His children, Draco decided, were fantastic.
After spending the last three days with them, he still couldn't get enough. From the moment they woke him in the morning, they were ready to go. Cera mostly, he admitted, but Seth followed along nicely.
His son didn't object to playing games in the backyard or to Draco's silly, Americanized bedtime stories. They weren't Virginia's, but Draco knew he would be hard-pressed to come up with anything to rival their mother might have.
Besides, it wasn't his goal to replace their mother. His goal was simply to get their mother to return to him. If he was playing dirty by holding their children for ransom, then so be it. It was his plan to have Cera and Seth completely in love with him by the time Virginia returned from her self-imposed holiday. So in love, in fact, that they couldn't bear to separate themselves from him.
Draco wanted them to love him as much as he loved them. It was really very simple.
Today they were going to Diagon Alley. Seth asked the night before to go see Potter and Draco obliged. Cynthia had informed him two days ago that the children would be starting their second year of primary school in a few weeks. She'd offered to go herself to get the things they needed, since Virginia was away, but Draco told the nanny he'd handle it. He was really becoming fond of the older lady. Despite their abrupt beginning in the hallway, she'd been there to guide him through some of the ups and downs of being a single father.
Instead, Cynthia made him a list of the things they'd need and wished him luck. This morning they would be taking a carriage out (he was sure he could Apparate himself to wherever he wanted, or at least close enough, but Draco didn't feel confidant in taking chances with the children), into Diagon Alley. Harry offered to meet them at the Leaky Cauldron (whatever that was) and Hermione would guide them around Diagon Alley. The one time he'd been there, Virginia had been with him and they'd gone directly to Madam Malkin's, so Draco was sure he'd need the help. Besides, he was fairly certain the Potter's knew where Virginia was hiding out. He hoped he could get some information out of them.
After he had showered and dressed, Draco made his way down the hall to his daughter's bedroom. The door was opened and he could hear singing from the inside. "Cera?"
The singing stopped. "Daddy?" she asked, shyly.
He nudged the door with his foot. "Can I come in?"
The redheaded child nodded. "Daddy, I had a sad dream last night."
Draco sat on the corner of her bed, motioning for Cera to sit beside him. "What was your dream?" He placed a comforting arm around her.
"I dreamed that me, and Mummy, and Seth were still living at the other house. I dreamed you were never here, Daddy."
Her father sighed heavily, trying to battle the pain in his chest. No matter what happened, if he and Virginia reconciled, or if they reached some kind of amicable agreement about the twins, he could never get the seven years back. He would never hear his daughter's first words, or see his son's first steps. He might never know what it felt like to have Virginia lay beside him at night, wrapped in his arms. Draco knew he had a lot to make up for, but he was trying.
"But I am here, Cera. I'm not going anywhere."
"Do you promise?"
Draco nodded.
"Do you mean it?" Cera questioned. "Mummy and Uncle Blaise both said the same thing. And they're not here now."
He smiled sadly. "Your Mummy will be back, Cera. She'd never leave you, I know that. Uncle Blaise will be back too. He loves you and Seth very much. He'd never leave."
"He loves Mummy, too, Daddy."
"I know."
Cera leaned her head against his side. "Do you love Mummy too?"
"Very much," he assured her. "I love your Mum more than anything."
"Even more than Grandmother?"
"Mrs. Weasley is wonderful—"
"Not Nana," she interrupted, "Grandmother."
She was looking up at him expectedly and Draco wasn't very sure who she was talking about. "You mean my Mum?" he asked.
Cera nodded. "Yes. Mummy says you loved her very much."
"Well then, if your Mummy says it, it must be true. Mummy's always tell the truth."
The child accepted his answer and didn't say anything for a long time. She was content to being held by him, both of them sitting in silence her bedroom. After five minutes of this, Draco stood. "Should we go find your brother?" He held out his hand to her.
She didn't hesitate to slip her much smaller hand into his. In her eyes, Draco could see the total trust she'd placed in him. "I'm glad you're here, Daddy," Cera whispered.
Draco looked down into the gray eyes of his child and was suddenly struck by a strong wave of emotion. "I love you, Cera."
Cera trailed behind him as they continued down the hall to Seth's room. His bedroom door was open and he was sitting on the bed, playing with a snitch Harry had given him. "Are you ready?"
Seth looked up, his eyes immediately focusing on the hands of his father and his sister. "Is Cynthia taking us? Mum said she was."
"We're going to go together, Seth. Cynthia has things she needs to finish up here."
