home drunk.”

“That's a good woman you have there, mate.”

“Yeah. How did I get home anyway?”

Blaise started laughing. “Hmm, where to start. I found you with Ginny Potter. She told me to take you home because you obviously had had too much to drink, and you had asked her to have sex with you.”

The glass that Draco was holding fell to the floor as he said, “Shit! She's going to hate me.”

Blaise looked confused. “Draco, we're talking Ginny Weasley Potter. Wasn't she raised to hate you?”

Draco realized his slip. “Yes, of course. I just mean she's still a married woman, and I never should have said that to her.”

“Hey, I really can't blame you. She is one nice piece of ass,” the black man commented

Draco felt his temperature rising. “Blaise, I will not have you speaking about Ginevra or any other woman like that in my house!”


About a week after the stag, Draco finally caught up with Ginny on Diagon Alley. “Ginny, I need to speak with you,” he urged.

Ginny looked around the busy street. “I can't. I'm Harry Potter's wife!” She turned and walked away from him.



This didn't stop Draco, though. The next morning he waited until he knew Harry would have left for the day, then went to Ginny and Harry's house. When he arrived, he found her working in the front flower beds.

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter Four
Encounters

The stones of the pathway crunched as Draco walked up to where Ginny was kneeling on the ground planting daisies.

“Ginny, please! I have things I want to say,” Draco said, causing Ginny to look up at him. She was startled to see him there at her house.

“Mr. Malfoy, I have nothing to say to you,” she replied.

“Ginny, please-”

She rose and quickly brushed herself off. “Please leave. You’re not welcome here.” Ginny took a deep breath before hastily walking towards her house in an effort to avoid him.

“You have every right to be mad at me,” Draco blurted out, forcing himself to say something to stay calm; he didn’t want her to leave him again. Saying this seemed to work as Ginny stopped and started to turn around, appearing to look for anyone that could hear. Stepping closer to him, she stopped just out of arm's reach.

“Draco, you broke your promise to me!” she shouted in a whisper, annoyed with how he seemed to want pity when he was the one in the wrong.

“Can we go in? I want to talk and I don't think it should be out here in the open for all to hear.”

“No!”

He was taken aback. “Fine, but I'm not leaving until you hear me out. How will you explain to your husband when he arrives home as to why I am sitting on your doorstep?”

Ginny sighed in annoyance. “Alright.” With a stamp of her foot she once again started towards the house, not bothering to look to see if he was following her or not, though she hoped he wasn’t.

The house was very quaint; an average house that had an old fashioned feel with a charming grace and elegance to it. With its size, it was clearly meant for a big family. Draco followed her as she walked to the kitchen, watching her as she began to pour herself a glass of water.

“I know what I did was wrong, Ginny.”

“Do you know how much it hurt to hear you ask me that?”

“I honestly don't even remember saying it. Blaise told me, and I knew you would be hurt.”

“How many other times have you cheated on her?” she questioned, arms folded in front of herself.

“Ginny, it's not like you and Potter. You do love him.” He looked as if it killed him to say it. “I don't love her.”

Ginny took a sip of water to keep from crying. “That's not what I asked.”

“A couple of times,” he admitted as he sat down at the breakfast bar.

“Do you have feelings for any of them?” she asked, still planted in her spot in front of the sink.

He looked straight into her eyes. “No, only you. Why wouldn't you talk to me on Diagon Alley?”

“Because I'm Harry Potter’s wife. The press follows me sometimes.”

“Ginny, what’s going on here?” Harry asked from the doorway of the kitchen.

Draco turned and looked at Harry before standing. “Well Potter, you see, about a week ago I was at a stag party for Nott and I was very drunk. I made some very ungentlemanly suggestions to your wife. I felt that it was only right to come and apologize in person.” Ginny was shocked. Harry looked at her and then at Draco, who continued, “To both Ginny and you.”

Harry looked at Ginny. “Is this right?”

“Yes,” was all she could say.

“I'm not normally here during the day,” Harry pointed out.

“I know; my next stop was going to be the Ministry, but you've just saved me the trip.” He looked back at Ginny. “I am sorry, Ginny, Harry.” He then turned and let himself out.

Harry turned to Ginny. “What were you saying about the press?”

“He tried to talk to me the other day in Diagon Alley, but I wouldn't give him the time of day.”

“What did he say to you that night?” Harry asked.

“He asked me to sleep with him.”

Harry's eyes burned with anger. “What? How dare he!”

“Harry, relax. It was a stag night, he was really drunk, and he was obviously not thinking clearly. I called Blaise Zabini over and he took Draco home right after.”


Months later, Ginny was four months pregnant with their first child. Everyone was happy for them. Harry was excited about having a family member that he was blood related to. Ginny found she began to dislike Harry's job. It was one thing when it was the two of them, but now with a baby on the way, it scared her.

“Ginny, I don't understand. You know I have the Elder Wand.”

“Harry, that doesn't mean anything; you told me Draco had it before you and it's not a guarantee. Please, we're going to be parents! Please, just slow down. I need you; the baby needs you.”

Harry took a long moment before replying, “You’re right. I’ll slow down at work. In fact, the current head of Aurors is going to retire soon and his right hand man will take over, but the Deputy position will be opening up. I could put in for that.”

Ginny laughed. “Harry, you could put in to be the Minister for Magic and get it.”


As Ginny got closer to her due date, she and Harry did all the soon-to-be-parent things. This day, they were out shopping for furniture for the baby’s room. Draco was walking down the street and saw Ginny, who was very heavy with child, and Harry. He was surprised; he believed he would have heard if she were expecting. He now found himself hating Harry more. He had once dreamed of Ginny carrying his child. Hell, the day that he arrived to tell her about having to marry Astoria he had prayed when he saw her upset that she was about to tell him that she was expecting. If that had been the case, they could have maybe been together. But now she was carrying Harry f-ing Potter’s child, and what made it all worse was that she seemed happy. Draco knew he should be pleased she was happy. He wondered if Potter knew how lucky he was. Potter had the most beautiful, brilliant witch as his wife.

Ginny was glowing and looked happy. She and Harry were happy and she did love him. But on this day, Ginny didn't see Draco herself.

One month later, Draco read that Ginny had her baby; a boy they named James Sirius Potter. Harry would name the boy after important people in his life, but what about Ginny's life? Draco knew how much she had been hurt by the death of her brother, Fred. And even if the reason the baby was not named after Fred was because someone in that overgrown family of hers had already used it, could the boy not have carried the name of both of his grandfathers?

It was two more months before Draco saw her again. Astoria had an appointment at the spa. Draco had just dropped her off and was about to leave when he spotted Ginny with Granger and a few other women he did not know walking up to the spa. The others were gently teasing Ginny.

“Come on Ginny, you have to spend a little time on yourself. Otherwise those Boy-Who-Lived groupies will start to look pretty good to Harry,” one stated.

“I know, it just feels odd to be away from James for so long,” Ginny replied, sounding sad to Draco. He couldn't help but watch and listen.

“So long? We've been gone for maybe twenty minutes!” The others laughed at her.

After Ginny and the others entered the spa, Draco thought about the fact that she looked great for a woman who just had a baby. Her body still looked toned and her breasts looked fuller. The sight of her was enough to make his mouth water. He spent his day thinking about coincidentally running into her later at the spa, but in the end decided she should be happy and didn't need him popping up all the time.


Draco did his best to avoid Ginny for the next few years. Then one day he took Astoria to a healer appointment and then took their son to a playground. As he walked up he saw her red hair; it was cut in a trendy bob, but he would never mistake the color. He knew he should have left, but he couldn't help himself. Sitting next to the bench she sat at was a stroller. He walked around to the other side of the bench; she was watching a little boy about four or five years old with brown hair climb up the slide. In front of her in the sand was another boy with messy black hair. He was about the same age as Scorpius.

Draco cleared his throat and asked, “Do you mind if I sit here?”

Ginny couldn't believe she was hearing his voice! As she turned to look at the person who spoke, she told herself she was hearing things. But as soon as her eyes fell on Draco, she couldn't help but smile. It took a second for her to speak. “Please do.”

Draco looked down at his son. “Go on, play.”

The miniature Draco smiled at his father, jumped into the sandbox, and began talking in toddler to Ginny's son. “He looks just like you,” she commented.

Draco noticed she was expecting again. She looked like she was about six months along. “My family's not sure if he looks like me or Father.”

“Well, you do look like your father.” She smiled at him.

Draco looked at the little boy playing with his son. “He looks like his father.”

“Yes, Al is my mini Harry.”

“Al?”

“It's short for Albus, Albus Severus,” she explained.

Draco smirked. “Given the circumstances, ten years ago it would have seemed like a no-brainer that I would have been the one to name my son after Snape, not Potter. I guess it shows he has matured.”

“He has,” Ginny replied.

Draco just stared at her for a minute and received the reward of her touching the necklace he gave her years before. It had been years since he had talked to her, since he was close enough to smell her. “How have you been?” he asked calmly.

She looked over at her older son, taking a moment to think about her reply. “I'm good. I miss playing Quidditch, but I enjoy the writing I have been doing. How about you?”

“Life is – good,” he decided. He looked at his own son and then at Ginny's boys. “I still wish they could have been ours.”

Ginny wasn't sure how to reply. “I know,” she said quietly.

“You look great,” he commented.

“How come I never see you around?” Ginny asked. At that moment James came over.

“Mummy, can I have some juice?”

Ginny smiled and reached into the stroller, grabbing a sippy cup of juice for him. “Here you go, honey.”

After the boy took a very greedy drink he handed the cup back to his mother, then asked, “Who is he, Mummy?” as he eyed Draco Malfoy up and down.

Ginny looked sideways at Draco before replying, “James, this is Draco. He was—a friend of mine at Hogwarts.”

James looked at him one more time. “Hi!”

“Hello, James Potter,” Draco greeted.

James turned his attention back to Ginny. “Mum, are we going to Grandma's soon? I'm hungry!”

“In a bit, James. Al is playing nicely.” James snorted and stormed off. “He's a lot like Ron,” Ginny defended her son.

“I feel for the kid,” Draco commented. “I'm pleased you’re happy.”

“What about you, Draco?” she asked as she subconsciously rubbed her tummy.

“I have a wonderful son who loves me.”

“And your wife?”

“Ginny, we both know I don't love her. She and I are friends, she enjoys spending my money, and in return she sleeps with me.”

“Draco, that’s one of the coldest things I have ever heard you say.” Disappointment was clear in her voice.

“Would you rather hear that she's the perfect wife who has made me very happy and who I love?” he asked, looking sternly at her. “That would hurt you more!”

“I guess, but I do want you to be happy.”

“We both know I have forsaken my happiness for money, and for you.”

She had tears in her eyes. “I'm sorry! James, Al, it's time to go to Grandma's.” She rose and grabbed Al and placed him in the stroller. James came over as she finished strapping Al in. Draco took hold of her wrist.

“Ginny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.” She only nodded. “I'm still yours, always in soul.” She nodded again, then the Potters walked away.

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter Five
Along Came an Offer


That night Harry put the boys to bed while Ginny relaxed. Once he was finished he joined her in their room. “Gin, James said he met a friend of yours today. He said the guy's name was Draco.”

Inwardly Ginny was relieved that the whole incident was completely innocent. “Yeah, he showed up at the park while the boys were playing.”

“Why does James think that Draco is your friend?” Harry asked as he removed his shirt.

“Why? Well, we were talking civilly when James came over and asked who he was. I felt that James was too young to deal with the complicated tale, so it was easier to tell him that. He is only five.”

“I guess. I just don't feel comfortable with James thinking a Malfoy is our friend.”

“Harry, we haven't seen the man since before I got pregnant with James. I don't think it’s anything to worry about.”


At the same time, in Lucius Malfoy's personal study, he and son Draco were talking. “The Daily Prophet wants to do a report on Malfoy Holdings,” Lucius said.

“We could use the publicity,” Draco replied.

“Yes, but most people will think any piece they do about us will be biased by the fact that we are a big advertiser.”

“That would seem l-i-k-e-l-y, unless…” Draco drawled.

“Draco, what are you thinking?” Lucius questioned as he leaned back in his chair.

“I ran into Ginny Potter today at the playground. She has been working as a sports correspondent for the Prophet. If she wrote the piece, no one would think it was biased; at least not in a favorable way.”

Lucius eyed Draco up and down. “What's going on with you and her?”

Draco rose from his seat, walked over to the fireplace, shoved his hands into his pockets, and slouched. “Nothing, Father. Today was the first time I have seen her in almost five years.”

“After all this time you still have feelings for her?”

Draco nodded, then continued. “She's an amazing woman. She is stronger than anyone would ever think. She doesn't know the meaning of the word fear, and I think some of that is because of your actions towards her, but she has the most forgiving nature to her.”

“Then why are you with Astoria?”

Draco looked at his father with a frown. “I believed at the time you would never have allowed us to be together. We needed the deal with Astoria's family, and Ginny's family expected her to marry Potter.”

“People have had lovers before, son.”

Draco shook his head. “I could never ask her to play second fiddle to Astoria.”

“You said it yourself; she married Potter...” Lucius persisted.

“She always loved him. We both knew that, but we did love each other more.” Draco began to pace.

“What would you do to have her back?”

“What?”

“What would you do to have her back?” Lucius repeated.

“Anything, but I could never do that to her. Potter, whether I like it or not, is the father of her children. She does seem happy, so I won't screw with her life.”

Lucius rose and walked over to Draco. “Then why do you want her to write this article?”

“I haven't been alone with her since before I got married. I would just like the chance to talk to her without having to worry about the press hearing us.”

“Draco, it's never been a secret how I feel about her family. However, I still wish you would have talked to me about her. If you want her to write this, that's fine. I will arrange it; it's the least I can do for you.”


A week later Ginny was called into the office to meet with the editor about writing an article. On what, she didn't know. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on. As she entered the office, she noticed that the editor of the business section was also there.

“Mrs. Potter, you know Kevin Snow.”

Ginny smiled at the other man.

“Kevin,” she greeted.

“Mrs Potter, I don't know if you’re aware, but the paper does a huge report on one company every quarter. The company we have chosen for the coming quarter has requested that you write the report.”

Ginny was confused. “Me? Why? Are they a Quidditch team?”

Kevin smiled at her. “No, they are not. They want you because they are a big advertiser and they don't want the piece to be perceived to be biased. You are the perfect person for that.”

“What company is it?” she asked.

“Malfoy Holdings. Look, Draco Malfoy asked to speak to you himself. Do you mind if he comes in now?” He paused for a second. “You are willing to do this, right?”

“I get the feeling I don't have much choice,” she said honestly.

Kevin opened the door and Draco strolled in.

He nodded to both men and then spoke, “Gentlemen, thanks for letting me speak to Mrs. Potter.”

He then ushered the two men from the room.

Once the door closed on them, Ginny asked, “Draco, what are you doing?”

He smiled at her. “Ginny, relax. This is all above board. They want to do the report on my family's company, and we don't want anyone to claim that it's biased. Therefore you're the perfect person to write it. No one would ever claim that a Weasley was being overly nice about anything relating to the Malfoys. If anything, people will believe that you would be harder on us than most. But I won't push you to do something you don't want to do.”

“I'm sure your father would be thrilled to have me checking out Malfoy Holdings.”

“Father is fine with it. And Ginny, he knows about us. He has known since Astoria lost that baby. He was disappointed that I never told him about you before.”

“What? No…no, he hates me!”

“Ginny, you have to understand Father; he's a man of great passion for everything he values. Yes, he did some horrible things in his life, but his family is his greatest asset.”

“Draco, to do this I would have to spend time alone with him. I don't know if I can do that.”

“That's not true. Ginny, you can do anything you put your mind to. Besides, you have nothing to fear from Father. Please say you'll do this.”

“Draco, why do you want me to do this?”

He sighed heavily. “It's a chance to spend time with you. I've missed you. Nothing will happen, I promise. I just need to be able to talk to you without having to worry about who is listening.”

She looked down into her lap. “Okay, I'll do it.” Now she just had to explain this to her husband.

That night Ginny waited until the boys were in bed and Harry was doing some paperwork. Ginny entered the office they both used in the house. “Harry, can I talk to you?”

Harry looked up at his wife. It was clear to anyone that he loved her. “I always have time for you.”

She smiled at him. “I was called in to the paper today. They asked me to do a huge report. By huge I mean, like, a whole section of the paper. The editor asked for me write the major part and I would also have the final say on the whole content of the section.”

“Gin, that sounds like a lot of work. I don't want you to stress yourself out.”

“I know, but Harry this is huge for me. I was asked to do this, not because of the fact that I played Quidditch or that my last name is Potter. Actually, I was asked because my name is Weasley. You see, this report is for the business section. You know how each quarter the paper does a full-scale report on a company? Well, this time they chose Malfoy Holdings, and I guess Lucius Malfoy doesn't want anyone to be able to say the report is biased because they do a lot of advertising with the paper. So they asked for me to write it.”

Harry got up and came over to her. “Ginny, I don't know. That would mean spending a large amount of time with him.”

“I know, but I highly doubt he's going to do anything with you and the whole paper knowing I'm there. Lucius Malfoy is a number of things, but stupid or crazy isn't one of them.”

“I'm not just talking about him trying to do something to you; I worry about the stress that an assignment that big will put on you.”

“You know, I don't want to be like Mum. Once this baby is old enough, I want to work. I want to make a good name for myself, and this could really help later on.”

He took her face in his hands. “Ginny, you know I'm not going to say no to you, but I am worried.”

“I'll take it easy, I promise,” she assured him.


One week later, Ginny walked into Draco's office, and the second the door opened for her, his eyes were on her.

He rose, greeting, “Ginny! It's good to see you.”

“Thank you, Draco.”

His assistant closed the door and neither one knew what to say.

Finally, Ginny urged, “Well, let’s get started. I did a lot of research for today.”

“Ginny, stop. Can't we just talk for a bit?”

“Why, Draco? I mean, wouldn't it be easier on both of us if we just let it go?”

He looked at her for a moment. “Can you tell me you’re over us?”

“No, but for the last five years I have been happy.”

He looked at her. “I don't want to hurt you. I have never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know.”

“Please, just tell me how you have been.”

She stared at him. “Why do you want to hear how happy I am with Harry? I know it hurts you.”

“Because the selfish part of me wants to hear you’re not happy and that he is an ass who doesn't appreciate you, but the part of me that loves you needs to know that you’re happy.”

“Am I the only person who sees this side of you?” she inquired.

“You used to be. However, Scorpius gets to see it too, sometimes.”

“I'm glad for that. Yes, I'm happy. The boys are a handful, but there's no better feeling in the world than hearing them say, 'I love you, Mommy!' And my husband is a good and supportive man. He's good with the boys.”

“It killed me when I heard you were expecting your first child.”

“I know; I felt the same way when Scorpius was born. Now please, can we get to work?”

