The last thing Molly Weasley was expecting on Tuesday morning was Ginny Apparating into the kitchen. The older woman was sitting at the table, flipping through the latest edition of Witch Weekly.
She was pretending to look for the recipes, but was really more interested in the cover story about her daughter and Draco. Ginny's sudden appearance frightened her so much she jumped in her seat. "Dear, I wish you wouldn't do that."
"Sorry, Mum." The younger woman kissed her mother on the cheek. "Where are Seth and Cera?"
Molly flipped another page. "At school, I imagine."
"You don't know?"
"No." She turned another page, admiring the picture of Draco and Ginny from their wedding day. "Draco took them over a week ago. I saw them for a few hours on Sunday, but didn't they start school today?"
"Yes, but . . . " Ginny sat in the chair next to her mother. "Did you say Draco? Did he . . . Mum, did Draco take my children with him to America?"
Her mother turned her brown eyes to her, studying her carefully. "Do you think he would do that to you?"
"I don't know. I haven't exactly been nice to him. He and I might not have . . . he might not love me, but he did love them."
"That's where you're wrong." Molly Weasley looked down at the happy couple from so many years ago and silently wondered what happened to them. "He adores you. I'd say that he's as much in love with you now as he was ten years ago."
"He doesn't know me, Mum. He can't love me." Liar, a small voice in her head whispered. Ginny knew she hadn't given Draco half a chance before she started pushing him out of her life. "He can't remember me."
"Virginia, that boy has loved you since he was sixteen years old. As your mother, I feel that I can tell you he's never stopped. Draco wants to be married to you. You're afraid to give him a chance, though."
"That's not true--"
Molly held her hand up to stop her. "Isn't it, though? You've waited for seven years for him to come back to you. Everyone thought he was dead; Harry and Ron brought you proof that he was dead, and you never gave up. You never stopped believing in him. Why?"
"Because I knew in my heart he couldn't be dead."
Her mother nodded. "That's right. You knew in your heart it wasn't possible. The connection you share goes way beyond anything normal. Virginia, you raised his children and stayed faithful to him when everyone thought you were crazy. And now you find out your right, and you're ready to walk away?"
Ginny sighed. "It's not that simple, Mum. You know it isn't. I wish it were."
"Why isn't it simple?"
"Draco can't remember," she answered. "He doesn't know who I am or what we meant to each other. And I can't spend the rest of my life with those memories. I can't go to him and say 'Remember when?' because he doesn't. Maybe . . . maybe I should ask Harry to prepare another memory charm so he won't remember me. I'll take him back to New York. He was happy there, Mum."
"If you do that, you're no better than Lucius Malfoy. You'll be hurting yourself and Draco. Ginny, think about your children. Will you wipe their memories away too? Do you want them to continue to think their father is dead?"
"No, of course not. Draco is amazing with them."
"You admit he's a good father. Your reservations aren't about Seth and Cera then. You're the reason you won't give him a chance."
"Mum--"
"He loves you, Virginia."
"No," Ginny disagreed. "He loves the idea of me. Draco loves the idea of a family with Seth and Cera. I come along with the package, Mum. Can't you see that? I'm the quickest way to get to his son."
"That's entirely not true and you know it."
"Why are you agreeing with him?" Ginny questioned.
"I'm not agreeing." Molly reached across the table and covered one of Ginny's hands with her own. "I want you to be happy, love. And I know how happy he makes you. I'm trying to understand why you're afraid of that happiness."
“I’m not,” the daughter insisted. “I want him to be happy and I know that he needs to be in New York for that.”
“The only thing that boy needs is you, dear. It’s the only thing he’s really ever wanted.”
“Mum–”
“Virginia, you’re being unreasonable,” her mother told her. “You’re acting like you did when you were ten years old and Ron was going to Hogwarts. You wanted to go so badly, mainly because Harry was there. You begged and begged for me to let you go. And when I wouldn’t, you refused to acknowledge me for weeks. Nothing I could do would change your mind.”
“I’m not ten years old anymore, Mum. I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone in this situation.”
“Except you’re not, love. You’re making decisions with your head, not your heart.”
“I’m trying to make the right decision.”
“The right decision for who?” Molly challenged.
“For me, the twins, and for Draco.”
“No. Those children need their father, every day. Someday they’re not going to be seven years old anymore, Ginny. They’re going to ask real questions that you’re not going to want to answer. Where their father is, what he’s doing, why he isn’t there. If you send Draco away now, you’ll have to lie to them.”
“He could still see them,” Ginny offered after a moment. “I have no intentions of preventing him from seeing them.”
“Are you sure?” the other woman asked. “He can see them, but not you? Is that how it’s supposed to work?”
“Eventually I will see him. When . . . ” Ginny sighed heavily.