The seven-year-old crossed his arms across his chest. "I want to go with Cynthia. Mum said she'd take us."
"I want to take you." Draco let go of Cera's hand, going to his son. He kneeled at the foot of the bed in front of him. "Don't you want to go with me?"
"You don't know what we need."
Draco pulled a list from his robe pocket. "Cynthia wrote it all down for me. She said she and your Mum talked about it. We'll get you everything you need."
Seth eyed the list carefully. "I bet everything's not on there. Mum said I needed new shoes."
His father unfolded the list and pointed to an item about halfway down. "Here, it says, 'shoes for Seth.' Your Mum thought of that."
"Can't we wait until Mum comes home?" Seth asked. "I want to go with her."
"Seth, we're going today."
"No."
"Yes. We're going to see Pot—Harry, remember? Don't you want to see him and Hermione?"
"Will Uncle Ron be there?"
"No," his father told him. "He's away, playing Quidditch, remember? He won't be back until next month."
"Can we Apparate?"
"No."
"Mum always let's us," he pouted.
"Your Mum isn't here."
"Because you made her leave," Seth accused. "Mum left because you made her."
"That's not true—"
"Yes it is. Mum loves Uncle Blaise and not you," he continued. "She wants to make a family with him, and then you came back."
"Seth," Cera scolded. His sister came to stand beside her father. "Stop it."
"You know it's true!" The seven year old began to cry. "He made Mummy leave!"
"He loves her."
"He left us!" Seth screamed. "He doesn't love us. I don't even know why he came back."
Draco sat on the floor, stunned into silence. So this is what his son thought of him. His heir thought he'd abandoned their mother before they were born. He ground the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked finally.
"No," Seth sobbed. "I—," hiccup, "I just want," hiccup, "I just want Mummy back!" he wailed.
The seven-year-old allowed his father to gather him into his arms. He pulled the little boy to the floor and situated him on his lap. Draco rocked him until his cries turned into sniffles and then finally disappeared. The little boy clung to his robes, almost as if he were afraid he'd disappear. "I'm here," Draco kept whispering. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Do you promise?"
"Yes," Draco told him. He moved so that he leaned back against the bed and Cera was seated right next to them. "I love you, Cera, and your Mum very much. I'm not leaving you ever again."
"When's Mum coming home?" Seth asked.
"Soon," Draco promised. "She'll come home soon."
"How do you know?"
"Your Mum won't be able to stay away from you and Cera for very long." He kissed his child's forehead. "She loves you very much."
"She loves you, too," Seth told him. "She told us so."
***
While Draco was using her holiday to bond with Seth and Cera, Ginny was busy missing them all. She had no idea how absolutely empty her life would be without the twins. Over the last several years, they'd been her constant companions and she missed them.
And Draco, as much as she hated to admit it. But he was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it now. She'd made him leave and she—well, she deserved her emptiness.
When Ginny had decided to revisit the townhouse, she'd thought it be a comfort to her. There were too many memories of Draco at the Manor. Every time she turned the corner, she was assaulted with some kind of reminder. After they were married, they'd christened almost every square inch of the Manor, finding different places to make love.
If the memories weren't of them making love, it was of them sitting up all hours and talking. Taking the time to enjoy being married, laughing with each other over the silliest things, or celebrating the news that she was pregnant. They'd been young and stupid, declaring nothing would ever tear them apart. Ginny had known that Lucius would try, but she also trusted Draco. She knew he would never allow his father to destroy them.
Except he had.
Not in the most conventional ways. They were both alive, thankfully, and they both obviously still had strong feelings for each other (be it love or not), but they couldn't be together. It'd been almost exactly seven years since his disappearance and no one expected them to pick up where they left off. Although, part of her wanted to grab him and drag him up to their bedroom. Ginny wanted to find out if his body was still hard in all the places she was soft, if he was still sharp angles, whereas she was more rounded curves. And there was merit to the idea of shagging him senseless - if he couldn't remember her directly, maybe he'd remember the great sex they'd had.
The idea was silly, she knew. Before she accepted him back into her bed, back into her life, she'd wanted to know he remembered. Ginny knew now that he didn't. Which was why she sent him away. It would kill her to know he was out there, not with her, but she'd find a way to move on. Maybe he'd visit the twins, maybe he wouldn't. They would get a divorce, she'd find some nice guy who loved her children, and they would both manage to get on with their life.
Divorce wasn't entirely uncommon these days. True, it was more accepted by the Muggles than the wizarding community, but Ginny considered these to be extenuating circumstances. She loved Draco, but there was just no way.