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter Six
Wins and Losses

Ginny followed the short, stumpy woman into Lucius Malfoy’s office, but before entering the devil's den she took a deep breath. She refused to show any fear of the man that single-handedly ruined her life; while shaking on the inside, she stayed poised on the outside. He sat in a throne-like chair, looking like he was worth more than he was. Ginny stepped further into the large office. As she did, Lucius stood and smiled, surprising her with his courtesy. “Mrs. Potter, please have a seat,” he greeted, motioning with his hand to the chair on the other side of his desk.

She offered him her hand to shake, but was even more surprised and slightly disgusted when instead of shaking her hand, he softly kissed the top of it, then held it lightly in his. Taking her hand back, she wiped it off on her jacket, behind her back so that he wouldn't notice. “Mr. Malfoy.”

“Lucius will do. Do you mind if I call you Ginevra?”

“I guess not.”

“You have grown into a very beautiful young woman,” Lucius commented, eyeing her up and down.

Ginny was feeling increasingly uncomfortable and quickly swallowed before replying, “Let’s get started.”

He looked at her. “I think not. I have a few things to say to you.”

Ginny could feel her eyes grow wide like saucers.

“Ginevra, I know how Draco feels about you. What I would like to know is; how do you feel about him?”

Before replying, she bit her lip. “Um, Lucius, I don't feel this -”

“Relax, I only want to know if Draco's feelings are one-sided.”

“I think in some ways they are. He told me to be happy, and I am.”

“Then you don't love Draco?” he asked.

She closed her eyes. “I never said that. I do, and I think I always will, but unlike Draco, I also love my husband.”

Lucius eyed her suspiciously. “And if you had to choose between the two?”

Ginny thought for a long moment. “That's not a fair question. Harry is the father of my children, so there is an added bond there.”

The reformed Death Eater smiled. “Yes, children. It is amazing what we will do for them. But let’s pretend, for a moment; that you didn't have your children, and Draco was free of his wife.”

She didn't need to answer; Lucius knew. Yes, she would be torn, but ultimately she would choose Draco.


Later that day, Draco insisted that Ginny join him for lunch. “So how did it go with Father?”

“It was fine,” she said calmly.

“Ginny...”

“Don't, Draco. Just don't! We aren't together, and we aren't ever going to be together. I know some part of you has been pretending this week that we were together, but this has to stop. You can't be doing this. I'm beginning to think it would have been better if we had had a messy break up.”

“Why is it wrong for me to want to be with you?” he asked.

“Because you’re married! I'm married! Draco, you can't be doing this to me. I love Harry! And what you’re doing is just mean. No more!” She got up and left.

Ginny finished her report and did it without seeing Draco again. As much as she was mad at him, she was also mad at herself for wanting to be with him.


Weeks later, she heard that Astoria had had problems delivering, and both she and the baby had passed away. Ginny's heart broke for Draco, and she decided to go to the funeral. She couldn't explain why, but she just felt she had to. She slipped in at the back and watched Draco hold his son, who was too young to really understand what was taking place. Ginny only stayed for the service and left without a word.

But Draco did see her.

The next day, Ginny received an owl from Draco:

Ginny,
I beg you, please don't take any risks! I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you.
Yours always in soul,
D.M.
She couldn't be upset with him, for he had just lost his wife and child. She was touched that he clearly feared for her. However, she was different from Astoria; she had already given birth to two perfect boys without incident.


A couple of months later, Draco read that Ginny gave birth to a small but perfect baby girl named Lily Luna Potter. He noted that it took three children for Ginny to finally get a name that meant something to her; although it was only a middle name. It made Draco question Harry's feelings for Ginny, to the point where he hired a private investigator to find out if Harry was the type to sleep around on his wife. Draco was quite disappointed when his P.I. returned with nothing, but soon realized that Ginny didn't feel the need to name her child after people in her life because she had the chance to know her loved ones. Potter, like Draco, had a piece of him missing from never knowing these people, much like Draco and the daughter he lost. This only served to remind Draco of one of the reasons he loved Ginny; how she always thought about everyone else first.

Whether Ginny or Draco liked it or not, they ended up being invited to many of the same functions. The 'Hero of the Wizarding World' was a must on most guest lists, public and private. The Malfoy money also made Draco a must have. However, the Potters went to very few events, preferring to spend time with family, which seemed to Draco to be growing by the second.

When Draco did see Ginny, she was nearly always with Potter or one of her family. Yet, despite what Ginny said the last time they spoke, Draco saw that she still wore the necklace he had given her. At least he knew she still cared; she just didn't want to be teased with what she couldn't have. Selfish Draco loved this.

In Draco’s own life, Daphne had stepped up and helped with Scorpius, who was missing his mother. She and Draco were friends and nothing more. It didn't take long for her to realize that someone else held Draco’s heart and that he had no desire to try to find someone else. Therefore she needed to take on the mother role to Scorpius, and she didn't mind, for she couldn't have children of her own.

One day, Ginny was on Diagon Alley with her three children; the two eldest already knew better than to wander from their mother. They had heard tales of wands being taken to one's backside and didn't want to find out if their mother was capable of doing that to them. Lily was still in her stroller, too tiny to wander. James had begged to stop in at the Quidditch shop.

“Mummy, look at that!” James pointed at the newest racing broom.

Ginny had to admit; it even made her want to try it. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw the white blond hair she knew so well, hiding behind a rack of team jerseys. She looked for the tall man she expected to see nearby, but saw no one around the small boy. “James, watch Al for a second.” She then headed over to the rack and found she was right; there was little Scorpius Malfoy. “Scorpius?” she gently asked.

The boy spun around and looked at Ginny for a second, then he asked, “Are you an angel?”

“No, I'm a Mummy. Your name is Scorpius, right?”

The little boy nodded. “Daddy,” he said worriedly.

“Where is your daddy?” Ginny asked calmly.

“The office.”

Ginny glanced around the shop for someone, anyone, who would be with the small boy, but there was no one. “Who took you out today?”

“Auntie Daphne.”

“Are you lost?” Ginny asked. He nodded, but didn't voice it. Ginny could tell he was trying to fight the tears that threatened to fall. “I know your daddy. Would you like my help finding him?” He looked unsure and it broke her heart. “Look, do you see those boys over there? They're my sons and this is my daughter. Come on, I promise you're safe with me.”

“I know I safe with you 'cause you look like the angel Daddy tells me about.” He reached out and took her hand.

“Okay, we just need to get my boys. Al is just your age.” She wondered if they would like each other, or hate each other like their fathers. Once they collected James and Al, Ginny took the kids out to the street and began making their way to Malfoy Holdings. If nothing else, they would know where Draco was, or someone there could get a hold of Lucius or Narcissa. The three boys chatted about Quidditch with James leading the talk. About two blocks up Ginny spotted a group of people gathered together and soon realized that Draco, Daphne, and several others that she knew to be junior Aurors were there. She pointed them out to Scorpius. “Look, there’s your daddy!”

The boy looked up and his face was awash with relief at the sight of his father, but he hesitated. “It’s okay, buddy. Go on.”

He whispered to Ginny so Al and James wouldn't hear. “Daddy will be mad. I'm not to talk to people I don't know.”

Ginny knelt down and smiled at him. “Don't worry, I promise he won't be mad. And if he is, just send him to me.”

Scorpius nodded and stepped away from Ginny and the boys, then stopped. “Thank you,” he said, then continued towards Draco. Ginny could see the relief come over Draco once he saw his son. He picked the boy up and the others in the group seemed to take off quickly. She could see Draco and Scorpius talking, then Scorpius pointed out Ginny and her children to his father. Draco looked at her and the second he saw her relief again washed over his face. He then turned and said something to Daphne, who nodded. Draco then walked over to Ginny, smiling the whole time. “Ginny!”

“Draco,” she greeted in return.

Draco took note of her children. “My son tells me you were kind enough to help him out.”

She smiled. “He was clearly lost, and I hope someone would do the same if one of my sons was lost.” She looked very pointedly at James and Al, and all could tell she was stressing to the boys that this will never happen with them.

“I would like to show my appreciation. Perhaps I could take you to dinner.”

Ginny couldn't help herself; she longed to say yes, but knew that would never be a good idea. “That’s not necessary.”

Draco realized that she may be thinking he was just trying to do what he did when she was working on the report. “I am sure we could find something that would work for both you and your husband.”

It was then that Ginny knew this was really about him showing he was thankful, but she remembered the promise she made to Harry after their wedding. It was that he would never have to worry about having dinner with the man who took her virginity. “No, I don't think that would work,” she answered.

“Ginny, there must be something.”

She glanced around, then replied, “I'm sure that my children and I wouldn't object to an ice cream.”

He couldn't believe she was serious. “Just an ice cream?”

All three boys heard that magic word and began talking about what flavor they wanted. Ginny smiled. “See?”

“I guess that will have to do,” Draco commented.

Upon hearing this, James and Al began heading for the ice cream shop. “Boys, stop right there! Just because you think you know where you're going doesn't mean you can take off without me!” she sternly told the boys.

Draco put Scorpius down and he joined the boys as they continued talking about ice cream and Quidditch. James looked back at Ginny, who gave a nod, and they started walking at a normal pace to the shop, the other two following his lead. Draco watched for a minute, then commented as he stepped in line with Ginny, “They act like old friends.”

“Quidditch,” Ginny replied.

“You look good, as always.”

She smiled. “Thank you. How have you been doing?”

“I’ve been fine. Things were hard on Scorpius at first, but Daphne has really helped a lot.”

“What happened today?” she asked.

“Daphne ran into someone she knew and was distracted for a minute. I'm guessing Scorpius kept walking and didn't realize she wasn't with him, then got turned around. Where did you find him?”

“In the Quidditch shop; he was trying hard not to panic.” Draco simply nodded. When they reached the ice cream shop, she said, “I'll get a table.”

“What will your boys have?”

Ginny smiled. “Oh, they will tell you.”

Once she found a table and got Lily's stroller placed so it wasn't in the way, Draco returned with the boys, each with their favorite flavor of ice cream. Draco was also levitating three dishes of ice cream. He clearly remembered Ginny loved pistachio and he went with simple vanilla for Lily. Al spoke first. “Mum, how did Scorpius' dad know what to get you?”

Ginny smiled, not missing a beat. “We went to school together.” This satisfied the boy and he returned to talking with the others. She looked back at Draco. “I'm surprised you remembered.”

“Like I would ever forget watching you eat that cone. I think it's still one the most...” He glanced at the boys, “...exciting things I've ever witnessed.” He smirked. “I felt it was safer to get you a dish this time; otherwise we might end up on the front page of tomorrow's paper.” His intention was clear and Ginny blushed bright red.

She hoped to change the subject. “So, who’s in line to become the next Mrs Malfoy?”

Draco frowned, but looked straight into Ginny's eyes. “I married once because I had to. I will only marry again if I get the woman I love. She is, however, unavailable to me.”

“You couldn't marry her then, so why wait now?” she asked.

“There were facts I wasn't aware of at the time,” he explained. Ginny turned her attention to feeding Lily.

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter Seven
Many Tears For Ginny


Ginny would be lying if she said that she didn't spend the rest of her day pondering over what Draco meant. What facts was Draco not aware of from nine or ten years ago? Could it have really changed anything for them? If she had the chance, would she change things? She thought about her children. No, she could never imagine a world without James, Albus, and Lily. And, based on what she saw today, she didn't think Draco would want a world without Scorpius. They were obviously very close. The boy looked every bit as much like Draco as Albus did Harry. Ginny was grateful that the children were at her mother’s this afternoon; she needed a day like this.

When Harry arrived home, Ginny was doing the dishes, and she knew she needed to tell him about the events of the day.

“Hey, Gin! Did the kids make it to your mother's today?” Harry asked as he kissed his wife on the temple.

Ginny closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his touch.“Yes, we went there after I finished up in Diagon Alley,” Ginny said, gazing at him as she continued to mindlessly scrub the dishes clean.

Harry sat down at the table, sighing in relief as he did so. “I heard there was some excitement there today. Apparently Malfoy’s son got lost for awhile.”

After a minute in thought, Ginny said, slowly, “Yeah I know.” She wasn't sure what his reaction would be, so she put the last plate on the drying rack, dried her hands, and sat down opposite her husband. “I was the one who found him. He was in the Quidditch shop. It took a bit of time, but I convinced him to let me help him. Draco was-” Harry frowned slightly at the name, “very grateful for my help. He offered to take you and me out to dinner, but I felt that an ice cream was more appropriate.”

“Ginny, don't you think that I could spend an evening with him?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I'm sure you could; you’re not the same person you were when you attended school with him. I simply didn't think that I could handle dinner with him.”

“I was hoping I would get home before you started dinner,” Harry said, changing the subject smoothly. “I want to take you out tonight; just the two of us. You could put on that little black number that you've been dying to wear since you bought it last month,” he said with a suggestive smile.

“You know about that?” Ginny said, exasperated.

“Ginny, my love, I know everything about you. You have no secrets from me.”


The years seemed to fly past and before Ginny knew it, Albus was getting his Hogwarts letter. However, this was not as happy a time as others would have believed. Harry had been ill lately and just found out he didn't have much time left. There was no known cure, magical or Muggle, for what he had. Ginny and Harry chose to keep this from the children for as long as possible. Harry didn't want them to act any differently around him. Ginny for her part wondered if this was the right thing to do, but soon realized that Harry had spent his whole life with people expecting him to be killed at any moment and knew he didn't want to see the same look in his children’s eyes.

The family spent the whole summer together, packing in every memory Harry felt he missed as a child.

On the morning of September 1, Ginny and Lily watched Albus - who was a ball of nerves thanks to James – board the train. Ginny remembered the day Ron first left for Hogwarts; she knew Lily was having feelings of abandonment. She also wondered how weird the next year would be without Harry's help; he wouldn't be here to see Lily off to Hogwarts.

Harry seemed to understand where Ginny's head was at. As they left the platform, he wrapped an arm around her, then whispered in her ear as if she was the only person alive, “Even if you can't see me, I will still be here with you.”

This caused Ginny to break down completely; her eyes watered as sobs began to escape. What she had held in since her husband's diagnosis was suddenly coming out in bursts.

Ron and Hermione, who were right behind Ginny and Harry and were the only other people who knew of Harry’s illness, took hold of Lily’s hand and steered her away from her parents.

“Lily, why don't you come with us? You can see your Uncle Ronald drive a car,” Hermione said with a smile that didn't give away the hurt in her eyes.

Harry nodded to them and smiled as he wrapped his arms around his crying wife. “You have done so good since we found out. Can you make it home?”

Ginny wiped her eyes and nodded.

“Will you be alright if I step into the loo?”

“I'll be fine,” she assured Harry.

“Okay, I’ll just be a minute.”

Once he disappeared, Ginny cursed herself for the breakdown; Harry didn't need to deal with her emotions right now. She was supposed to be there for him, not the other way around.

“Ginny, are you alright?” Draco's voice sounded from behind her, making her jump slightly.

She spun around to see him and tried to smile, but didn't succeed. “Yeah, I'm fine,” she lied, grimacing in an attempt to smile.

Even after nineteen years of being away from the woman who had his heart, he still knew her too well. “What's wrong?” he asked.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can't,” she whispered. “Harry will be back in a second. Please, everything will work out. Just go!”

He flashed her a smile. “Ginny, if you need anything, please feel free to come to me.”

She nodded and then turned towards the loo that Harry had headed for, but she paused and turned back towards Draco. “Thanks,” she uttered, then touched the cross she had worn for the last eighteen years. He smiled back at her and she then turned back, slamming into Harry.

“You ready?” he asked.

The next day, Ginny and Harry received two owls; one from Neville and one from James. They opened Neville’s first:

Dear Ginny and Harry,
I just wanted to let you know that Albus was sorted into Slytherin. He looked very scared. I really felt for him, but I’m sure it will only make him stronger. I think it must be his need to prove himself. And from what I heard, he got quite an earful on the train about you, Harry, which most likely caused his need to prove himself even more. How do you feel about him rooming with Malfoy's son? I will keep an eye on him. However, I'm sure there is no way he could ever get into as much stuff as you did, Harry!

Neville.

“I'm sure James' letter is the same,” Harry commented.

Dad and Mum,
I told you he would be put into Slytherin! I hope you realize even as his brother, I can't do anything to help him now!

James.
P.S. Maybe when the Sorting Hat falls apart, I could get the job!

“I think James might be able to get a job as a comedian.”

“You’re calmer about this than I would have thought,” Ginny said.

“The Hat wanted to put me there, too. I couldn't be upset about him ending up there.”

“It thought about that for me, too. I used to put it down to the fact that I was already writing in Tom's diary, but now I don't know.”

“Well, my wife, you have always had an evil streak!”

A couple of weeks later, they could no longer hide the fact that Harry was sick. By the first of October, all the family was gathered at the hospital. Harry had already said good-bye to the boys, and was now saying his final good-bye to Lily. She was crying and Ginny was fighting hard to be strong. “Lily, remember: I will always love you. I need to talk to your mother now, okay?”

Lily nodded and turned towards Ginny. “Do you want me to take you out to Grandma?” Lily nodded again.

Once the door closed behind Lily, Ginny began to pace. Harry looked almost yellow and the weight loss he suffered was shocking, to say the least. He was also very weak and Ginny knew this was the end. Harry Potter would not cheat death this time. “Gin, please come sit here.”

Ginny made her way over to his bedside; she could feel the tears in her eyes.

“You know, my life started the first time I saw you. I mean, you stood out. All of your brothers, even Ron, blended together, but I saw you. I knew my life would never be the same again. For a long time, I thought it had to do with Hogwarts. Actually, it was you.”

“Harry, save your strength.” Ginny pleaded.

“No Ginny, I have to say this because we both know I won't get another chance. I need you to know that you and your whole family showed me what it was to be loved. Ron may be my best mate, but you are my wife, and my life. I know how lucky I have been to have you and your love, but Ginny, I need you to be happy. Promise me you'll do what I ask.”

“Of course Harry, whatever you want,” Ginny whispered.

“Ginny, I need you to tell Draco that he finally beat me. He won your heart.”

“No, Harry! I have always loved you! At first it was the idea of you, and then I slowly got to know you, and you were better than I ever dreamed.” It was not a lie; it just wasn't exactly the full truth.

“Ginny, I know you love me. I have known since the day he came to our house.”

“Harry, I love you!” Ginny protested.

“I know, I know you love me. And it was enough. I'm not mad; as I said you have made me happy, I don't know how or why, but I know you love him more and that he loves you. If you want to be with him, I'm okay with that.”

Ginny could not help herself. “How?”

Harry reached up, his hand shaking weakly as he touched her cross. “This. The only time you haven’t worn it has been our wedding day and when we made love. Anytime we run into him, he watches you till you touch it. I know you were never unfaithful to me. Thank you for what you gave me; your love, a family of my own. You gave me everything I used to dream of when I was locked in my cupboard under the stairs at the Dursley's. I love you.”

“Harry, I love you too!” The tears were pouring down her face.

“I know...” Harry Potter had passed away. Ginny threw herself onto his chest and sobbed. Magical charms let the healers know Harry had passed, but they gave Ginny over an hour alone with his body before George decided it was enough.

He walked into the room to find Ginny still holding on to her husband’s body as she cried. His heart broke for Ginny. “Ginny, come on. Staying in here isn't healthy. I'm sorry he’s gone, but you have your children to think about.”