Ginny knew that, and it didn't make it any easier at all. There was very little stopping her from going to the airport and getting on a plane herself. She would somehow find him in New York, and drag him back across the ocean if she had to. She loved him, even if he didn't love her, and it was enough.
It had to be enough.
She couldn't live knowing he was out there, but not with her. Since the moment he told her he'd loved her, it had always been like that. Draco was as essential to her as breathing.
And yet… he was there, and she wasn't going after him. She'd take a few more days, get her thoughts together, and then go to her Mum's to get the twins. They would go back to Malfoy Manor. She knew she would continue to raise her children as Malfoy's. They would think of something to tell the press – maybe that it wasn't really Draco, just someone impersonating him. She'd been fooled, along with the rest of them; until it became obvious he wasn't who he said he was.
She'd think of something.
Ginny would go back to being a mother, a friend, and a daughter. Even though dating again was a nice thought, she knew she'd never be able to consider it. They had both pledged 'til death do us part' and it wasn't something she was willing to turn away from. Somehow, she knew Draco wouldn't either. He'd remained faithful for seven years, without even knowing her, so it was hard to conceive he'd suddenly change his mind.
Because he loved her.
That thought made Ginny pause. Did he love her? He'd said he did. He'd nearly shouted it at her in her bedroom, willing her to believe him. She'd turned her back from him and walked away. It was… it was the saddest moment in her whole life.
Coming to the townhouse was supposed to clear her mind. Ginny was supposed to find a way to move on, leave Draco behind. But being here, without him, made her realize how much she'd missed out on. Only it was too late now. She had too much pride to go after him in New York. They'd had an amazing run together, she had two children to show for the marriage, and Ginny knew in her heart she'd met the man she would love forever.
It was sad how things sometimes didn't work out. At least to her. One would think after seven years, you would be able to let go. Even now she couldn't. She knew he was really gone, and she couldn't let go of him.
Now she was left with just her pride. Ginny knew it wouldn't hold her at night when she missed him. Her pride and two amazing children. Two amazing children she needed to go home to. There was no doubt about it; Seth and Cera were the best of her and Draco. She'd always have them.
Because of that, she'd always have a little piece of him too. It was enough. It had to be.
After spending the last three days with them, he still couldn't get enough. From the moment they woke him in the morning, they were ready to go. Cera mostly, he admitted, but Seth followed along nicely.
His son didn't object to playing games in the backyard or to Draco's silly, Americanized bedtime stories. They weren't Virginia's, but Draco knew he would be hard-pressed to come up with anything to rival their mother might have.
Besides, it wasn't his goal to replace their mother. His goal was simply to get their mother to return to him. If he was playing dirty by holding their children for ransom, then so be it. It was his plan to have Cera and Seth completely in love with him by the time Virginia returned from her self-imposed holiday. So in love, in fact, that they couldn't bear to separate themselves from him.
Draco wanted them to love him as much as he loved them. It was really very simple.
Today they were going to Diagon Alley. Seth asked the night before to go see Potter and Draco obliged. Cynthia had informed him two days ago that the children would be starting their second year of primary school in a few weeks. She'd offered to go herself to get the things they needed, since Virginia was away, but Draco told the nanny he'd handle it. He was really becoming fond of the older lady. Despite their abrupt beginning in the hallway, she'd been there to guide him through some of the ups and downs of being a single father.
Instead, Cynthia made him a list of the things they'd need and wished him luck. This morning they would be taking a carriage out (he was sure he could Apparate himself to wherever he wanted, or at least close enough, but Draco didn't feel confidant in taking chances with the children), into Diagon Alley. Harry offered to meet them at the Leaky Cauldron (whatever that was) and Hermione would guide them around Diagon Alley. The one time he'd been there, Virginia had been with him and they'd gone directly to Madam Malkin's, so Draco was sure he'd need the help. Besides, he was fairly certain the Potter's knew where Virginia was hiding out. He hoped he could get some information out of them.
After he had showered and dressed, Draco made his way down the hall to his daughter's bedroom. The door was opened and he could hear singing from the inside. "Cera?"
The singing stopped. "Daddy?" she asked, shyly.
He nudged the door with his foot. "Can I come in?"
The redheaded child nodded. "Daddy, I had a sad dream last night."
Draco sat on the corner of her bed, motioning for Cera to sit beside him. "What was your dream?" He placed a comforting arm around her.
"I dreamed that me, and Mummy, and Seth were still living at the other house. I dreamed you were never here, Daddy."
Her father sighed heavily, trying to battle the pain in his chest. No matter what happened, if he and Virginia reconciled, or if they reached some kind of amicable agreement about the twins, he could never get the seven years back. He would never hear his daughter's first words, or see his son's first steps. He might never know what it felt like to have Virginia lay beside him at night, wrapped in his arms. Draco knew he had a lot to make up for, but he was trying.
"But I am here, Cera. I'm not going anywhere."
"Do you promise?"
Draco nodded.
"Do you mean it?" Cera questioned. "Mummy and Uncle Blaise both said the same thing. And they're not here now."
He smiled sadly. "Your Mummy will be back, Cera. She'd never leave you, I know that. Uncle Blaise will be back too. He loves you and Seth very much. He'd never leave."
"He loves Mummy, too, Daddy."
"I know."
Cera leaned her head against his side. "Do you love Mummy too?"
"Very much," he assured her. "I love your Mum more than anything."
"Even more than Grandmother?"
"Mrs. Weasley is wonderful—"
"Not Nana," she interrupted, "Grandmother."
She was looking up at him expectedly and Draco wasn't very sure who she was talking about. "You mean my Mum?" he asked.
Cera nodded. "Yes. Mummy says you loved her very much."
"Well then, if your Mummy says it, it must be true. Mummy's always tell the truth."
The child accepted his answer and didn't say anything for a long time. She was content to being held by him, both of them sitting in silence her bedroom. After five minutes of this, Draco stood. "Should we go find your brother?" He held out his hand to her.
She didn't hesitate to slip her much smaller hand into his. In her eyes, Draco could see the total trust she'd placed in him. "I'm glad you're here, Daddy," Cera whispered.
Draco looked down into the gray eyes of his child and was suddenly struck by a strong wave of emotion. "I love you, Cera."
Cera trailed behind him as they continued down the hall to Seth's room. His bedroom door was open and he was sitting on the bed, playing with a snitch Harry had given him. "Are you ready?"
Seth looked up, his eyes immediately focusing on the hands of his father and his sister. "Is Cynthia taking us? Mum said she was."
"We're going to go together, Seth. Cynthia has things she needs to finish up here."
The seven-year-old crossed his arms across his chest. "I want to go with Cynthia. Mum said she'd take us."
"I want to take you." Draco let go of Cera's hand, going to his son. He kneeled at the foot of the bed in front of him. "Don't you want to go with me?"
"You don't know what we need."
Draco pulled a list from his robe pocket. "Cynthia wrote it all down for me. She said she and your Mum talked about it. We'll get you everything you need."
Seth eyed the list carefully. "I bet everything's not on there. Mum said I needed new shoes."
His father unfolded the list and pointed to an item about halfway down. "Here, it says, 'shoes for Seth.' Your Mum thought of that."
"Can't we wait until Mum comes home?" Seth asked. "I want to go with her."
"Seth, we're going today."
"No."
"Yes. We're going to see Pot—Harry, remember? Don't you want to see him and Hermione?"
"Will Uncle Ron be there?"
"No," his father told him. "He's away, playing Quidditch, remember? He won't be back until next month."
"Can we Apparate?"
"No."
"Mum always let's us," he pouted.
"Your Mum isn't here."
"Because you made her leave," Seth accused. "Mum left because you made her."
"That's not true—"
"Yes it is. Mum loves Uncle Blaise and not you," he continued. "She wants to make a family with him, and then you came back."
"Seth," Cera scolded. His sister came to stand beside her father. "Stop it."
"You know it's true!" The seven year old began to cry. "He made Mummy leave!"
"He loves her."
"He left us!" Seth screamed. "He doesn't love us. I don't even know why he came back."
Draco sat on the floor, stunned into silence. So this is what his son thought of him. His heir thought he'd abandoned their mother before they were born. He ground the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked finally.
"No," Seth sobbed. "I—," hiccup, "I just want," hiccup, "I just want Mummy back!" he wailed.
The seven-year-old allowed his father to gather him into his arms. He pulled the little boy to the floor and situated him on his lap. Draco rocked him until his cries turned into sniffles and then finally disappeared. The little boy clung to his robes, almost as if he were afraid he'd disappear. "I'm here," Draco kept whispering. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Do you promise?"
"Yes," Draco told him. He moved so that he leaned back against the bed and Cera was seated right next to them. "I love you, Cera, and your Mum very much. I'm not leaving you ever again."