“He's gone and I can't fix it!” she sobbed.

“Come on, baby sister. Let’s get you out of here.”

Harry had pre-planned his funeral, not wanting Ginny to have to worry about it. Percy read the press a statement announcing Harry’s passing. The family drew closer to each other. The funeral grew bigger than what Harry had wanted, but everyone expected that. The papers were filled with anything and everything about Harry Potter.

The day of the service, Molly and Arthur came to Ginny's place to help get the children ready. The whole family knew Ginny was not holding up well.

Draco felt it was right to go to Harry Potter’s funeral. Their sons had become close and Scorpius wanted to attend for Albus. Draco sat a respectable distance back and watched as the Weasley and Potter families entered, Ron walked next to Ginny with his arm wrapped tightly around her. James, Albus, and Lily followed behind and Hermione was next with her own children. During the whole service, Ron kept an arm around Ginny as she cried.

Neville Longbottom gave Harry's eulogy. “I’m here to tell you about a man, not about the person you read about in the paper. Harry hated the way he came off in the press. I first met Harry Potter on September first, 1991. The boy I met that day was like most first years; he was scared of how he would fit in. Harry's heart was always in the right place, even when he was wrong. Don't get me wrong; he wasn't perfect, and he would have been the first to tell you that. He would also be the first to tell everyone, even if we didn't want to hear it, how most of the things he did, he did with help one way or another. The Harry Potter I knew was a man who loved his wife, Ginny, and their children, James, Albus, and Lily. Harry would rather have spent a night at home with them than anything else. I remember his wedding day; Harry Potter, a man who survived all of the things he had done, was scared stiff that Ginny would change her mind at the last second and leave him at the altar.”

Draco had to admit he was impressed with how far Longbottom had come. Draco didn't realize he spent time looking back on Longbottom's changes until he heard.

“In closing, Harry would only want to be remembered as a loving husband and father.”

When the service came to an end, the family followed the casket out. However, the one time Ginny glanced up, her eyes, by chance, met Draco's. Then she fell apart again. It was in that second that Draco believed perhaps he was wrong all these years. Maybe she did love Harry more!

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter Eight
The Woe of Ginny Potter


As the days turned into weeks after Harry's death, instead of getting better, Ginny slid deeper into depression. Her whole family worried about her, and Lily was now staying at the Burrow. Ginny didn't even react to her going.

That was when Ron knew enough was enough. He went to visit her and wasn't surprised to find her in her nightgown and still in bed at four in the afternoon. She looked like she hadn't bathed or even brushed her hair in days. “Ginny, we need to talk. I know you loved Harry, but you're really scaring us.”

She looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “You don't understand.”

“You're right, I don't. I still have Hermione, but Ginny, even if I lost her I would still go on because of my kids. I would have to move forward for them.”

“What if you knew you were not the husband to Hermione that she should have had?”

Ron was surprised by this comment. “Ginny, Harry loved you. You made him so happy.”

“No! I was a horrible wife!” she sobbed.

“No, Ginny! Do you know how many times I had to tell him to put a sock in it when he talked about how lucky he was to have you?” Ginny sobbed even harder. “Or that you were still my sister and I didn't want to know that many things your relationship? Gin, he told me he loved you more than he ever dreamed possible.”

“That's why I'm a horrible wife. I loved somebody else more than him!”

Ron sat down in shock and disbelief. “What? You cheated on Harry?”

She seemed to calm down a bit. “No, I never broke my wedding vows,” she swore.

Ron was pleased she seemed calmer. “I don't understand.”

“Well, it started when you three were off looking for the Horcruxes. Hogwarts was so different that year; you would never understand how different unless you had been there too. It was the night of Halloween and I had just finished writing pro-Muggle-born slogans when I ran into him, this guy. We fought, then out of nowhere he grabs me and starts kissing me.

It was the best kiss I had ever had, to that point, and he knew what he was doing! It was strong and confident, and before I knew it we were having sex. Afterwards we tried to pretend it didn't happen, but it was such a wonderful distraction from the world we were both in. We both needed the escape. A week later, we met again and it was still a great escape. For weeks it was only sex; then we started talking, but never about the war. When Luna didn't return after Christmas, I told him how worried I was about her. He assured me she would be fine, however the war was still the only thing we didn't talk about. He was my whole world until the final battle came.

Harry returned, and shortly after, Harry asked Dad if Dad would give his blessing to marry me. I knew the whole family wanted us to marry. I also knew the family would never accept this guy. I did love Harry, but not as much as him. I told him I would marry Harry. He understood why and even told me it was okay to love Harry. The last time we were intimate was the night he gave me this, weeks before my wedding.” She held out the cross on her necklace; the only jewelry she currently had on. “I promised myself that I would never break my wedding vows to Harry, and I never did, but Harry figured it out. He spent years with me knowing I loved someone else more. That's why I'm a horrible wife; for Harry to have had to live knowing his wife loved Draco Malfoy more than him!”

There was a look of total shock on Ron's face and he lost all ability to speak! He stared at her for ten minutes before he could form words. “Ginny, I never knew. How do you know Harry knew?”

“He told me right before he died.”

“What?” Ron said, sounding like a girl.

“He said, 'Promise me you'll do what I ask, Ginny. I need you to tell Dr--'”

“Don't say his name!” Ron pleaded.

“'Tell him he finally beat me. He won your heart.'” Ginny started crying again.

Ron wrapped an arm around her. “Why did he tell you this?”

She just sobbed into his shoulder.

Over the next couple of weeks, the family, armed with this new knowledge, tried to bring Ginny back. However, all attempts failed.


In Malfoy Manor, Lucius had come to Draco. “I found this on your mother's desk and I thought you might find it interesting.” Lucius handed Draco a letter from his grandson to his wife. After handing Draco the letter, Lucius turned and walked out of the room.

Draco picked up the letter and began reading it:

Grandmother,
I need to ask for your advice. It's about my friend, Al Potter. He hasn't been the same since his father passed away. However, I can see he is getting worse. You see, he and his dad were very close, but since his father's passing, he hasn't received one letter from home! I mean, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, and his sister send owls, but he gets NOTHING from his mother! I think he is really hurting and I don't know how to help him!

Scorpius

Deep down Draco knew what was going on. Lucius couldn't have cared less about Albus Potter; this was about Ginny. It took a bit for the facts to occur to Draco, but he realized his father's reasons for being okay with his feelings about Ginny. First, she was a Pure blood; second, Lucius did care about Draco`s feelings; and third, to have the Malfoy family seen as being accepted by the Weasley family would serve to prove that the Malfoys were reformed. This would lessen the attention of the Aurors on him and his family, which was something Lucius deeply wanted.


Three days later, Draco was in his office when Ron Weasley knocked, then immediately entered. “Weasley, what are you doing here?”

“Like I want to be here.” Ron paused. “Look, I don't really have any other option. I'm here about Ginny; she told me about you and her.”

Draco never expected this. “She did?” He didn't have to sound surprised.

“Look, Malfoy, since Harry's death she has been a complete mess. I saw you at the service, and that was the best day she has had. The whole family has tried to help snap her out of this with no luck. I'm scared if this goes on much longer, there will be no turning back.”

“Why do you think I can help?” Draco asked.

Ron didn't want to reveal the reason, but he had come this far, so... “Because you're part of the problem. Look, I have lost a brother, and more recently, a man I was closer to than a brother. I don't want to lose Ginny too.”

“She's that bad?”

“The worst, she is. Please, will you come and try to talk to her?”

Angry as Draco was at her for loving Harry, he didn't want to be in a world where Ginny no longer existed. Ron took him to the same house that Draco had come to years before to apologize for asking Ginny to sleep with him. The house looked the same, yet different. The paint color on the walls had changed and there were many more photos. The place had a very homey feeling. Ron led Draco up the stairs. “Sorry, she never comes out of her room. Hermione and I will be down in the kitchen if she needs anything.”

Draco nodded; he didn't have a clue what he was going to do. After Ron headed back downstairs, he knocked on the bedroom door. “Go away!” came Ginny's voice.

Draco placed his hand on the doorknob and slowly turned it, pushing the door open. What he saw scared him; Ginny had definitely lost weight, her hair was missing its lustre, she was wearing what would best be called a granny gown, and when she made eye contact with him, there was no sparkle in her eyes. Tears welled up in them instead. “Go away,” she repeated.

“I can't, Ginny. Your family is very worried about you; worried enough that they came to me for help. I promised myself years back I would never let anything bad happen to you.”

“You're the problem,” she accused.

“Ginny, please tell me about the problem.” Draco closed the door behind himself and stepped closer to the bed where Ginny was balled up.

“Harry made a dying request of me. He asked me to tell you that you finally beat him and that you won my heart.”

Draco was shocked to hear this. “You told him about us?”

She shook her head. “No, he figured it out. I promised myself he would never know about my feelings for you.” She paused. “Harry never had a happy life. He spent his whole life... feeling as if he was … not good enough for those who should have loved him. He should have never felt that from me. I was wrong to marry him if I couldn't have given him the love he deserved.”

“Ginny, stop this pity party! Don't you dare tell me you didn't give him what he deserved, because you gave him everything I could only dream of! Even when I told you all those years ago that it was okay to love him, I hated him. He and you shared something, horrible as it may have been, that linked the two of you to each other forever; your connections with Voldemort. Even though you two didn't deserve that, it still existed. Ginny, there was another reason why I let you go so easily; I knew that if we had somehow beat the deck that was stacked against us, if he was around I could never compete with the connection you two had.”

She shook her head. “You're wrong.”

“No, you want me to be wrong.”

“No, I do love you more than him.”

Draco wanted to say something cold, but knew it was the wrong time for that. “I know, I never said differently. I just mean that yours and Harry's link would have still pulled you two together. Look at what you did give him; nineteen years of yourself, you gave him three children, you made his meals, and you were the perfect wife, always there for him. The perfect date, too. You were never even tempted to be with me.”

“I wanted you,” she protested.

“But Ginny, you never did it! You loved him enough to never want to hurt him, enough to stop living out of poorly felt guilt. What else did he tell you before he died?”

“To be happy.”

“Do you really think he would want your children to have to go through this without you? They need you, your family can see that. Hell Ginny, even Scorpius can see that! He wrote my mother, asking for advice on how to help Al because Al is hurting over the fact that his mother hasn't been there for him.
Scorpius may be a better person than me, but he is still only an eleven-year-old boy!”

“Albus...”

“Yes Ginny, and what about your other children, James and Lily? They too have lost their father, and they need to know you're there for them.”

An hour later, Draco came into the kitchen to find Hermione and Ron having a cup of tea. “She's in the shower, and she said she would be down in half an hour.”

“You got her to take a shower?” Hermione asked, a smile crossing her face.

“Yes. I think things will get better now,” Draco replied. “I told her I would stick around for awhile. I was hoping to see her eat something She has lost a bit of weight.”

“Yes, she has. She hardly eats, no matter what we made for her,” Hermione agreed.

“Potter sent her on quite a head trip.” The Weasleys could hear the anger in Draco's voice.

“I don't think that was his plan,” Hermione conceded.

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter Nine
The Emergence of Mrs. Potter

One week later, Draco returned to the Potter home. He came unannounced, wanting to see if Ginny was keeping up her promise. When she answered the door in the early evening, her hair was shining and she even had a little eyeliner on.

“Draco! What are you doing here?” Ginny asked, opening the door and letting the cold air into her warm house. “You were only here last week.”

“I wanted to check on you, and I was hoping we could talk.” She pulled the door closer to her body and stole a look back into the house. “Ginny, is there something you're hiding?”

She looked back at him. “No, it's Lily.”

He smiled at her reassuringly. “Do you trust me?”

“You have to ask?” she retorted, relaxing a little.

“I'll deal with her,” he assured Ginny, putting his hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off and said, “Draco, she just lost her father.” Her smile evaporated.

“Ginevra, please, can't you just trust me this once?” he asked and watched as she melted before him.

She sighed. “You’re the only person who calls me that,” she commented before opening the door fully and stepping out of the way to allow him in. “We're having a snack in the kitchen.” A click sounded as Ginny closed the front door behind him, locked it, and walked with him in the direction of the kitchen.

Draco smiled at Lily. “Hello, Lily Potter. I'm Scorpius’ father, Draco Malfoy.”

“Hi,” she greeted shyly, looking down at her hands in her lap.

“I hope you don't mind me coming over, but ever since Scorpius left for Hogwarts I have been lonely, and since I went to school with your mother, I thought I would come over and we could all be lonely together,” Draco explained, stepping closer to her before sitting down beside her at the table.

“Uncle Ron doesn't like him,” Lily informed Ginny, looking up at her mother.

Ginny smiled at her daughter. “Once your uncle gets an idea in his head, it's hard for him to change his mind.”

“No Ginny, we should be honest about things,” Draco interrupted. “Lily, your Uncle Ron has good reason to feel the way he does about me. He, Hermione, your father, and I never got along at school, but in my seventh year I met an angel; your mother. We became friends and she helped me in more ways than she will ever know, but when your mother and father got married, we decided it might be better to stay away from each other.”

Lily looked at her mother for some sort of confirmation. “That's right,” Ginny stated.

“You know Lily, I used to know a man who was very much in love with a woman named Lily Potter. He loved her his whole life.”

“You knew my Grandpa?” she asked excitedly.

“No, I knew and was very close with Severus Snape.” Lily's eyes grew big; she had heard about Snape before, but the news that he loved her grandmother was huge. She again looked back at her mother.

“I'll tell you and your brothers the story sometime soon, but it's bedtime now. Upstairs, teeth brushed, face washed, and nightgown on,” Ginny ordered sternly, making sure she got no argument back.

“Yes, Mum.” She slid off her chair and headed for the stairs. Stopping and looking back at Draco, she said, “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Malfoy.” She then ran up the stairs.

“Would you like something to drink? I'm afraid the strongest thing I have is Butterbeer.”

“I haven't had one of those since Scorpius left, so that would be great. Lily looks just like you did the first time I saw you.”

Ginny nodded, then turned and grabbed the two Butterbeers. “Scorpius is the spitting image of you.”

“How did Harry take the news of the boys getting along so well?”

Ginny bit her bottom lip. “He said it was going to happen sooner or later.” She then raised an eyebrow in realization.

“What?” Draco asked, encouraging her to finish her thought.

“Looking back on things, I now see where he was commenting on you and I that I missed at the time.” Tears were building in her eyes and Draco rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her. She promptly pulled back from him. “We can't.”

“We can't what? I can't comfort you?”

“Draco, that’s not it… I know your feelings haven't changed and neither have mine, but Harry only just... I have three children who just lost their father. It's too soon. I have to... we all have to grieve his loss before we can move on.”

He took a very calculated look at her. “Is there hope for our future?”

“Hope, no. However, if you want it, there is a promise.”

“I can live with that, but I need more than what I've had for the last two decades. Can we at least be friends until you’re ready?”

She closed her eyes and flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. “I've missed you so much,” she sobbed into his shirt.

“We'll take things slow and give everyone a chance to get used to the idea,” he whispered into her hair. He was a little surprised at how quickly she was changing her mind, but he knew she had every right to be spinning in every direction.

“Mum? Good night!” came Lily's voice from the top of the stairs.

“Friends first?” she requested.

“Ginny, I will try my best, but it has been so long that it may be hard at times,” Draco said as his hands traveled down to hers and held them as he looked into her eyes.

“Let’s sit in the living room and really catch up,” she offered.

When Draco left that night he knew two things; one, he would be returning in a few days' time, and second, despite the years apart he was still totally in love with Ginny. He also understood that she still needed time to get over Harry.


When Draco arrived back at the Manor, he was greeted by Lucius, who along with Narcissa spent most of their time helping with Scorpius. Now that he was back at school, they began to travel a lot more.
“Draco, you're back. Your mother was beginning to worry,” Lucius commented.

“Does she realize I'm thirty-eight, not twelve?” Draco asked, instantly aggravated.

“Will you ever stop worrying about your son?” Lucius answered the question with a rhetorical question.

“I swear I'm going to start living at the penthouse in London.”

“We both know that will never stop her, so to save you some interrogation, just tell me where you've been.” Lucius poured Draco a Firewhiskey and handed it to him.

“I went to see Ginny tonight.”

Lucius got a very serious look on his face. “Draco, I warn you to be careful there,” he cautioned.

“Father, I thought you wanted me to be happy,” Draco stated as he began to pace the room.

“I do. However you told me yourself that she loved her husband. I don't want to see you hurt in the end.” Lucius was lounging in a wing chair.

“She’s not like that; we're taking it slow. Potter knew about us, and from my understanding, he gave her his blessing to be with me. It gave her quite the head trip. She told me she had promised herself that he would never know about us. He told her before he died that he had known for years, and that has left her with a lot of guilt. She needs time to heal, and I plan to give her that, but I'm also going to make sure that no one else tries to work their way in.”

“Still Draco, you both have your children to think about,” Lucius warned.

“I know; I met her daughter Lily this evening. She seems like a good kid, and she looks just like Ginny did that day in the bookstore before my second year. Remember that? Lily seems to have that same spark.”

“Draco, are you sure about this?”

“I've never been more sure of anything.” Draco paused, “I wondered for years how you felt about this. Why do you ask? Are you okay with this?”

“Is my wish for your happiness not enough?” Lucius asked in return.

“Lucius,” This was Draco’s way of saying 'speak to him as an equal', “I have known you long enough to know that there's more to it.”

Lucius swirled the liquid in his glass before replying, “Your mother wasn't my first choice for a wife; there was another. However, she, unlike your Ginny, couldn't look past the differences in our beliefs. She ended up marrying someone who viewed things as she did. I understand she is quite happy.”

“Who was she?”

Lucius grinned slyly at Draco. “A man in entitled to some secrets, Draco.”

“Does Mother know?” Draco asked.

Lucius shook his head. “Understand Draco, it's like when you told me about Ginny. I do love your mother and I would never want to cause her pain, so no, she doesn't know.”

“And you and this other woman?”

“Too much time has passed. I don't think she will ever get over the things I've done. Besides, I haven't spoken to her in almost forty years.”


Later in the week, Draco was getting ready to head over to Ginny's place when an owl flew in his window. After opening the note banded to its' leg, he read:

Draco,
Please don't come here tonight!
Ginny

Draco headed to the Floo to call and find out why. “Ginny, what's going on?” he asked when the connection was complete.

He was relieved to see her smile at him. “It's the press! Lily and I went down to Diagon Alley today and now there has to be at least twenty-five of them out front.”

“Ginny, relax. We're not doing anything wrong,” he tried to reassure her.

“I know that, but between you being you and everything... I can see the stories now. Lily wanted to play out front earlier and was almost blinded by the flashbulbs.”

“Why would they do this to you? I mean, you work or used to work for the Daily Prophet!”

“It's because I'm Harry Potter’s widow. I wish I knew how long this was going to continue.”

“I'm sure it's because it took so long after his passing for you to be seen. It will die down in a couple of days.”

My Soul Belongs To You

Chapter 10

Draco Reaches Out

Two weeks later, Draco was still waiting for the press's attention towards Ginny to die down. It was horrible; they reported everything she did, every visitor she received, what time they arrived and how long they stayed. Ginny and Lily literally couldn't breathe without the press reporting on it. She would speak to him by Floo every couple of days.

“I never thought I would be glad to say this, but I'm happy the boys aren't here. At least at Hogwarts they get left alone for the most part,” Ginny explained one evening.

“Ginny, this is crazy. You need a break away from all of this,” Draco said.

“You’re telling me! I can't even go out to buy Christmas gifts for the kids. Well I could, but they would know what they were getting the day after I bought it,” she complained.

“Are they planning on coming home for Christmas this year?” he asked.

“Honestly, I was thinking of telling them to stay at Hogwarts so that they won't have to deal with all of this.”

“This Christmas is going to be hard for all of you. I think you should be together,” Draco pushed. Ginny didn't reply. “Gin, you can't stop living! They need to see that life goes on.”

“It's going to be hard! I don't even want to think about Christmas dinner at the Burrow.”

That's when Draco got a brilliant brainstorm. “Ginny, maybe you don't need Christmas to be the same. I mean you and your children still need to celebrate it, but maybe you need to do it differently from any other way you've done before. Don't do the dinner with the whole family; that just fills your heads with memories of past Christmases. Make new memories.”

“Like what?”

“How about Christmas on a beach somewhere.”

“No, Christmas must have snow. No two ways about it.”

“Ginny, what if I could promise you a Christmas holiday with no reporters? Complete peace?”

“You can't do that.”

“I can. Do you trust me?” he asked.

“Draco, you know I do, but what are you thinking?” she inquired in return, eying him suspiciously.

“I want to offer you and your children the Malfoy chalet in the Canadian Rockies.”

“What about the press?”

“I'll set it all up. You and Lily can Apparate there from your place, and I will collect your sons along with Scorpius from Hogwarts. The press will believe you’re visiting one of your relatives because the boys won't come back on the Express. Sure, the press will look all over for you, but if you’re staying at a Malfoy property, they will never even bother to think about checking for you there. You and your children will stay at the chalet and Scorpius and I will stay in a nearby hotel. We can spend some time together, but Christmas Day you and your children will be left alone to do what you all feel is right.”

“It sounds good, but...I'm not sure. Can I think about it?” she asked, worried about how the kids might take it.

“Take as long as you need. You know I'll be here when you’re ready,” he promised.

Two days later, Ginny placed a Floo call to Draco. “I have thought about it, and I was thinking about NOT going, but then I talked with Ron. He doesn't like the fact that you’re involved, but he thinks it's a good idea.”

“Really?” Draco said in a very UN-Malfoy way. “Ahem...I mean, that’s great. Do you want to head there early and have a chance to get some Christmas shopping done?”

“No. One of the benefits of having a big family is that I can get different people to go out and get stuff for the kids from me and they'll never know.”

“Ginny, I really want to see you before that,” Draco confessed.

She laughed at him. “You know you’re almost forty not sixteen, right?”

“I know, it's just-”

“To be so close and yet so far away,” she finished for him.

He sighed. “Exactly. I remember hearing that if love is starved, it dies. Well then, why do I still feel the same way about you as I did nineteen years ago?”

“I wish I could tell you, because then I would understand why I feel like I do.”

Draco could hear the pain in her voice. “I never wanted to hurt you,” he declared.

“Sometimes things just happen, which is more likely when your name is Malfoy.”

“Sorry, it's just part of nature when one is dealing with the likes of Weasleys and Potters.” He paused. “Maybe you could come over here for dinner before Christmas?”

“Draco, I have lots to do, like I was hoping to clean out Harry's clothing and stuff like that. I don't want the constant reminder of him when we get back. It just makes things so hard; to open the cupboard every morning and see his stuff there.”

“Sorry, love. I never had to face that with Astoria. She had her own room.”

“It doesn't help with the kids being older, either. Lily has started sleeping in one of Harry's favorite t-shirts, and Albus was always so close to Harry, I'm worried about tossing something that he felt was special.”

“I understand, but why the clothing?” Draco asked, confused.

“They still hold Harry's scent in them. I can't tell you the number of times I walked into the bedroom and for that split second thought it was all a bad dream and that he was still here.” She realized what she was doing. “I'm sorry, I have to go!” she said quickly, hoping to close the connection before she started to cry.

“I'm coming through,” Draco warned.

“No Draco, don't.” But he stepped through as she finished saying this.

He took a second to clean himself off before stepping towards her. Once he was close enough he pulled her into his arms to comfort her. “I understand, Ginevra. I might not like it, but I understand. You spent eighteen years as his wife and you share three children. And I know you DID love him. I guess it's only natural to want him to still be here.”

She shook her head “But it's not right to talk to you about this; it's not fair to you.” Tears of guilt were falling down her cheeks.

“Do I like hearing that you love him and miss him? No, but you need someone to talk to about it, and I'm glad that you're comfortable enough to open up to me.”

“Why are you being so unlike the Draco I've known all these years?”

“Because I lived long enough without you to be willing to put up with a lot to be with you now. Just don't push me away; not now, not after all this time.”

She looked up into his eyes and could see him pleading with her. “I'm not. I just...I'm really messed up right now.”

He gently pulled her to the sofa. “I'm not going to rush you. Ginny, once we're together, really together again, I don't want you to have any doubts or regrets about us. I'm willing to give you all the time you need,” he assured her. “However, I do ask that you try to remember that for the last eighteen years, he had you and I did not, so please forgive me if I come across bitter towards him.”

She smiled at him. “And that would be different from any other time, how?”

“Ginevra, I mean it. For all those years, he had everything I wanted. And why? Because The Dark Lord decided that a baby could bring him down.”

“Draco, Harry never asked for any of the stuff he had to deal with,” Ginny defended her late husband.

“I never said he did, but because of that he got handed everything I wanted.”

Ginny's eyes grew cold. “Everything you wanted? Really? You wanted to be raised by Muggles who were cruel and abusive to you? You wanted to wear clothing that never fit you right? To sleep in a cupboard under the stairs until they realized others knew about that? You wanted to go around hearing how everything you did was wrong or bad? Harry didn't even know what it felt like to be hugged by a parental figure until he was fourteen!” she screamed at Draco. “The only reason you didn't have what you wanted was because you were too afraid of Daddy to stand up to him when you could have had what you claimed to have wanted! Money meant more to you than ME!” She stormed out of the room.

Draco stood dumbfounded in the room, unsure of what to do or what had just happened. The walls of the house shook when Ginny slammed her bedroom door shut. Draco looked around the room; there were groups of photos everywhere. He walked over to one table that held several and picked up a photo of the Potter family. He had to admit; they did look like the perfect family. They all looked happy. It just made him hate Harry more, and he knew he had to talk to Ginny about this. He set the photo down and headed up after Ginny.

He stood at her door and called to her, “Clearly there are still things we need to talk about. Please come out.”

“No!” she sobbed.

“Please, I would rather talk to you about this downstairs rather than in the bedroom the two of you shared, but I will come in if I have to.” After a few seconds he heard her moving around the room, then the door opened only a crack, just enough to make eye contact. “You're right. I should have talked to Lucius. I'm sorry,” he finished.

She opened the door a little more.

Draco reached out for her hand and led her to the stairs. “But you could have stood up to your family too.”

She stopped following him and sat down on the top step. “What would have been the point? You were quite clear about what you were going to do.”

He stopped and looked down at her, then sat down a couple of steps down from her. “You're right, but I have had to live with that mistake for years. It's odd because the same thing that made it hard to live with is what made it bearable. It's the fact that you were happy.” He paused, “Not a day goes by that I haven't thought about how different it could have been; if you would have been able to carry and deliver the two babies Astoria could not, what Scorpius would look like with you as his mother. And, of course, the idea of coming home to you each night.” He smiled at her, “I know the number of sexual partners I had would have been less.” He smiled without humor this time.

“Do you really think you could have remained faithful to me?”

He nodded. “You’re the only one I could be faithful to, because you're the only one I truly love. No one else.” He reached out for her hand and took it in his. “Where's Lily?”

“She's at Ron and Hermione's tonight.”

“Ginny, you must realize most of that stuff about Harry's childhood are exaggerated facts,” he said carefully.

“I understand why you think that. I wondered once too, and then a couple of years back Harry's uncle, Vernon, passed away. He didn't want to go to the service, but I went to see the house a couple of days later. I met his cousin, Dudley, and he confirmed every fact. Harry's childhood was hell. Really, it's no surprise he took a dislike to you as quickly as he did. We always thought it was a little odd how he liked our place so much; the Burrow, I mean. He was Harry Potter, and he thought our house was the greatest place in the world. We all understood what we had and what we didn’t have, but compared to Harry, we were as rich as kings. Or Malfoys. We had a family who loved us and encouraged us. Really Draco, your family treats house elves better than Harry was treated at home.”

He could only look at her, not knowing what to say. After a long silence, he spoke, “I'll always be willing to say that not talking to my father about you was the biggest mistake I ever made, but I think I served my sentence. I spent eighteen years in hell for it.”

Chapter 11

James Lashes Out

Two weeks later, Ginny and Lily Apparated to the Malfoy chalet in the Canadian Rockies. Draco met them there to show Ginny around. The place was unseen to Muggles and sat on the side of a mountain overlooking a lake. Everywhere Ginny looked there were mountains! It was stunning. She never dreamed of so much snow, either. “The property is protected from avalanches; however, they are something to see, so if you hear a noise that sounds like thunder, look outside. There is a road up here, but it's closed for the winter. You won't have to worry about Muggles,” Draco said, sounding a little like a tour guide. He walked Ginny and Lily into the great room and flicked his wand. The curtains opened as he continued, “This room has the most spectacular view in the summer. The lake is the most beautiful color.”

Ginny counted at least seven mountain peaks. “I can only imagine...”

Draco smirked. “Well, you don't have to.“ He flicked his wand again and a summer version of the view covered the windows. “Father created that charm for Mother. Now, downstairs there is a pool-”

“A pool? Why would you need a pool with a lake like that right outside?” Lily asked.

“The lake is glacier-fed, so that makes it far too cold to ever swim in. This area is called the Valley of the Ten Peaks, and I understand that a picture of it was on the country's Muggle paper money for a number of years.” Draco paused and turned to Ginny. “You're about fourteen kilometers from the village of Lake Louise. However, don't get too excited; it's very small and will be crowded with Muggles. This is a huge time for them to go skiing. There is a bigger town not far from here called Banff if you want to check out Muggle shoppes. They also have some good sweets places and some fine restaurants. And a lot of Muggles socializing and taking too many pictures of everything. Scorpius and I will be staying at the closest Muggle hotel, not far from here.”

“Draco, this is amazing! How can I thank you?”

He came closer and grinned at her. “I can think of a few ways,” he whispered

Ginny looked over at Lily.

“Mum, can I go pick a room? Or do I have to wait for the boys?” Lily asked.

“No, go on,” Ginny replied. Once Lily left the room her attention returned to Draco. “You can't say things like that around my children!”

“Relax. She didn't hear me. You want to thank me for this? How about on New Year's Eve you join me at the hotel for their New Year's Eve party? Just us. The children can all stay here and will be fine and safe.”

“Safe? A Gryffindor and two Slytherins, without an adult around? One of them will end up being eaten by a bear!”

Draco shook his head. “Won't happen, dear. Yes, this is bear country, but they're all hibernating for the winter. And really, at Hogwarts there isn't a lot of supervision after class. I'm sure they will be fine. It's one evening out with some great food and some dancing.”

Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him. “Did Draco Malfoy just ask me out on a real date?” she asked.

He smirked at her, “I know it's very late, but better late than never. Come on, what do you say?”

“I guess, but I can't promise I won't worry about the children.”

“You're a mother and that's your main duty in life. Merlin knows, my mother still does it to this day. Alright, I need to head to Hogwarts to collect the boys. Does anyone know I'm getting James and Albus too?”

“Yes, Neville will meet you, and be nice.”

“I'm always nice,” he claimed

“Yes, and Blast-Ended Skrewts have brains as well as looks.”

Draco closed the gap between them and claimed her mouth as his. Just like years before, there was a little fight in her. It triggered all his memories of their past, causing him to be stimulated almost instantly. However, unlike years before, he had learned some self control and he broke away. “Do you know how much your tossing insults at me turns me on?” he asked.

Ginny started laughing, “That turns you on? How sick are you? I mean, with how you and Ron fought in school you must have walked around continually hard!”

“No dear; only you insulting me does that, and mostly because of our first couple of months together. It was like foreplay.” He finally let go of her hands. “I'm leaving now; I'll be back soon.”

While Ginny waited for Draco to return with the boys, she wandered around the house. The decor was mountain rustic, but with style. Draco had it decorated for Christmas. She liked it; it was very homey. The best thing about the place was when she looked out the window, there were no photographers waiting to click pictures of her or the children. As she wandered, she thought about the kiss she and Draco had shared before he left. She tried to remember if the excitement she felt when he kissed her died down after a period of time like it had with Harry. She was angry that she couldn't recall that, but she did love the feeling his kiss left her with.

She heard a knock on the door and knew it had to be Draco and the boys. She ran for the door; she hardly remembered seeing the boys once Harry had passed away. As she opened the door, she realized just how strange it was to see James and Albus standing with Draco and Scorpius. Then she was struck with the fact that Albus looked so much like Harry, and it ripped at her heart. As the boys stepped in, she reached out to them and pulled them close. “Merlin, I didn't realize how much I missed you both,” she said as a tear escaped down her cheek.

Albus hugged her back, but James tried to push her away. “I missed you too, Mum,” Albus told her.

“Why are we staying here instead of at our house and spending Christmas with family?” James complained as he tossed his bag down and looked around the room they stood in.

“James, the press has been camped outside the house for weeks on end now,” Ginny explained.

Draco quietly watched the exchange; it was clear the second he arrived at Hogwarts that James was not happy about this trip, and only time would tell what James' reasons were. “Here, Ginny. This is a satellite phone.“ He handed it to her. “If you want to talk, or need to, my number is programed into it. You just have to press this and then the send button. Call anytime. I thought you might enjoy going into the bigger town I mentioned earlier, so tomorrow I could arrange a Portkey for you all to come to our hotel and then we could drive down.”

Any other time Ginny would have questioned Draco about the 'drive down' part, but the way James was acting showed her she needed to talk to him. “Thanks, Draco. That would be lovely. I'll call later to arrange a time.”

As Draco left he understood that Ginny needed to spend some time with her sons and was not too upset.

Once the door closed behind the Malfoy men, Ginny turned to James. “Is something wrong, James?” she asked as he walked out of the room.

“He's been in a bad mood since you wrote to us about this trip,” Albus explained.

“Go upstairs, pick out a room, and then find your sister. She has really missed you.”

“Sure Mum, and I think it's great that we came here.”

“Thanks, Al.” Ginny headed up to follow James. Her eldest had turned fourteen and was like most teen boys. “James, do you want to talk about this?”

He spun around, facing his mother. “Why are we here?” he yelled.

“Because we needed to be together for the holidays, but I also thought we needed to be away from the past,” Ginny explained.

“What's going on with you and him?” James asked accusingly.

Ginny always knew her oldest had a temper. “He's a friend.”

“Really? Then how come he never came around the house when Dad was alive?”

“Draco and your father never got along very well,” Ginny informed her son.

James paced the room. “But you and him get along well enough that you agree to stay in one of his family estates?” James' meaning was clear.

“James, Draco and I became close during what should have been your father's seventh year.”

“So he's someone you used to occupy your time with when Dad wasn't around, and you're doing that now,” he surmised.

“James, you're old enough to understand what was happening at Hogwarts at that time”

“Mum, he took the Mark!” James said, sounding like his father.

Ginny sighed. “Draco is a friend to me, and I understand that you feel I'm betraying your father somehow. But I'm not. I loved your father and always will. Draco never had anything to do with my feelings for your dad.”

“But Mum, he's a Malfoy and you're a Weasley. The two don't go together! That's the rules.”

“James, you're acting like your Uncle Ron, who by the way agreed that coming here was a good idea, even knowing that Draco was part of it.”

“I, I-” James couldn't finish.

“I know. I miss your father too, but don't you think experiencing new things will make missing him a little easier than facing stuff that is filled with memories of your dad when everything is still so fresh in our minds?”

“Professor Longbottom said the same thing,” James admitted.

“He always had a good head on his shoulders.”

Later that evening, Ginny called Draco. “How did things go this afternoon?” he asked.

“James seems to have Harry's knack for knowing when things are not as they appear,” Ginny admitted.

“Do you think he knows about our past?”

“No! No one knew, and I know my family wouldn't have told him. He's just very loyal to Harry,” Ginny warned. “But Albus couldn't be happier about this.”

“Um, Ginny, Scorpius and I were talking over dinner. When he was young I told him about an angel that saved me, and he knows it was you. He figured out how I felt, and still feel, about you. He told Albus, and from the sounds of it, they see themselves as soon-to-be brothers.”

“Oh boy!” Ginny gasped.

“I talked to him some more, and I think he understands, but I felt you should know.”

“Thanks.”

“I never could have guessed this is how it would work out. If I had, I never would had told him.”

“I know. I remember that day I found him on Diagon Alley; he asked if I was an angel,” Ginny recalled.

“I never told him your name, but I think he knew that day,” Draco replied.

“Why did you tell him I was an angel?” she asked.

“Ginny, you saved me.”

“That's the second time you said that. I don't understand.”

There was a long pause on Draco's end of the line. “Did Harry or Ron ever tell you what took place in the Room of Requirement during the Final Battle?”

“Only that they saved your life.”

He knew that was the point they would tell it from. “Crabbe wanted to kill them right there. I refused to do it, for I knew that if I killed your brother or allowed him to be killed, that would be something you would never forgive me for. I insisted he needed to bring them to the Dark Lord, then all hell broke loose. If it hadn't been for you and my feelings for you, I would have tried. We both know there was no love lost between me and Ron, or Harry, at that time”

It was Ginny's turn for a long pause. “Oh. I never knew.”

“So, what are you going to do about Albus?” he asked.

“I don't know; everything seems like a lie.”

“I could talk to him, if you want,” Draco offered.

“I don't know. Can I think about it tonight?”

“Of course. So what time do you want to head out tomorrow?”

“What was that about driving?” Ginny asked.

“There isn't anywhere that would work well for a Portkey or to Apparate to, so I was going to arrange for a limousine to take us to the town.”

“Now I have to say yes just to see you use a Muggle form of transportation! How about eleven tomorrow?”

“Sounds great. I can't wait to see you.”

“'Night, Draco.”

“Sweet dreams, my love. Now hit the “Off” button.”

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter 12
Bonding While On Holiday

The next day the Potter family headed to Draco's hotel. His suite was on the top floor and quite large for a hotel, but very much what Ginny expected to find. They then headed down to the car Draco had ordered for them. It took an hour to drive to the larger mountain town, and when they arrived and got out of the limo, Draco asked, “Ginny, did you bring any Muggle money?”

Ginny smiled and pulled out a flat, plastic card. “Harry gave me this years back, to use any time I was in the Muggle world. No worries.”