"When's Mum coming home?" Seth asked.
"Soon," Draco promised. "She'll come home soon."
"How do you know?"
"Your Mum won't be able to stay away from you and Cera for very long." He kissed his child's forehead. "She loves you very much."
"She loves you, too," Seth told him. "She told us so."
While Draco was using her holiday to bond with Seth and Cera, Ginny was busy missing them all. She had no idea how absolutely empty her life would be without the twins. Over the last several years, they'd been her constant companions and she missed them.
And Draco, as much as she hated to admit it. But he was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it now. She'd made him leave and she—well, she deserved her emptiness.
When Ginny had decided to revisit the townhouse, she'd thought it be a comfort to her. There were too many memories of Draco at the Manor. Every time she turned the corner, she was assaulted with some kind of reminder. After they were married, they'd christened almost every square inch of the Manor, finding different places to make love.
If the memories weren't of them making love, it was of them sitting up all hours and talking. Taking the time to enjoy being married, laughing with each other over the silliest things, or celebrating the news that she was pregnant. They'd been young and stupid, declaring nothing would ever tear them apart. Ginny had known that Lucius would try, but she also trusted Draco. She knew he would never allow his father to destroy them.
Except he had.
Not in the most conventional ways. They were both alive, thankfully, and they both obviously still had strong feelings for each other (be it love or not), but they couldn't be together. It'd been almost exactly seven years since his disappearance and no one expected them to pick up where they left off. Although, part of her wanted to grab him and drag him up to their bedroom. Ginny wanted to find out if his body was still hard in all the places she was soft, if he was still sharp angles, whereas she was more rounded curves. And there was merit to the idea of shagging him senseless - if he couldn't remember her directly, maybe he'd remember the great sex they'd had.
The idea was silly, she knew. Before she accepted him back into her bed, back into her life, she'd wanted to know he remembered. Ginny knew now that he didn't. Which was why she sent him away. It would kill her to know he was out there, not with her, but she'd find a way to move on. Maybe he'd visit the twins, maybe he wouldn't. They would get a divorce, she'd find some nice guy who loved her children, and they would both manage to get on with their life.
Divorce wasn't entirely uncommon these days. True, it was more accepted by the Muggles than the wizarding community, but Ginny considered these to be extenuating circumstances. She loved Draco, but there was just no way.
Ginny knew that, and it didn't make it any easier at all. There was very little stopping her from going to the airport and getting on a plane herself. She would somehow find him in New York, and drag him back across the ocean if she had to. She loved him, even if he didn't love her, and it was enough.
It had to be enough.
She couldn't live knowing he was out there, but not with her. Since the moment he told her he'd loved her, it had always been like that. Draco was as essential to her as breathing.
And yet… he was there, and she wasn't going after him. She'd take a few more days, get her thoughts together, and then go to her Mum's to get the twins. They would go back to Malfoy Manor. She knew she would continue to raise her children as Malfoy's. They would think of something to tell the press – maybe that it wasn't really Draco, just someone impersonating him. She'd been fooled, along with the rest of them; until it became obvious he wasn't who he said he was.
She'd think of something.
Ginny would go back to being a mother, a friend, and a daughter. Even though dating again was a nice thought, she knew she'd never be able to consider it. They had both pledged 'til death do us part' and it wasn't something she was willing to turn away from. Somehow, she knew Draco wouldn't either. He'd remained faithful for seven years, without even knowing her, so it was hard to conceive he'd suddenly change his mind.
Because he loved her.
That thought made Ginny pause. Did he love her? He'd said he did. He'd nearly shouted it at her in her bedroom, willing her to believe him. She'd turned her back from him and walked away. It was… it was the saddest moment in her whole life.
Coming to the townhouse was supposed to clear her mind. Ginny was supposed to find a way to move on, leave Draco behind. But being here, without him, made her realize how much she'd missed out on. Only it was too late now. She had too much pride to go after him in New York. They'd had an amazing run together, she had two children to show for the marriage, and Ginny knew in her heart she'd met the man she would love forever.
It was sad how things sometimes didn't work out. At least to her. One would think after seven years, you would be able to let go. Even now she couldn't. She knew he was really gone, and she couldn't let go of him.
Now she was left with just her pride. Ginny knew it wouldn't hold her at night when she missed him. Her pride and two amazing children. Two amazing children she needed to go home to. There was no doubt about it; Seth and Cera were the best of her and Draco. She'd always have them.
Because of that, she'd always have a little piece of him too. It was enough. It had to be.
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