“Good. You know it never hurts to always carry that with you.”

She laughed. “I'd love to hear where this line of thinking came from, but I think I'll wait until we're somewhere more private.”

“Guys, come back here for a second,” Draco called the children back.

All turned and retreated, but James remained the farthest away.

Draco spoke in a low whisper. “This is a completely Muggle town. Try to remember that when you're talking, but if you forget and someone asks about something you said, just claim it's English slang.”

The day was great; they went from shop to shop laughing at things like the chocolate covered peanuts that were sold as elk poop, or aluminum cans of mountain air (Draco also made a comment about tourists buying anything with a travel destination on it), and a restaurant that actually served buffalo dishes! (Albus had to look at the menu himself to see if this was true.) They had lunch in a small pizza place and Ginny found a shop that sold Christmas ornaments year round (“You're even open in July?” Lily had asked. “Yes, we are!” came the reply.). She picked out a number of them to use on the tree Draco had set up at the chalet, and to take home as souvenirs after the holidays. They then drove up to the Hot Springs and took a soak in the mineral-filled, naturally heated water. James spent all his time there making sure that Draco couldn't get too close to Ginny in her swimsuit.

Afterwards, as they walked back to the limo, Draco asked, “Have you decided whether you want me to talk to Albus or not? I could talk to both him and Scorpius at the same time.”

“I've been watching them today and they are really close. I guess it couldn't hurt. Oh, Draco? I wanted to ask you and Scorpius to join us for supper tonight.”

“Great! If you can get Lily to help you out, I'm sure James will head to his room and I'll talk to them then.”

“Sounds good.”


Later, as Draco predicted, James headed to the room he was using once he was sure Ginny was cooking in the kitchen. Draco took the young boys outside for their talk. “Boys, I need to talk with you both.”

“Sure, Dad,” Scorpius said.

“Albus, I know that Scorpius told you that I have feelings for your mother.”

Albus gazed at him with a look of acceptance Draco never saw on Harry's face. “Yes sir, he did.”

“Well, I want to tell you that he is right about my feelings for Ginny.” The two boys smiled at each other. “BUT I also understand that she is still grieving over your father, so I won't ask anything of her until she is ready. For now I'm happy to be friends with her.”

The boys both looked disappointed.

“There's more, boys. It's clear to both Ginny and I that James is not happy with things right now. He needs time as well, and Ginny and I would appreciate it if you two wouldn't bring up the subject to him at this time. This would include talking at school about what you two are hoping will happen.”

Albus looked even more unhappy with this.

“That being said; Albus, I want you to know that you will always be welcome in my home.”

“Thanks, Mr. Malfoy,” he said, a small smile coming back to his face.



After dinner, the children began disappearing to their rooms. Ginny watched Lily go up to her room and remembered how she felt as a child being left out when Harry and Hermione would arrive.

Draco came up behind her. “What's on your mind?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

Ginny smiled at him. “I was just remembering what it means to be the youngest.”

“How so?”

“You know; always the one left behind. Like Lily is now,” she replied.

“Her life is and will be very different from yours,” Draco assured Ginny.

“I know, but I still understand what she is going through.”

“I remember the first time you mentioned your feelings about being left behind. You know, we never admitted the war was happening, but we did talk about it. Looking back, some of the things you told me still amaze me.”

She turned and looked at him. “You were and are just so easy to talk to. You never betrayed my trust.”

Draco looked at the woman in front of him in wonder. She did amaze him; from that first night together, it was so natural, so easy. The only thing that had been hard was not being with her. “I could not risk losing you, not then.” He took a deep breath, then muttered, “Fuck!”

Concern showed on Ginny's face. “What?”

“I'm such a fool! During the war I couldn't risk losing you. And then the second gold entered the picture, I-”

“Draco, we were young. We both did what we believed we had to.”

“Had I spoken to Father, I'm sure now he would have dealt with the fact that I wanted you. He says that he knew there was someone, and had hoped I would have come to him. Ginny, it could have all been so different!”

“Let's talk outside.” They both stepped out into the chilly outdoors. “Draco, I have thought about this stuff too, but can you really say you would want a life without Scorpius?”

He gazed at her. “Haven't you wondered what our children would have been like?”

“Yes, but Draco, I love James, Al, and Lily. I'm very thankful for them, and Scorpius is very special too. He reminds me of you.”

“Ginny, of course I love my son, but I will never stop wondering...”

“What a weasel crossed with a ferret would have been like?” she teased.

He shot her a smirk, then moved closer to her.

“Draco, don't live in what could have been; live in the here and now.”

Draco pulled her into his arms. “Do you know how much I have missed this?”

She slowly looked up into his eyes.“Every bit as much as I have.”

“Then why did we not try to remain friends at least? Something would have been better than nothing.”

“Because we both knew how much more it would hurt to be that close and yet not be enough.”

“Do you remember that night at some Ministry thing? You wore that green dress and you had bruises on your arm.”

“Yes. You were rather upset.”

“Was it just what he claimed?” Draco asked.

“Yes. Harry would never have hurt me.”

“I wished he had; I so wanted to rescue you. It reminded me of when I knew you were in detention. I knew what was taking place and there was nothing I could do to help.”

“I knew what I was facing.”

“As much as I hated it when you didn't return after Easter, I was at the same time relieved. Then seeing you in the battle...”

“Draco, we talked about this before.”

“Did we really? I only found out a few years back that my aunt threw an Avada Kedavra at you.”

“What was the point of telling you? I had spent a lot of time before that thinking about what could have happened in a battle. Being scared that what I thought we had was all a joke, and that in the end I would have a choice of let you kill me or kill you myself.”

“I had it all planned. If push came to shove, I was going to knock you out and then hide with you until it was all over. And if He won, I would have claimed you as my prize.”

She got a slightly offended look on her face. “Oh, what a great life! The life of a sex toy.”

He shook his head, “No! The plan covered that, too. I would have simply gotten you pregnant before I married, then I would have had to marry you.”

She swatted at him. “What a romantic you are!”

“At the time, I wasn't trying to be romantic; I was being a realist. I couldn't have lived if you were dead or knowing someone was hurting you every night.”

“Well, for the record, the only pain Harry ever put me through was childbirth.”

“At least you were happy.”


The holiday time was going along very nicely, and Ginny and her children had spent time remembering Harry, but were also making new memories.

Draco and Scorpius spent time with the Potters, too. Draco was honestly surprised that he truly liked Albus. Lily was so much like her mother, it was impossible not to like her. James, on the other hand, was cold and distant. He refused to even try with the Malfoy men, and never missed the chance to point out their faults to Ginny or his brother and sister.

The way James was behaving made Draco wonder if the teen could read his mind. Draco was doing his best to only be friendly with Ginny, despite his desire to be otherwise with her. He knew all of the children needed time, as did Ginny, and he didn't want to rush her. He knew once she was ready, they would be able to make up for all the lost time. For him, that was enough for now.

A/N Sorry for the delay in updating, but my husband/beta and I have been quite occupied since our third daughter was born! Feb. 18, 2010 saw Ginevra Christine come into the world, weighing 5 lbs. 14 oz. We are just now getting back to the computer and my stories, so send a review and we will try to update soon!

My Soul Belongs To You

Chapter 13

Auld Lang Syne

Christmas Day was hard for Ginny; watching her children each try to avoid the Hippogriff that was in the room. No one wanted to be the one to mention the lack of Harry's presence, for all of them were trying to pretend this was normal. Ginny made the traditional meal, however when she set the bird on the table they were all hit with the absence of Harry. He had always carved the meat. Ginny realized that no matter what, it was not possible to avoid the fact that he was gone. At that point, the feeling of the day changed. They all began talking about their favorite memories of Harry. There was now laughter and tears and healing. Ginny even shared with her children some of their father's more ungraceful moments. By the time everyone headed to their rooms for the night, Ginny felt much better about the whole day.

As she entered her room, she found a large dress box wrapped in silver and gold paper with a red bow on it. The tag read simply, 'To Ginny, From Draco.' She smiled and lifted the lid to find a breathtaking black and white dress, with matching shoes, and even a jeweler's box that held a black stone necklace set in silver. A note stated: I know you didn't bring anything for the New Year's party we were going to attend, so I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds. Draco. P.S., If you need or want to, please feel free to call me tonight, no matter how late.

She put down the note and glanced at the phone, then the clock. It was after midnight; was that not too late? She debated calling, but in the end found herself picking up the phone and hitting the number to Draco.

After one ring, she heard, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to call, love."

"I wasn't sure myself until just now," she admitted.

"How did it go today?" His voice was full of concern.

"It – it was weird, until dinner."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"I'm sure you want to hear all about it," she replied sarcastically.

"If it affects you and how you're feeling, then yes I do," he affirmed.

"We all spent the day trying to pretend everything was normal until dinner. It was then that I realized we needed to talk about him. We laughed and cried, and I think we all healed a bit."

"That's good."

"Draco, thank you."

"I don't mind."

There was a long pause. "The dress looks great." Ginny finally stated.

"I hoped you wouldn't get upset about it."

"No, of course not. It was very thoughtful of you."

"Would you do something for me?"

"What?" she asked.

"Put the phone down and get ready for bed. I want to talk to you until you fall asleep." Draco and Ginny fell into this patten each night. She knew this was creating a level of intimacy they had been missing as teenage lovers, but she loved the feeling it left her with.

On New Year's Eve day, while Ginny spent her time getting ready for the party, Draco took the children to a skating party the hotel he was staying at was hosting. Ginny had learned over the years that being a tomboy was all well and good, but there was also something to be said for a day of pampering and treated herself to several spa treatments.

By the time she met Draco in his hotel room to head down to the affair, she looked perfect. Her hair was in an elegant up-do, her makeup was faultless, and the dress Draco chose for her hugged her body like a glove. She was very thankful that she hadn't suffered the middle-age weight gain many women suffered; she knew that her body could rival a woman's half her age. However, she had the advantage of the rounded hips that having children gave her; a perfect hourglass body shape.

When Draco saw her, he was speechless. He had seen her many times over the years looking stunning, but he knew tonight she looked stunning for him and him alone. When they were together in the past, it was always hurried; she never had the luxury of spending the day to look good for him. He knew long ago what a shame that had been, but this was the here and now, and she looked perfect.

"Ginevra," he whispered.

"How do I look?" she asked. Unlike others, she was not fishing for compliments.

"Well, let's just say I'm very pleased that we don't know anyone here tonight and won't have to socialize." He paused, "I'm viewing tonight as a date," he admitted.

"I thought as much." She sounded nervous.

"I won't pressure you; I just want you to know where my head is at. We will go at a speed you're comfortable with."

She smiled at him. "Draco, you have been so understanding, I don't know how to ever thank you."

"I'll do what I must for the only woman I have ever loved."

She smiled warmly at him. "You realize this is our first date?"

"It's about 20 years late." He offered her his arm and they headed down to the party. Over the evening in the Grand Ballroom, drink flowed freely and the music, while all Muggle, was meant for dancing. The whole night Ginny noticed Draco's eyes never left her.

When he held her as they danced, his hands almost felt hot on her skin. She could feel his thumb gently rubbing small circles on her skin, as if he was doing his best to touch as much of her as he could. She also noticed how, with him being taller than her, she could rest her head on his shoulder or chest much more naturally that she could with Harry.

As the midnight hour grew closer, Ginny knew she was looking forward the the New Year's kiss. And when it came time to receive it, Draco delivered! They were in a corner of the ballroom and Draco had her in his arms as the countdown began. His want was showing clearly in his eyes as he lowered his head to claim her lips. The kiss started soft and gentle, but both Ginny and Draco quickly had the kiss grow more demanding. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and was granted access. Draco ran his hand up her back and gently worked his hand into her hair. She then released a moan; that moan had always set him on fire.

He no longer cared if they were in a room full of Muggles or not and Apparated them back to his suite. There were no words between them; both were finally giving in to the denied passion of years past. He reached up to her hair and easily removed the pin fastening her hair in the up-do, allowing her hair to tumble down around her shoulders. He loved her hair, always had.

She made quick work of the buttons on his dress shirt, almost ripping it from his body. Lips were almost constantly touching skin. When Draco undid the zipper of her dress he was very pleased to see there was no bra to fight with. Her knickers had come a long way from the basic cotton ones she wore back a Hogwarts; she wore a pair of black, lacy, very sexy knickers. Draco would never know if it was the years of denial or simply how sexy she was, but he was hard long before her dress was even off! With only his pants left on, he guided her to his bed and laid her back upon it. He quickly removed the last of his clothing and joined her on the bed. He began kissing her again and found she was highly responsive to his touch, which only encouraged him. When he felt her hand on his manhood, he knew there was no stopping. He didn't ask permission, for there was no need to ask. She clearly wanted this as much as he did. He placed his hardened cock at her opening and she pushed herself down onto him. The second he entered her warm, velvety glove, he felt he was finally home. No other woman ever felt as right, or as perfect, as she did. He was also surprised that after three children she still felt as she had the first time he had been with her.

He tried to go slow and enjoy every second he could, however Ginny was having none of that. She continued to thrust her own body forward to meet his. She was also working her pussy muscles so that she was gripping his cock, milking him for everything he had. He knew he was very close, and he could tell she was close, too. He slid his hand between their bodies, found her little love button, and rubbed it in the gentle manner he knew she loved. This caused them both to erupt in orgasm! As they came down from their explosion, he gently kissed her and held her close, knowing he would never have to let her go again. As their breathing slowed down, he whispered, "Sleep."

Chapter 14
Regrets


When Ginny woke hours later, she felt better than she had in years. Everything was right; the warmth she felt, the soft sound of her partner's breathing, his smell, even the way his arm had snaked itself around her. 'Of course it's perfect. It's Draco, not Harry.' Then it hit her. 'Harry isn't even cold in his grave and I have slept with someone else! This is wrong! How could I do this?' She then slowly and carefully extracted herself from Draco's sweet embrace and got out of the bed. 'Oh Merlin, I never meant to do this to either of them!' He looked so rested, and looked younger than he had in years. 'I love you, but this is just too soon. Please forgive me.' She then bent down and kissed his brow. She quickly gathered her clothing and Apparated back to her room at the estate.

Once there, she stepped into the adjoining bathroom and started a shower. Before stepping under the water, she breathed in Draco's scent that clung to her body.

Once in the shower Ginny reviewed the night before. She didn't regret sleeping with him, not for a second. But it was too soon, and it wasn't fair to Draco when she was still getting over Harry. She knew she wasn't ready to move on just yet, but after years of thinking about, missing, and longing to be with Draco, she didn't need much to push herself over the edge.

The sex had been fast and full of passion! It was exactly what she expected after years apart. She knew the next time they were together they both would go a lot slower and enjoy each and every second of it.
She was not surprised to find herself crying in the shower. She felt totally selfish. What she did was mean; not just to Harry, but to Draco, too. He would be thinking she was ready for the next step with him, but she wasn't. She hated the fact that she loved both men. They both deserved better than what she was doing. Should she not be grieving for Harry for a long time? Instead she had jumped into bed with Draco at her first chance.

Now she and Draco would have to have a long talk. She could only pray his understanding would continue, but at the same time she realized he was Draco Malfoy,who is known to be selfish. She totally expected him to feel like she was trying to play head games with him. She expected this to end any chance she ever had at happiness with him. She couldn't face him today. She wanted them to last at least one day. And if she didn't face him, they wouldn't have to talk about this yet and she wouldn't have to lose him just yet.

However, Scorpius had spent the night with Albus, so Draco would be coming around to collect him. She guessed with the amount of champagne she had the night before she could claim to be sick in bed with a hangover. James was more than old enough to keep an eye on everyone. She put her plan in motion; a simple plan to just stay in bed! She knew it wasn't mature, but it just seemed easier. No one could fault her for one day.

When Draco woke he was disappointed to find Ginny had left, but he quickly realized she probably didn't want the children to get the wrong idea. As he replayed the night before in his mind, he noted it wasn't his smoothest conquest ever, but he knew that every feeling that was there was genuine. It may have been all too quick, but there would be many more chances to make up for it later.

When Draco arrived at the house, James answered the door. “Happy New Year, James,” he greeted.

“Yeah. You're here for Scorpius. I'll find him.” The teen turned away, leaving Draco standing at the door.

“James, is your mother around?” Draco asked.

He turned back to Draco. “You let her drink too much Muggle alcohol last night. She's in bed not feeling well. Don't you know that stuff is strong? Merlin, even a third year knows that!”

“Well, seeing as how I am the only one other than your mother to have had a hangover, I believe I should check on her.”

James' eyebrows touched his hairline. “She's in her bedroom!” was what he said; however the tone he used said, 'You're not going anywhere near my mother while she is IN her bedroom!'

“James, I'm only going to check on her,” Draco assured him.

The boy's eyes narrowed. “She loves my dad.”

Draco couldn't decide who James reminded him more of, Ron or Harry. “I know, James. Believe me, I know.”

James stalked off.

Draco headed to the master suite. He knocked softly on the door and then waited. After receiving no reply, he softly called, “Ginny? I just wanted to check on you.”

She burrowed down into the blankets.

The door slowly opened and Draco stuck his head in. She looked like she was sleeping. He entered the room, closing the door behind himself. He then came and sat on the bed. “Ginny.” Draco paused. “James said you have a hangover. Do you need anything?”

Ginny pretended to wake up. “Draco?” she murmured.

“How are you feeling?” Draco asked.

“Shitty,” she moaned.

“I figured as much. Can I take the kids out for supper while you sleep?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“How about you? Do you want anything?”

“Sleep!”

He flashed her a smile. “I'll take them to dinner and maybe even a Muggle movie so you can sleep.” He then rose, but before he turned to leave he asked, “This hangover, would it have something to do with regrets about last night?”

She knew she had a dumbfounded look on her face. She also knew, no matter what, she would not lie to him. “Yes,” she admitted.

He took a calculated look at her as she sat up in bed. “What is it you're regretting?”

She sighed deeply and said, “I shouldn't have-”

“Ginny, I didn't force you,” Draco stressed.

“I never said you did!”

“Then what?” he asked. “You're sorry we made love?”

“Yes- no! I'm not sorry; it was everything I expected, but...”

“It was too soon,” he finished. She only nodded. “How long were you not going to talk to me?” he asked as he sat back down on the bed.

“Just today.”

“Why?”

“Because. You have every right to be upset with me, and I wasn't ready for that yet!” she admitted.

“Ginny, I waited twenty years for you! Do you really think I would walk away?”

“I thought you would think I was playing head games.”

He shook his head. “Even last night, part of me knew I should have stopped and made sure you were OK with it, but I was selfish. I just knew I wanted you, and as long as you weren't stopping me I was not about to pass up the chance to make love to you.”

“I'm not being fair to you?”

“No, but Ginny, I'm a Malfoy and I will take what I can get when I can get it. I also love you, and I might not like waiting, but I will wait.”

She eyed him up and down. “How do you know exactly what I'm thinking?”

“Because I know you, Ginny. When you're ready there will be many nights to make up for lost time.” He then bent down and kissed her cheek. “I love you, even when you have put no effort into your appearance,” he teased.

She caught his hand before he pulled away. “Thank you for being so understanding; not only of me, but of James, too.”


One week later, everyone was back in England. Draco was in his office when Lucius entered. He and Narcissa had spent the holidays on a private, tropical island the family owned.

“Father, you're back,” Draco greeted.

“Yes. I see you, like me, felt the need to come to the office and check on things.”

Draco nodded. “Yes, everything seems to be in order.”

“It's all about having the right people working for you.” Lucius walked over to the wet bar that Draco had in the office and poured himself a glass of water. “How did your holiday go?” he asked, eying his son.

“Good. Really good,” he smirked.

Lucius seemed to understand what Draco wasn't saying. “And Ginevra and her children?”

“Albus and Scorpius are- well, I don't think I have ever seen anything like the two of them. Closer than brothers. Lily is Ginny all over again, but James, her oldest, well... For the sake of the children, we kept things totally platonic; however I swear that boy saw right through me! He seemed to have a hate on for me from the second I met him and never missed the chance to point out my faults to Ginny.”

Lucius gave a knowing nod. “Sounds like someone else I know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Draco, I heard from both your mother and from Severus how you treated him while I was in Azkaban. You had always liked him until I was gone. You saw him as replacing me, but not in your mother's heart; only as the Dark Lord's right hand. Now this James, he's how old?”

“Fifteen next week.”

Lucius nodded. “Trust me, Draco, when you want something badly, you're very easy to read. The young man has lost his father and now sees you moving in on his mother. I would guess he doesn't want to think of her with anyone but his father, and there is also the idea that if someone else comes into her life, where does that leave him?”

“I could never ask her to turn her back on her children!” Draco swore.

“I never said you would, but you are dealing with a teenage boy; they don't always think as an adult would.”

“So what do I do?”

“There's not a lot you can do. He needs to see for himself what's going to happen.”


At the same time, Ginny sat at her kitchen table opening a letter from the man who had taken over Harry's position.

Mrs Potter,
I found the enclosed letter between the desk and the wall of the office. It was addressed to you.
Paul Williams

Ginny looked at the enclosed envelope. Her name was written in Harry's messy handwriting. She stared at it for ten whole minutes before her shaky hands slowly opened it. After unfolding it, she found more of her late husband's messy writing:

My dearest Ginny,
I don't know where to start. I hope I get the chance to tell you this in person, but at the same time I don't want to leave it to chance.

Ginny, I love you with all my heart, and you make my life worth living. I remember when I thought I was going to let Voldemort kill me. I walked right past you, and you looked up as if you knew I was there. At that moment my biggest regret was not being able to stop and hold you one more time. I was so lucky; I got so much more in the end. I got you for my wife. I got to hold you every night. You made me the happiest man alive, wizard or Muggle.

But Ginny, I have known for years that for you there was someone else, and I have known who that someone was; Draco Malfoy. I have asked myself time and time again when and why, but that really doesn't matter. Somehow you still loved me, too. And if I thought for a minute you weren't happy with me, I would have let you go. But you were happy. We were happy.

I know that staying with you, knowing how you felt about him, was selfish. I am sorry for that, but Ginny, we have children. Honestly, looking back, I knew that day he came to the house, but I wasn't willing to admit it until later. By then we had James. Please don't hate me for being selfish, but you truly made my every dream come true.

However, last week we found out I'm dying, and I need you to know I love you. I also understand that you need to be happy yourself, even if it is with Malfoy. I know you don't need my blessing, but I still want you to know your happiness means a lot to me. If you and he can be happy together, then please be happy. Just don't expect Ron to be jumping for joy over this.

I love you no matter what!
Harry

Reading Harry's letter felt like it reopened the wound his death had left in her heart. Some might say that his staying with her was selfish, but she understood it and never could hold it against him. This letter proved to her that he did care about her happiness. He made sure she knew he would be okay with her being with Draco. She closed her eyes, hoping to stop the tears that were burning her eyes.

She knew he understood, but it didn't stop her from the guilt she felt over having made love to Draco. She was not in control of her own body enough to wait a reasonable amount of time after Harry's passing. She fell into bed with her husband's biggest rival at her first chance. She couldn't help it; she felt like a whore. She also wondered when this feeling would go away.

Ginny was embarrassed by her actions and feelings. She knew that since Harry's death, she seemed to be more ruled by her emotions than she had been at any other time in her life. She decided to try to avoid the things that most affected her emotions. Even though Harry had left her and the children in a very good financial state, she decided to find something to take her mind off her personal issues. She really didn't feel like writing for the paper again, since she felt the press had betrayed her trust when she finally came out of hiding after Harry's death.

She finally chose to write a book about her time playing for Holyhead. She could focus on the game and team life, but she would start with her beginnings at learning to fly in secret and very briefly touched on playing in school.

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter 15
An Unexpected Blessing


It didn't take Draco long to figure out she was avoiding him. This confused him; he was sure they had moved past the fact that they had slept together. He knew they needed to talk, so once more he Floo'ed her place. “Oh, hello Draco... I forgot to Floo you again! I'm so sorry; it's just that I have been so busy, and then when I sit down to write I really forget about the rest of the world.”

It was the same line for a month now. “I understand Ginny, but I was really hoping to stop by tonight.”

“Oh, tonight? Tonight's no good; I promised Ron and Hermione we would have dinner at their place.”

“Fine, how about tomorrow, then?” He was used to this song and dance now.

“Lily has ballet,” she replied, feeling a little better that this was at least true.

“Well then, what works for you?” One nice thing about speaking by Floo; he could see her face as she panicked.

“Um, Draco, I really don't...”

“Ginny, something is up. Should I Floo Ron and find out what time you're going to be there till tonight?” He paused, “Or will you admit you're trying to avoid me?”

“I'm not trying; I thought I was doing a pretty good job.”

“Look, I have a couple of hours free now. How about we talk about this face to face?” he offered.

“Fine,” she sighed. She had given up.

Twenty minutes later, they sat on Ginny's sofa facing each other. “What's going on?” he asked.

“I'm just not mentally available right now, Draco.”

“That's what you want me to think is really going on?”

She looked down into her lap, then around the room before her eyes settled on him. “No, that is it. It's just not what you think I mean. Draco, as you can probably tell, I'm really messed up right now.” She took a breath. “I really want to be with you, but I'm not finished getting over Harry. I don't want to start things between us before I'm... before I've dealt with my feelings and stuff about Harry. I'm scared that if I spend time with you I will jump ahead of where I should be.”

He couldn't help himself; he reached out, put an arm around her, and gently pulled her close. “Listen, just listen. In all the time we've-- been together, been a part of each other's life, you have had feelings for and issues with him. While I'm not happy about that, it's something that's not going to change, ever. He will always be a part of your life, and there will always be a time when you will wish he was still around. And knowing you, at those times I'm guessing that part of you will always feel guilty that I am around. However, that doesn't change what I want.” He repositioned himself so he could look into her eyes. “Ginny, I need you to be completely clear on what I want. I want to marry you. I want to know what it's like to wake up every morning and see your face. I want to hold you when you're crying, when you're happy, and,of course, when you're orgasming. I know he will always be a part of you, but I don't care; it's not about him, it's about us. I can't make this easier for you to deal with, but I don't want you trying to deal with it all alone. Did someone say something to you that made you feel this was wrong?”

“No, not really. When we got back, I received a letter from the man who replaced Harry at work. He found a letter Harry had written to me shortly after we found out he was sick. It said pretty much the same stuff Harry told me before he died. I guess he was just making sure I knew how he felt, but it just reopened the wounds for me. All this on top of feeling guilty about having slept with you.”

“Ginny, let's make an agreement here and now; no more secrets! If something happens and you need some time to yourself, that's fine, but let me know what's going on first.”

She nodded. “I'm sorry for acting like a child.”

“You're not acting like a child; you're acting like someone ruled by her heart.”

Ginny and Draco finally began to fall into a routine of seeing each other, but they were still remaining on a 'friends only' level. They resumed speaking by Floo each night, and he would come over at least once a week.

Three weeks later, Ginny was working on the book she was writing when she began to feel ill. She didn't think much about it until that evening when she noticed the feeling went away when she ate. It took her all of three seconds to know what was wrong! She nor Draco had performed a contraception charm on her that night! Now Ginny wasn't stupid; she just hadn't had to worry about doing one when she was with Harry because he always took care of it.

She didn't understand why Draco hadn't; she would have thought that because of how he was and the number of women he had slept with that to avoid issues like this he would have always seen to it himself, to know that it was done.

She tried to calm herself. She didn't know for sure; she needed to make a potion to find out for sure. She sent Lily over to the Burrow and then set to making the potion. The final thing it needed was a drop of her blood. If the gray liquid turned purple, she was pregnant; if it remained gray, she wasn't.

She raised the knife she had used to cut up some of the ingredients and poked the blade into her fingertip. Once the skin was pierced, she put the knife down and using her other hand pushed on the finger below the cut, forcing blood out. She watched as a drop of blood fell into the potion. The second it hit the gray liquid, the color purple fanned out! “Shit!” she exclaimed. “Bloody hell!”

She sat staring at the potion for ten minutes before she could think if what to do. Luckily, she was a grown woman who knew the father had as much right in the decisions as she did. She knew it was best for her and Draco to talk about this while Lily wasn't home, and she also knew it was only fair to talk before she made her own mind up. She finally walked over to her Floo and called Draco.

“Draco, could you please come over here... now?”

“Now, Ginny? What's wrong?” he asked.

“I just need to talk with you in person,” she lied; she didn't want to have this conversation over the Floo network.

“Can you give me ten minutes? I just need to finish up a few things.”

“Ten minutes, sure,” she agreed.

When Draco arrived, she led him to the living room. “Lily's at my parents for the night,” she informed him. She offered him a non-alcoholic drink, and after getting his and one for herself, she sat down in the armchair across from him. “How was your day?” she asked innocently.

“Busy. Lots of boring meetings.” He shrugged. “Ginny, I get the feeling something's up. What is it?”

“I- um, I wasn't feeling so great today,” she began.

He smiled at her. “You do look a little pale. Is that why you're sitting over there?”

“No, I- um, Draco, I just, well, I have only been sick like this three times before.” She couldn't explain why she didn't come right out and say it. She waited to see if he would realize what she was saying.

“You've never been really ill, so I'm sure it will pass,” he calmly stated.

“Not soon enough,” she muttered. “Draco, I checked. I'm pregnant.” She sat watching for his reaction.

It took a second for her words to hit him. His face stayed neutral. “This changes everything,” he calmly began, “Look, I know this wasn't what we were thinking, but we will figure everything out together. Do you have any ideas on what you want?”

She shook her head. “I Floo'ed as soon as the shock wore off. I felt this was something we needed to figure out together.” Ginny felt a small sob escape. “I never planned on having any more. Lily was supposed to be my last,” she admitted.

This caused Draco to come over to her and wrap his arm around her. “I know this isn't something we planned, but we will make it work.” He took a moment. “Ginny, you know it was never a question that I did plan, and want, to marry you.”

“What are people going to say? It's so soon. He's only been gone five months,” she thought out loud.

“We can wait till closer to the baby coming,” he offered.

“Our families! What will they say?” Everything was finally hitting Ginny at the same time.

“They will have to deal with it. We'll tell them together, and very soon.”

“No, the kids need to know first.” She got up and moved away from him, but she did turn to look at him.

“Yes, I know.”

She then began to panic. “What are they going to think?”

Draco made his way back to her. He then placed his hands on her shoulders. “Albus and Scorpius, have both been hoping, praying, trying to find a way to make this happen. I think Lily will be okay. However, James isn't going to be happy. He will forgive you; he loves you. Me on the other hand, I'm going to need to be very careful around your son.”

She looked at him and laughed. “Since when have you ever been scared of a fifteen-year-old boy?”

“Since I found out I got his mother pregnant. He does not like me.” He pulled her to the sofa.

“I know. He's loyal to Harry.” She paused. “Draco, I didn't plan this. Harry used to take care of that sort of thing. I never even thought about it.”

“I'm not mad, so don't worry. I should have taken care of that myself. It must have been the Muggle champagne.”

When Draco left that night, he was surprised. Years back, he wished for something like this; now some part of him wondered if this hadn't happened, would she still marry him? Well, now he would never know, but he did know that soon he would only be saying good night and not goodbye.

She was right; they needed to tell their children first and foremost, and it was for both him and Ginny to do it. However, the more he thought about it, it would be better to tell Scorpius and Albus together. He knew they would be pleased with this. Lily seemed to like him enough, but she might not be happy about this at first. But telling James! Draco was very worried about informing the young man. He wasn't fearing for himself, but for Ginny. He was fully aware of just how quickly she could be upset.

Draco did wonder how his own parents would react. Really, one wouldn't be surprised if a twenty-year- old came home and said he accidentally got his girlfriend pregnant, but when it''s your son, who is almost thirty-nine years old, well, that's a different story. He knew he screwed up big time, but he also knew he would protect Ginny from anything that resulted because of this mistake. No, mistake was the wrong word for this. From this moment on, their child would be referred to as an unexpected blessing.

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter Sixteen
Draco the Informant

A week later, Draco and Ginny arrived at Hogwarts to tell their sons. He wanted to wait for a while, but once Ginny saw her healer she insisted that the sooner their families knew, the better it would be for her and the baby.

Ginny was worried about how her children would take this news. She really couldn't tell if it was morning sickness or her own nerves that had her ill for the better part of the morning. She had told Neville the reason for her and Draco coming the night before. She thought someone needed to know why James would be feeling upset or grouchy for the next little while. Once done here, they would return to the house to tell Lily; then Ginny had asked the rest of her family over to the house to tell them before they heard it from one of the children in a letter from school.

Now facing James, Ginny felt very cold. Draco stood behind the chair she sat on as she looked across at her eldest. “James, there a few things you need to know.”

“What's going on, Mum?”

“James, I'm – we're, um...Draco and I plan to get married.”

“What?”

“Before the start of the next school year,” she finished.

James' eyes grew cold as he looked at Draco. “What did you do to her?”

“James, it was as much my fault as Draco's. James, I'm pregnant.” Ginny tried to calm the situation down a bit by speaking quietly.

“You whore!” he yelled. “Dad hasn't even been gone a year!” James then went to storm out of the room.

Draco could see just how upset Ginny was; however, he wasn't about to allow James to upset her like that. He followed the teen out of the room and after closing the door behind himself, grabbed hold of James. “Not so fast! You're going to hear me and hear me good because I will not allow you to upset your mother like that! You'll find that the famous Weasley temper is nothing compared to the Malfoy temper!”

He shoved James down into a chair in the hallway. “Hmpff!” was all James would say.

Draco continued, “The truth of the matter is, your mother did-- still does, love your father. They dated in your father's sixth year, but he broke things off with her. The following year she and I were together. However, being young and stupid I let her go. I never should have, but I understood that she still loved Potter. They had nineteen happy years together, yet for your mother and I both, the feelings we had for each other never went away. We both are willing to say that we erred and slept together before we should have. Now we have been blessed with a child. A child who deserves the same thing you and your brother and sister got; to be raised by two loving parents. You aren't going to make her feel bad about doing that for this baby. If you have something you feel you need to share that is less than positive, you will say it to me and me alone. You can take your anger out on me; I'm more than used to it from both a Potter and a Weasley. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” James said. “Can I leave now?”

“You will write your mother an apology that she will receive first thing tomorrow,” Draco ordered.

James got up and went to leave and Draco heard him mutter, “Sodding bastard.”

Draco let that go; the kid did have the right to feel like he did.

Telling Albus and Scorpius went much better. “Really?” Albus asked.

“Cool!” Scorpius exclaimed.

“So we'll all live together?” Albus asked.

“Yes, after the wedding,” Ginny replied. However as the boys went to leave, Albus held back a bit.

Draco followed his own son out, but listened to what Albus was about to say.

“Mum, you- you still love Dad, right?”

“Al, I will always love your father.”

“And you love Mr. Malfoy?”

“I have loved both of them my whole adult life. How I love each of them is like how I love each of you children; with my whole heart. It's the same, yet different. The fact that I love one has nothing to do with the other.”

“This is cool. By the way, Mum, I love you.”

Ginny followed Albus out.

“How are you doing?” Draco asked as he reached out and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.

“I wish James hadn't gotten so upset,” she admitted sadly.

“He's upset with me, not you.”

“Really? He had more to say to me than you.”

Draco began to lead her out of the school. “That's because he knows what to expect from you. How do you think Lily will react?”

“She's the wild card here. I wish I knew.”



“Married?” Lily questioned. She was sitting at the breakfast table, her eyes darting between her mother and Draco.

“You see Lily, your mother is expecting a baby,” Draco offered. He still couldn't tell how she felt about this news.

“A baby?” She paused. “A real baby? Are you sure?”

Ginny gave a small smile. “Very sure.”

Her face lit up. “So I won't be the youngest anymore?”

Later in the living room, Draco watched Lily take one of the family pictures and go to head upstairs. “Lily, may I have a word with you?” he asked.

She looked like a thief caught in the night. “Um, sure.”

He led her back into the living room. “I know this is a strange time for you, but I wanted you to know I don't plan on trying to replace your father.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

He smiled. “I mean I know you kids loved him, as did your mother. I'm not going to try and take over. I'm willing to be there for you and your brothers in any way you need me, and I don't expect you guys to forget him.”

Lily looked at him for a long moment. “But we're going to have to move, aren't we?” she asked.

Draco looked around the room. “We haven't talked about it, but I think that yes, we will be moving.”

She released a sob at the idea. “I don't want to! This is Daddy's home!”

Draco was unsure of what to do. “Lily, we have months to figure all of that out. Things will all work out, and really, you don't forget someone because you live somewhere else. You keep them with you forever.”



Knowing full well that James would likely say something to one of his many cousins, Ginny and Draco had agreed to tell the rest of her family that same day. They were due to arrive in a few minutes and Ginny was putting the finishing touches on the meal she told her family they were coming for.

Draco stood back against the kitchen wall and watched her; he could tell she was stressed. It upset him greatly, for it wasn't supposed to be like this. This should have been a happy time for them. However, now everything was rushed. Draco knew Ginny felt like her hand was being forced. He never wanted her to feel that way, but there was no way he would ever allow their child to be born out of wedlock. It wasn't an opinion, it was fact; children whose parents were not wed at the time of their birth were not accepted by most wizards and witches alike.

Ginny knew this and felt this way, too. Her family could say many things about his family's beliefs, but on this one even her family felt the same as his. Draco didn't regret the fact that they were going to have a child, only that it was forcing things before Ginny was ready. Draco did realize that this was his fault. All of his life he had been a playboy, and Ginny was the only woman whom he had ever been faithful to. But now she was also the only one whom he had failed to perform an anti-conception charm on. When they were younger he did forget a few times, but then they had been lucky. No, unlucky. He thought about how differently their lives would have been if they had spent the last two decades as husband and wife.

Well, now it didn't matter. In a few months she would be his wife and his forever. There was no way he would ever let her go. Draco shook himself from his thoughts and walked over to her, placing his hands on her upper arms and kissing the side of her head. “Relax. They all love you, and you're forgetting; I'm a Malfoy, the root of all evil. They will know this is all my fault,” he whispered.

She slowly turned in his arms and looked up at his chin. She was clearly fighting off tears and she wouldn't meet his eyes. “What if they are thinking like James was today?”

“Not possible. Ginny, I don't think you realize it, but you are your family's golden girl; you can do no wrong in their eyes. You told me yourself that they never had you own up for being so unthinking and continuing to write in Voldemort's diary. I mean, I can understand a Muggle-born writing in a book that writes back, but...”

“Draco, your father...”

“I know, but still you have to admit...”

“I know.” There was a knock at the door.

It didn't take long for the house to fill with Weasleys. Draco had forgotten just how many there were and he was feeling rather uncomfortable.

“I wanted to thank you for taking Ginny and the kids on that holiday. It really seemed to help her,” Ron said once he stood next to him.

“I was happy to help,” Draco returned in a civil tone.

“I hear that any class that Rose isn't at the top of, she's only second to Scorpius.” He was trying to make conversation.

“Yes, I hear the same thing. She's lucky she takes after her mother.” It was hard to be good.

“Yes, she is.”

Draco looked at Ron and remembered hearing about him having a lot to say about whoever Ginny had dated in school. He decided it would be better for Ginny if she wasn't present for Ron's reaction. “Come out back with me for a minute?”

Ron nodded and then led the way.

Once in the yard, Draco began, “I assume that you realize that dinner tonight isn't just dinner.”

“Yeah. Gin wants you to get used to being around the family,” Ron commented.

Draco moved so he was facing Ron. “There's more to it than that.” Draco put his hands in his pockets, thinking that If Ron lost it it was only right to let him get one punch in before he defended himself. He also knew this would score points with Ginny. “She's expecting my baby.” He could see the color rising in Ron's face. “We will be married before the baby arrives.”

“You sodding bastard! I gave you an inch and you took a mile!” Ron yelled.

“I have loved your sister for twenty years,” Draco tried to reason.

“What did you do? Wait till she was at her lowest? Taking advantage of a grieving widow!” Ron pulled his fist back to punch Draco square on the jaw.

The back door opened and six women came streaming out of the kitchen! Hermione and Angelina tried to hold Ron back. Clearly, when Ron first hit Draco, at least one of the women had screamed because now the Weasley men were coming out, too.

Draco's eyes were focused on Ginny, and he knew she was mad at him. She advanced on him. “You just had to push him, didn't you?” she yelled.

Arthur could be heard talking loudly to Ron. “What's the meaning of this?”

“Ginny, I thought it might be best if he heard the news alone,” Draco tried to explain.

“He took advantage of Ginny! He has no respect for the dead! The second he was alone with her, he...”

“I'm going to be a big sister!” Lily announced proudly from the doorway, causing everyone to stop talking.

After a second or two, Draco spoke, “That's right. Look, this wasn't planned, but this is in no way unwelcome. We plan to marry before the baby arrives.”

“Another baby! And here I thought I would have to wait until Teddy asked for Vicky's hand!” Molly gushed as she came over and hugged Ginny.

“I told you,” Draco whispered to Ginny.

“That's only one and you can't count her,” Ginny shot back as she hugged her mother.

“Bloody hell, could you not wait till her husband was cold in this grave?” Ron continued to rant.

Bill, however, had watched Draco with Ginny from the second he arrived. He walked up to the two of them and extended a hand. “Welcome to the family,” he offered to Draco.

The wives all seemed to wait to see how the rest of the family would react. George was the next to walk up and address them both. “Forgive him,” he jerked his head back at Ron. “You're a Malfoy and his personal nemesis who has not only shagged his little sister, but the wife of his best mate. You're doing the right thing here, and Ginny, you made a beautiful bride the first time, so I'm sure the second time around you'll be stunning.”

At that point, the rest of the wives seemed to decide it was okay to be happy about this. Ron, however, still looked pissed.




Later, Ginny tended to Draco's split lip. “You just couldn't resist, could you?”

“It had nothing to do with pissing him off,” Draco mumbled as Ginny dabbed at the dried blood that still sat on the corner of his mouth.

“Then what was it about?” she asked with a stern look on her face.

“I was trying to protect you,” he retorted as he reached up and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

She rose an eyebrow. “From my own brother?” she asked skeptically.

He then took hold of her hand. “I remember hearing about the trouble he gave you about dating blokes at school. I knew he wouldn't be happy about this and I didn't want a repeat of earlier with James. I hoped he would get through his first reaction without you having to deal with it.”

She looked at him for a long moment as she decided whether to be upset with him or not.

“Ginevra, I love you, and I want to protect you from anything that might hurt you. You've been through a lot in the past few months and I know that things are happening faster than you're ready for. I just want to make it easier for you.”

She smiled at him and then gently kissed him. “Thank you, but I've been dealing with Ron for almost 38 years; I know how to handle him! Now, tell me honestly, part of you enjoyed getting a reaction from him, didn't you?”

He smirked at her; she knew him so well. “Old habits die hard.”

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter Seventeen
The Distance Between


The next evening, Draco and Ginny went to Malfoy Manor for dinner. Draco was relieved that almost ten years earlier Ginny had spent some time with his father. She was nervous, yes, but only because of what they were about to announce. Draco had toyed with the idea of telling his parents alone, but in the end decided that this was good news and not something to be ashamed of.

“Mother, this is Ginevra Weasley Potter. Ginny, my mother, Narcissa.” The two women had met and spoken a few times in the past; however, Draco was now formally introducing his future wife to his mother.

“Ginevra, it's lovely to see you again. I hear so much about your son Al from Scorpius.”

“Mrs. Malfoy, you have a lovely home,” Ginny greeted.

Narcissa smiled. “Yes it is; I only wish I could take credit for it. As both Draco and Lucius could tell you, I have the most hideous taste in decor.”

Draco nodded. “What you lack in taste there you more than make up for in fashion, as Father complains about regularly,” Draco teased, trying to show Ginny that his family was really the same as any other family.

Lucius had entered the room and took a moment to watch his son with the love of Draco's life. Draco's hand was resting gently on the small of Ginny's back. As the evening went on, it didn't take Lucius long to figure out something big was coming. Draco was clearly very protective of Ginny.

“Well, Mother, Father, Ginny and I would like to tell you that we have decided to get married, before the end of the coming summer.”

Narcissa looked at Draco; she believed there was more. Normally, it would be far too soon for Ginny Potter to remarry! “Draco, is there something more I'm not aware of?”

They were sitting at the table in the dining room. Draco reached under the table and squeezed Ginny's hand. “A lot, Mother. Ginny and I have been in love for twenty years, and for most of that time we were apart.”

Narcissa smiled at Ginny, “Don't misunderstand me, Ginevra. I'm simply concerned about the fact that you are recently widowed and... Well, I ...”

“Mother, Ginny and I are both aware of what people's reactions will be. However, I can assure you that while Ginny was married she never broke her wedding vows. Her family is aware of this, and now you are as well. I have wished to marry her for most of my life, but now it will be a little sooner than we thought. You see Father, Mother, Ginny is expecting my child.”

A smile played on Narcissa's face.


Later that evening, Lucius and Draco were in Lucius' study. “Did you plan this, Draco?” the senior Malfoy asked.

“No, Father. This is an unexpected blessing, however a very welcome one,” Draco replied.

“Well, it's really too bad you couldn't have married her sooner. I will say this about her family; they're good breeding stock.”

“Father, I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about my future wife like you would a horse.”

“Don't misunderstand me, Draco. I'm very happy for you and I'm pleased at the idea of another grandchild. I only meant having children is something her family does well.”



Once their families had been told, Ginny began to relax; there was still a lot of time before the fact that she was pregnant would become public knowledge. Draco had been coming over each night until about four weeks ago, then he became very busy at work. Now if he made it over twice a week Ginny felt lucky, but even when he was over Ginny noticed he was distant and withdrawn.

She couldn't help but think that maybe he had lost interest in her. It did hurt. He didn't even ask about the baby! That only made her miss Harry. In the past when she had been expecting, Harry was always asking how she and the baby were doing. It was like Draco didn't even want to know about the baby.

Ginny was walking down Diagon Alley one afternoon when she ran into Lucius. “Ginevra, join me for lunch?” he offered warmly.

As they sat in a small café, Lucius asked all kinds of questions about Ginny's pregnancy, and even how it compared with her others. In ten minutes, he asked more than Draco had in the last month! “Ginevra, is there something wrong?” he asked; he had noticed she seemed distracted.

“No, why do you ask?”

“I can tell something's bothering you,” he declared.

“It's nothing, really,” she lied.

“You're worried about what will happen when news of the baby comes out to the public, right?” he guessed.

“No. I mean...a little. Can I be honest with you?”

“Of course.” He smiled reassuringly at her.

She toyed with her fork. “You remember that Draco and I were... well, you know about our past. I think that for Draco, perhaps he had years of knowing that he couldn't have me and that only made him want me more. Now he has me, and I think he might be finding that having is not as pleasurable as wanting.”

Lucius looked at her for a long moment before replying, “Why do you say that?”

“Well, of late he has been withdrawn and he doesn't seem to have an interest in the baby.”

“Have you considered that the problem is not Draco's, but yours?”

Ginny took offence. “What?”

“I don't mean to offend; just hear me out. You're expecting Draco to react like your late husband did. You must remember Draco is not like Harry Potter and he will react differently. Draco is a man whose first wife lost one baby, then she and another child died in childbirth. Draco is reacting the only way he can; he is protecting himself.”

“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!” Ginny snapped.

“Really, Ginevra, think about it. He spent years wanting you, thinking about what life with you would be like. He was unhappy in his life, and at the same time he knew you were happy. Now he is very close to having the very things he dreamed of for years; having you, as his wife, carrying his child is one of those dreams. He is scared to be happy, to get too close, or be too excited.”

“But he knows I had no problems having my other children,” Ginny tried to reason.

“Of course he knows, but this fear is deep down and by no means rational,” Lucius explained.

“You sound like you're speaking from experience.”

He smiled at her again. “Yes and no. I told Draco this, and I will share it with you now. I have been in your place, at least until Mr. Potter passed away. Narcissa wasn't my first choice for my wife, but I do love her. I know what it's like to watch the love of one's life live with another, to see her have someone else's children, to know that she loves this other man. I know Draco; he and I are very much alike. I know how he has hurt over the years, but at the same time I think I understand where you're coming from. You loved each of them for different reasons; don't expect Draco to react to things now as Harry once did.”

Ginny was shocked by Lucius' openness with her. “Why are you being so open with me, and while we're at it, nice to me?”

“You are carrying my grandchild, therefore you will be a member of my family,” he replied as effortlessly as breathing air.

“Who is she?” Ginny asked.

“I will take that to my grave. But please, there is no reason for Narcissa to know; it would only cause her pain.” He paused and looked thoughtfully at the woman in front of him. “Talk with Draco.”

For the first time in Ginny's life, she realized there was more to Lucius Malfoy than the man who gave her Tom Riddle's diary.

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter 18
Pregnancy Emotions


“Draco, you remember when we got back from Canada how I was avoiding you?” Ginny asked. She had come over to his place and waited until he arrived home.

“Do you need some time alone? I know things aren't going like we would have liked them to,” he said.

“No Draco, it's the opposite, really. I had lunch today with your father,” she informed him.

Draco was surprised by this. “Really?”

“I ran into him when I was picking up some replacement ingredients for the boys. By the way, Al said he was out of Dragon scale, so I guessed Scorpius had run out as well. I picked some up for him, too.” She shook her head, stopping herself so she would get back on topic.

“Thank you,” he replied.

“It was nothing. Anyway, back to your father. Draco, in ten minutes he asked more about the baby, and even my other pregnancies, than you ...”

“Ginny, you are carrying his grandchild; it's normal,” Draco said, trying to reason with her.

“I never said it wasn't! However, your lack of interest in the baby is not normal, and it's beginning to hurt!” Draco knew well enough that she was mad and that she had been stewing.

“What are you talking about, 'my lack of interest in our baby?'”

Ginny started crying; the worst thing for her with all her pregnancies was the amount of crying she did!

This startled Draco. Ginny was never the type to cry when she was mad. “Love, please don't cry.” He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

“Do you even care about this baby?”

“What? Ginny, where is this coming from?” He had pulled her onto his lap.

“You never ask me how things are going!” she sobbed into his chest. “You don't ask if it's the same or different from my others!”

“Ginny, let me tell you something.”

“Okay,” she sobbed.

“You need to stop crying,” he encouraged.

She shook her head. “If I try to stop, it only gets worse. I can still hear you, though.”

“I do care very much about this baby. Do you remember the night we told each other about having to marry Astoria and Harry?”

She nodded.

“When I arrived, you were crying. I had hoped, in that moment, that you were going to tell me that you were pregnant. Had you been, I knew that we could have been together then; at least from my family's perspective. Father would never have allowed his grandchild to be a bastard. It wouldn't have mattered what your name was or anything, but we both know that's not the way it happened. Instead, when I found out you were expecting James, it killed me, just as it did with Albus and Lily. The only woman I ever loved was having children with another man. What was worse was that you were happy! I sound like a selfish bastard here.”

“Yes you do, but I know that's who you are.” She gave him a smile. “How do you know Lucius would have been okay with us then?”

He moved her off his lap and unbuttoned and rolled up his shirt sleeve, revealing his Dark Mark. “Do you know why I took this?”

She didn't reply.

“Ginny, be honest. I have a pretty good idea of what you're about to say. I won't be offended.”

“Once we knew, I think we all believed it was because you really believed in the cause, and that you wanted to be like your father.”

He shook his head. “I did, and somewhat always will. But I saw my father bow down to that thing and it made me sick; truly ill. It changed what I thought of Father, until I was brave enough to speak to him. I couldn't understand, with everything he drilled into me my whole life about being a Malfoy and being better than anyone, why he would ever bow down to a half blood! He explained that it may have seemed he was bowing to Voldemort, but he had had a plan for a every long time. His plan was to let Voldemort lead, come to power, and then get rid of him. If Voldemort failed, Lucius could claim whatever he had to and we would be alright, but if it went the other way, he would have others, people like your family, who did not support Voldemort be thankful he got rid of him.

“Never forget; Father is a master manipulator,” he reminded her. “Father was doing what he had to so that his family would be okay. Family, the Malfoy family specifically, was what he was really bowing to each and every time he bowed to Voldemort. Father and I are very much alike; family means everything. I took this mark to protect both Father and Mother. Who your family is meant nothing next to the fact that you are the mother of my child. I knew that long before I knew of Father's understanding of us.

“I do care about this baby, and you. I just don't know what you want,” he concluded.

“Draco, I need you to be here for me! I'll be open and honest; Harry was there for me, and I loved that! I don't know, it most likely had to do with the fact that he didn't have any real family growing up, but I loved that he was there for everything. Yet, you are hardly ever around! I told Lucius today I was scared that now that you had me, you didn't want me.”

“Merlin, no! Ginny, I'm just scared. I'm not a good person. I don't deserve to be this happy and I'm just waiting for you to be taken from me.”

“Draco, I'm not going anywhere, and for the record; all three of my pregnancies were perfectly normal. That includes the crying over the smallest things. I do need you to be a part of this with me.”

He looked intently at her. “I never meant to upset you, but Ginny, things with us aren't exactly clear. Yes, you're carrying my child, and we're getting married, but what do you want of me? We were going to wait, so do you need me here as a friend who just happens to be the father of the child you're carrying? Or more?”

Ginny realized she didn't know. “I- I'm not sure.”

“How can you expect me to be here for you if you don't know what you need?” he pointed out.

“You're right,” she lamented. “I want you to be around, to ask questions, to be a part of this with me.”

“Are there boundaries? Or rules? I mean, not that long ago you were worried about not being ready for things.”

She thought about this for a moment, then replied, “This does change things for us. I can always be open and honest with you, right?”

“You know you can,” he assured her.

“Can we play it by ear, to see how it goes? If something seems wrong, I will let you know.” She hoped that would work.

He got a playful look on his face. “Can I kiss you?”

She smirked at him. “I always enjoyed when you did that.”

He pulled her into his arms, but only gave her a small peck. “How was that?”

She frowned. “That was, sadly, all wrong.” She paused for effect. “Let's try this.” She climbed onto his lap facing him and dropped her lips down on his with a lot more passion than he put into his kiss.

For the first time in his life, Draco just allowed himself to be kissed and didn't try to take control.

This only annoyed Ginny. She knew that Draco was very aware she was a very sexual person, and as he would soon find out, being pregnant only made her more sexual. As her tongue begged for entrance into his mouth, her hands found his and she placed them on her backside and then ground herself onto him.

After a very good snog fest, a breathless Ginny commented, “I don't think Lily is ready to see anything too intense. I mean, holding hands and cuddling should be alright around her, and if she's in sight, for now only a small kiss at the end of the evening.”

“Are you telling me that's all you and Potter did around the kids?”

“No, however her father hasn't been gone a year. I think all three kids need a little more time to adjust. And for the record, Harry and I agreed that the children, Lily mostly, needed to see a normal, healthy relationship. That meant that everything was proper, but if we were in the kitchen and one of the kids walked in on a nice snog, it was, and is, no big deal. We never hid the fact that we loved each other and were attracted to each other. I feel girls, more than boys, need to see that done with respect to each other. It gives them an example of what to expect for how they should be treated in a normal, healthy relationship.”



When spring break came, James chose to stay at school and Ginny was hurt, but Draco, George, Bill, and Charlie all told her to just give him more time. Therefore, Ginny, Lily, and Albus spent time with Draco and Scorpius. Ginny was quite touched to see Scorpius including Lily in their activities.

Draco was over one day and the three children were off 'hanging out.' Ginny was sitting on the chesterfield with Draco's head in her lap, his ear pressed against her belly. “He's telling me he knows he has the most beautiful mother.”

Ginny was running her fingers through his hair and she allowed an eyebrow to rise. “He? You think it's a boy?”

“Of course it is. Malfoys only have sons.”

She smiled at him. “Someone told Mum once that Weasleys only have sons. I guess that means either that type of thinking is wrong, or Mum has spent all her life in love with someone else and the one time they were together, she got pregnant! No, wait! I know; some Muggle teenage girl left a baby on Mum's doorstep and Dad was just so used to her being pregnant that when he came home to find another baby he never gave it a thought!” she said, laughing heartily.

“If you weren't carrying my son, I would have to turn you over my knee,” he warned.

“But I might like that!”

He shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?”

She smirked at him. “I have a few ideas; should I draw pictures, or just write them out in explicit detail?”

“Okay, our children are somewhere in this house and could walk in at any moment, so I'm changing the subject. I was thinking that this house will always be yours and Harry's home. You understand why I can't live here, right?”

“I knew this was coming,” Ginny muttered.

“I was thinking that the house could do some good. What if it was turned into a museum for Harry and his life? I've heard you say Potter hated how he came off in the press, so use the house to tell his story in a way he would want to be presented.”

“Who are you and where did Draco go?” Ginny asked.

“I think it's a brilliant idea!” Lily said, standing in the doorway.


A month later, Lucius was walking down a hall in the Manor when Ginny came storming out of a room. One look at the woman told him Draco was in serious trouble! He approached with caution. “Ginevra, is something wrong?”

“He is the most insensitive, pig-headed man I have ever met!” she fumed.

Lucius could see Draco standing in the doorway a few feet away. Lucius however could not resist temptation. “What did he do now?”

“I think it's what I would not do,” Draco commented.

Ginny looked back at him with a scary glare, then over at Lucius with a seductive smile. She stepped closer to her father-in-law to be and smiled wider as she said, “Lucius, you're a man,” she stepped closer yet, then rose up on her tiptoes to whisper to him, “Would you please tell Draco that there is no reason he can't take care of my sexual needs!”

Lucius' eyebrows rose as he looked over at Draco, who was completely unsure of what Ginny had said to his father.

Ginny moved away from him and then Apparated away.

Lucius came closer to his son. “You must be the only man in all of time to be in the doghouse for this. Draco, there's no reason you shouldn't be enjoying the attention she wants now.”

“Father, she's carrying my child!”

“Yes Draco, and while your late wife couldn't risk relations, Ginevra is nothing like her. Trust me, enjoy what she's offering because before you know it, the baby will be here and the only attention you'll get is when she wants you to hold the baby for a minute while she uses the loo.”

Draco looked surprised. “But...”

Lucius continued, “She's not your late wife. I also take it you haven't talked about a nanny yet. I would advise against it; Ginevra is more the hands on type.”

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter 19
Congratulations...It's a Teenager With Attitude


Ginny was having tea with her mother. “So dear, are things all done for the wedding?”

“Mum, you act like this is something big.”

“Ginny, it's not every day you get married!” Molly scolded.

“I know. I'm just glad Narcissa understands why we want it to be so small. And Draco, he amazes me by understanding that I don't want to announce it until after the kids are in school.”

“We all know it's not going to be pretty once word gets out, Ginny,” Her mother frowned. It was well known that the general public believed Ginny should remain forever the sad, grieving widow of Harry Potter.

“They're just going to have to accept it.”

“Speaking of accepting, any change in James?”

Ginny shook her head. “No, his last letter was three words long. He's really taking the 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all' thing to heart.”

“Ginny, he's mad, and rightly so. His father was taken from him long before he should have been. There's no one to blame. He's not mad at you, or even Draco. Give him time; I know it's hard, but it will work out. So, how are you going to deal with the press when you go to get the boys from the Hogwarts Express tomorrow?”

Ginny had taken to either shopping in Muggle stores or Draco would send a house elf to do any shopping for her so she could avoid the press. They didn't want word of the baby to come out before the wedding. “Luna's going to go for me under Polyjuice Potion so she won't look preggers.”

“Oh yes, you reminded Draco that I expect him and Scorpius for dinner tomorrow?”

Ginny smiled. “Draco isn't exactly jumping for joy, but Scorpius can't wait! He's very excited to see the Burrow. You know, I get more Owls from him than James and Al put together, and Lily gets some too. I think he might have a crush on her.”

Molly started laughing, but was trying hard not to.

“What?” Ginny asked.

“Dear, Harry might have been okay with you and Draco, but his daughter and Draco's son? I can see the look on Harry's face now!” Molly chortled.

Ginny started laughing, too. “Merlin, the only thing worse would be Rose, and the look on Ron's face!”

“And Draco's!” Molly was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down her face.


The next evening, the whole Weasley clan was in the backyard of the Burrow. Draco had just stepped out of the house and walked across the yard, not speaking to anyone. Ron watched and determined Draco was mad about something. Then when the women told the men to gather the children and Draco had still not returned, Ron decided that Ginny was in no shape to go looking for him. So Ron went in the direction Draco had headed. He found Draco standing on the edge of the pond throwing stones into the water with too great a force.

“Perhaps you should have played Chaser instead of Seeker in school. Mind telling me what the rocks did to you that you're so violent with them?”

“Piss off, Weasley, I'm in no mood.”

“I can see that. Look, dinner is almost ready and the others will be wondering where you are.”

“Any chance you might be willing to make excuses to your mother, and to Ginny, for me?”

Ron smiled. “Hell no! They'll think I did something to you. What has you so pissed?”

“What do you care? It's my problem; I made it, I'll deal with it.”

“What is it?” Ron pushed. Years of being an Auror told him there was something Draco wanted to admit to.

A couple of minutes passed. “I don't know how to deal with him.”

“Who?”

“James,” Draco admitted.

“What did James do now?” Ron asked.

“I overheard him talking to one of the other children about Ginny and the fact that Luna picked them up instead of her. The things he was saying were not anything acceptable to be saying about one's mother.”

“What do you mean?” Ron carefully asked.

Draco turned towards Ron. “We expected him to be upset about this, but he has had months to come to terms with it! I won't even voice the things he said about Ginny tonight; they're that bad. All I wanted to do was...” he looked back at the water, “ah...use your imagination. How can I leave Ginny to deal with him? However, I also realize that it's not really my place here to deal with him. He seems to know about mine and Harry's past.”

“And then you need to wonder how the rest of us would deal with him after coming to us and telling us how you dealt with him,” Ron paused as Draco nodded. “What did he say?”

“The cleaned up version would include the words: slut, whore, and poor excuse for a mother.”

Ron turned red. “You haven't used the The Cruciatus Curse on him?”

“I didn't think it would bode well for me here,” Draco smiled, feeling relieved that someone else was thinking along the same lines as him.

“Let's head back. We won't tell Ginny about this, but let's talk with Dad and the rest of my brothers and see if we can't find a way to deal with him.”

For a second, Draco felt sorry for James.


“You're all a bunch of sell outs!” the teenage boy lashed out. “Dad would be sick if he knew how welcoming you were of him! Don't you see that she has completely betrayed Dad!”

Draco was leaning against a wall in Shell Cottage. The Weasley men decided it would be better to deal with James far away from Ginny. It killed Draco to stand back and not defend his love, but, logically, he knew these men were the wiser choice this time.

“He doesn't know when to shut up, does he?” Ron said to George.

“He does seem to take after Harry in that if he thinks it, it must be right,” the single twin replied.

“James, your dad knew about your mum and Draco,” Arthur declared.

The boy got a cold look in his eyes. “Bull. Why do you say that?”

“James, remember how she was after your dad passed? It was because he told her he knew of her and Draco's feelings for each other, and just like you, Albus, and Lily, he only wanted your mum to be happy,” Arthur tried to reason.

To Draco, James looked like if he knew the Avada Kedavra spell, he would use it on everyone in the room.

Ron looked at James. “Look, right now we really don't care how you're feeling; you can't talk about your mother like that! Harry NEVER would have stood for it! Frankly, I believe you're lucky Draco's not dealing with you himself. There's a reason he has the Dark Mark, you know.”

Draco went to react to this, but received a sharp shaking of Arthur's head, letting him know to let it slide.

George moved in front of the boy. “James, for speaking about your mother like that, we have come up with a punishment; you will be volunteering your whole summer working at the Joke Shop. You will be my slave, my guinea pig – I mean, product tester, and do everything I tell you. And you're not going to complain to your mother, either.”

Bill added, “And until you calm down, you're going to be staying here.”

Draco wasn't worried about the punishment for he knew from the reaction of the Weasley men that they were as unhappy about James' comments about Ginny as he was. He was sure the teen was in no way getting off easy. As he walked out, Arthur stopped him. “Ron wasn't trying to piss you off; he was trying to scare James. The boy doesn't know everything about the war and it might do him well to be a little more fearful of you.”

Draco had been rather surprised at how willingly Ginny's family had accepted him. “I have my own ways of how I'd like to put fear into him,” Draco admitted.

“I understand how you are feeling. You know, Percy disowned the family during the war, and I know how I felt about the things he had said about us. I don't have to think about how I would have felt if he had said things like James did about Molly. You were right to let us deal with him this time. If you had dealt with it yourself, the boys would have taken his side. After all, you are still a Malfoy. But this way, James sees that we're all united about this.”


Later that night, Draco sat in the main parlor at the Manor having a drink. He was still upset over what James had said about Ginny. “Your time at the Weasleys was that bad?” Lucius asked from the doorway.

Draco shook his head. “No. While different from what I'm used to, Mrs. Weasley is a hostess who clearly feels a guest can only say he had a good time if he feels ready to burst after a meal. It's all quite warm over there.”

Lucius smiled. “Yes. As I remember, Molly Prewett was rather pushy about people eating enough. I would have thought that between the lack of money and all the children, that would have lessened over time. But why, then, do you remind me of the time the Dark Lord used this house as his headquarters?”

Draco let out a heavy sigh and began to pace. “It's Ginny's oldest, James. He's still not happy about us, and he made some highly inappropriate comments to one of his cousins tonight.”

“And what did you do?” Lucius questioned.

“Had it been any other place, I would have done things I shouldn't have. Instead, I let his grandfather and uncles deal with him.”

“Do you feel they were too easy on him?” the elder Malfoy asked as he poured himself a drink.

“No, they were reasonable. I just feel that this is my fault. He and Ginny shouldn't be at odds with each other. Had I used my head, things could have progressed normally with us. Then she and James wouldn't be going through this. This is my fault and I can't fix it.”

“Nothing is going to fix it except the boy himself, Draco,” Lucius said.

“I know that, but when Ginny was told he wasn't going to be coming home, she looked so hurt.”

After a minute's silence, Lucius declared, “Your mother wants to know when she can meet Albus.”

My Soul Belongs To You
Chapter 20
Two Souls Combine


The summer moved quickly and before Ginny knew it, it was the week before the kids returned to school. Before that, on the last weekend, she and Draco were getting married. They decided on a very private ceremony up at the Malfoy estate in the Canadian Rockies. It was only going to be them, their parents, and the children. Molly and Arthur would Apparate to the estate right before the ceremony, but Ginny, Draco, and the children went over the day before.

James had come around, but only slightly. “You may have dragged me here, but I'm not going to pretend like this is something I'm happy about,” he grumbled.

Even though Ginny knew how he felt, she had hoped he might change his mind. She was still hurt, but instead of crying, she smiled at him. “I understand your feelings about this, James. I respect you enough to not force you.”

She then left his room and walked into hers. Draco was sitting in a chair in the room. “No change?”

Ginny shook her head and walked over to her suitcase that was on the bed.

“I'm sorry. Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No,” she said in a whisper. She opened the case as she continued, “He is his own person and this is his choice.”

Draco watched as Ginny emptied the last of what the case contained and put away the last few things. “Where did I put it?” she said to herself. Draco smirked; he knew that Ginny still talked to herself, even after all these years. Draco could hardly believe that by this time tomorrow, Ginny would finally be his wife. She might not look the same as she did when they were first together, and honestly right now she looked like she swallowed a beach ball, but she was still the single most beautiful woman he had ever known. At least to him. He took a minute to reflect on the changes to her appearance over the years. “Harry,” she muttered.

Draco looked up and saw her body shake with a sob. He was on his feet and standing behind her in a second. “What is it, love?”

In her hands she held a couple of pieces of Ministry notepad paper. “I forgot where I had put this. It's the letter I received that Harry wrote to me after we found out he was dying,” she paused. “I was unpacking from our trip when I got the letter and I must have left it in here. I don't know how I missed it.”

Draco was unsure of what to say. “Ginny?”

“I'm fine, I just wasn't expecting to find it, that's all.”

He took a long moment to look in her eyes.

“So,” she smiled, “what are you going to do on your last night as a single man?”

He smirked. “Well, I was thinking about shagging this hot little redhead I know.”

“Really? Do I know her? Because while my hair might be red, I know I'm not little!”


The next morning, between flower arrangements being put in place and the bride-to-be stopping to use the loo at least ten times, Draco stopped by James' room. “Can I have a word with you?” Draco asked.

James looked at him like he was the scum of the earth, but replied, “Fine.”

“James, I remember the first time I met your father. Most people think it was on the train to Hogwarts or even shortly before we were Sorted. It was not; I first met him in Madam Malkin's. Honestly, I knew he didn't like me, and I can't say I blame him. However, I hated him for not liking me! I was Draco Malfoy! A Malfoy! Everyone liked us, or so I thought. They liked the power and the money. My point is, I expected him, not knowing who he was, to like me. As you know, he and I never got along.”

James looked like he would rather spend his whole summer with Professor Binns.

“The thing is James, I get that you don't like me, and I do understand it. But I want you to hear me; I have loved your mother for more than half of my life. Most of that time, I only ever saw her once in an odd while, but my feelings for her never changed. James, your behavior up to now won't change that.”

“You couldn't have just left her alone all those years?” the boy asked.

“Honestly James, I only sought her out four times; after she married your father, once when I thought she was in trouble, once to say I was sorry for some comment I had made, and once for my own selfish reasons. Any other time was purely by chance.”

“I remember a couple of times; once at the playground and once when Scorpius got lost.”

“Then you know that it was not inappropriate. Look James, I love her and I will never stand by and let her be hurt. Which is why I'm here. James, you're hurting her. Do you know how it makes her feel that you won't come today?”

“I can't! Dad would never forgive me if I didn't let my objection be known!”

“Fine, James. I'll leave it. Your mum found this last night, and I think you should have it.” Draco pulled out the letter Harry had written Ginny. James reached out for it. Draco looked the boy in the eyes. “I don't know what it says.”


They were getting married outside, facing the lake. Lily was Ginny's only bridesmaid and Molly would be the official witness. Lily had already walked down the aisle. Albus was standing next to his mother since he was giving her away. Ginny felt that it was more her children's right than her father's at this point in her life. As Lily took her place, Ginny heard a voice. “Al, go sit down. I'm the oldest; this is my job.”

Ginny looked over to see James standing behind her in his dress robes. “You changed your mind?”

“Dad changed my mind.” He held up the letter from Harry.

“How?” Ginny asked.

The boy rolled his eyes. “Draco.”

Ginny smiled.

“If Dad is really all right with this, I can't go against his wishes.”

Ginny grabbed hold of James and hugged him as she started crying.

“Dad would want me to tell you to look beautiful, Mum.”

Ginny pulled away. “You're sure about this? You don't have to if you don't want to.”

“Let's get you down there; it will take forever at the rate you walk.”


Draco watched Lily walk down and step off to the side. She really did look like her mother at that same age. Then Draco was caught off guard when Albus came down alone. He raised an eyebrow in question.

“She might be a minute,” Albus whispered, then went to sit with his grandparents.

“Al, over here next to Scorpius,” Draco ordered. Al did as he was told.

After a minute or two, Ginny and James stepped into view. She looked perfect. Her hair was wild and free, just like her. She wore a tee length, off-white dress made of soft chiffon. She carried a small bouquet of red roses and white hydrangeas.



Draco began, “Ginevra, I have spent 21 years in love with you, loving you. Now, as of today, I will never have to be apart from you. So I am willing, and wanting, to make these vows to you...”




“Welcome to the family!” Arthur said to Draco.

Draco politely smiled and nodded, but as Arthur walked away, Draco viciously whispered to Ginny, “Just what I always wanted, to be part of a family of blood traitors!”

“And I'm jumping for joy about having Death Eater scum for my husband,” Ginny retorted.

Draco wrapped an arm around her. “You're getting me turned on, Mrs. Malfoy!”

She smirked at her husband. “That was the plan.”



Draco stood back several feet from Ginny as she spoke to her children. They had spent the night before apart. Ginny and the kids spent their last night in the Potter home. Draco knew that Ginny needed to do this alone; it was her final step in grieving for Harry.

He watched as she tearfully kissed Lily one more time, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. Lily climbed on the train and Ginny turned to Albus to speak to him.


“Draco?” He looked down and saw Lily standing in front of him.

“I thought you got on the train!” he said, clearly surprised.

“I couldn't, not just yet. You promise you'll Floo as soon as the baby arrives? No matter how late?”

Draco nodded. “I won't rest until I have talked to you and the boys. You have my word.”

“And you'll speak to the Headmaster about us coming home that weekend?”

“Of course, Lily! I gave you my word.”

“Thanks, Draco.” She smiled and gave him a hug. “Bye, Draco!” She then ran back to the train.

Draco continued to watch until the train was long gone, and it was only he and his wife left on the platform. He then walked over to her and gently placed his arm around her. “Did he come?” he asked in reference to Harry spirit.

Ginny nodded, not sure of her own voice.

“You ready to go and face the world now?” he asked.

She smiled at him and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Only because I have you.”


“Congratulations! It's a girl!” the healer said as she placed the bloody baby on Ginny's chest.

“We have a daughter!”

“No, dear. She's a Malfoy; we have a princess!” Ginny corrected Draco. They had just put the kids on the train a week earlier.

“I'm so proud of you, Ginevra,” Draco whispered. After the new family spent a few minutes bonding, the baby was taken to be cleaned up. “How are you feeling?” Draco asked, only to notice his wife was passed out. “Healer! Healer! Something's wrong!” he exclaimed, panicked.

“Mr. Malfoy, if you'll step out, please. I'm sure she's fine, but I'll check her again.” The aide came and handed him the baby.

Once Draco was pushed out of his own bedroom, he looked down at his daughter. She had his white blond hair. “What are we going to do without her?” he asked.

Both sets of grandparents had been waiting for word. Both Lucius and Molly rushed to Draco's side. “What happened?” Molly asked.

“It's Ginny! She was fine one minute and the next she passed out. She didn't even move when I called for the healer. They said she was fine, but...” Draco couldn't even voice it.

Molly took her newest granddaughter from him. “Draco, she will be fine. Giving birth is a lot of hard work! I'll leave you two.” She then took the baby out of the room.

Lucius looked at Draco. “I can't lose her now!” he whispered to Lucius.

“Draco, she's fine. This is normal.”

“No, it's not! Astoria never...”

“Draco, she did. For all the attention you paid Astoria in the hours after Scorpius was born, the woman could have shagged every wizard in Great Britain and you wouldn't have noticed. You're noticing with Ginny because you love her.”

The healer and aide then stepped out of Ginny's room. The healer looked at Draco. “Mr. Malfoy, your wife just needs rest. Trust me, that was no easy task what she just did. Now, as I'm sure her mother can tell you, you let her sleep as long as she needs. A bottle for the baby is fine until she wakes up. But Ginny knows all of this. I'm very happy for you both, and have a good night.”

“While you Floo Hogwarts, I'll check on my granddaughter,” Lucius said to his son.


Lucius Malfoy stood watching her hold their granddaughter. She was still as attractive as the day he met her. He smiled to himself, remembering that day. He then walked over to the rocking chair. “I see I have never been wrong. Malfoy and Prewett blood mixing is a good thing.”

She looked up at him with her warm, brown eyes. “She is stunning.”

He took his granddaughter from her and looked closer at the baby, but spoke to Molly, “Have you truly been happy all these years?” It was the first time in almost 45 years they had been alone together.

“Lucius,” she shook her head, “don't go there.” She changed the subject. “You've been supporting Draco and Ginny for years.”

“I had to.”

“Yes, Lucius. Any other way we would have only ended up hating each other in the end,” she answered the earlier question.