“When what?” Molly questioned. “When you’re no longer in love with him? Is that when you’ll agree to see him?”
“Yes.”
The Weasley matriarch finished the last of her tea as she studied her daughter with curious eyes. Several times she looked like she might say something, but didn’t.
“What?” Ginny asked. “Spit it out already.”
“You do realize you’ll never not love him, don’t you?”
“That’s not true. Someday he and I will be nothing more than two people who share children.”
“If you sincerely believe that, then I think you should check yourself into St. Mungo’s right away.”
“What?” her daughter sputtered. “Why?”
“Because you’re fooling yourself, love. You love him, Virginia. It’s not bad.”
“It is, though.” Ginny brought her hands up to her temples and started to rub. “It’s very bad, Mum. I love him. I’m as much in love with him now as ever. He’s Draco, the person I gave my heart to. The one I’ll never get it back from.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Molly asked gently.
“I... I need him to remember, Mum.”
“Ginny, dear, the past isn’t important now. It’s the future you should concern yourself with.” The older woman stood, busying herself at the kitchen sink. “Your father and I have been married nearly forty years now. Every night I lay down beside him and know I’m the luckiest woman alive. You’re our only daughter and that’s what we want for you. Has anyone ever made you feel like that?”
“Draco.”
“Anyone else?”
Ginny silently shook her head.
“Only him.” Molly flicked her wand and the dishes in the sink went into the cabinet. “That should tell you something, love.”
The youngest Weasley sat at the kitchen table for a long time that morning. She stared into a rapidly cooling teacup, contemplating her past, her present, and her future. Ginny thought about what her life was like without Draco. How empty she’d been in the past seven years. How happy she’d been when he returned to her. How good it felt to kiss him after the long drought.
She thought about how Cera and how the little blonde girl had jumped into her father’s arms. Cera had just known who Draco was.
Ginny thought about Seth too. How much she loved her son, how she couldn’t bring him up as a Malfoy, she couldn’t give him his birthright. Only Draco could show him what it meant to be a Malfoy. Only Draco could explain to Seth the importance of what the Malfoy name meant. Draco had the right to know his son. He had the right to the opportunity to help him become a man.
She knew she was being unfair to him. She knew she was terrified of having her heart broken again. Somewhere inside Ginny thought Draco might leave again. He might miss his life in New York and just take off one morning. He might never look back. Not that Draco would ever, ever do that. She just . . .
“Mum?”
“Yes?” her mother asked.
“Do you think it’s possible I made a mistake?”
“About what, dear?”
“Draco.”
“Ginny, love, you’ve been making nothing but mistakes since you left him over a week ago.”
“I think I’ll go home.”
“He’ll be there, waiting for you.”
“I hope so.”
***
When she found him, Draco was in his study reading. His long legs were sprawled out in front of him on the couch. He wore reading glasses and a look of total concentration on his face. Ginny took a moment to study him from the doorway. Draco was wearing a black t-shirt and well-worn jeans. She didn’t recognize the clothes, so they must have been his Muggle clothes from New York. He was barefoot, too.
“What’re you doing here?” she asked.
He didn’t even look up. “I live here.”
“Since when?”
“This is Malfoy Manor, isn’t it?” He turned the page of his book. “Last I checked, that was me.”
Ginny stepped inside the room, but didn’t move to stand in front of him. He wasn’t looking at her. “I thought you’d be back in New York by now.”
“I’m not.”
“I see.” She walked to the fireplace, taking a seat across from him. “Why not?”
“I’m just not.”
Despite what her heart was telling her, Ginny found her mouth saying, “This isn’t your home anymore, Draco. You should’ve just left.”
“I can’t do that.” He looked up from the book then, taking his glasses off. Ginny could see the marks left on his nose from them. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Right. Because of the children.”
“Think what you want,” he muttered. He flipped the page again and resumed his reading.
“I’m supposed to think you love me, then? That after seven years of having no idea who I was, you love me. Sorry if I’ve had a hard time with that.”
“You never even gave me a chance, Virginia.” Draco turned to corner of the page down, putting the book aside. “From the moment I walked through the door, you’ve been pushing me out. I just don’t understand why.”
“I want you to have a life,” she tried to explain. “A life you want. A life you know.”
“Yes, and it just so happens that I want this life - the one with you, Seth, and Cera.”
“Draco–”
“Do you want me to leave, Ginny? Do you want me back in New York, a whole ocean away from you?”
“What if I say yes?” she asked.
“Then tomorrow morning I’ll be in New York and you won’t even be a memory.”
Ginny stood, walking toward the doorway. “If that’s the way you feel, then leave. I’m not stopping you.”
“There’s one thing,” he told her retreating back. She stopped walking, but didn’t turn to face him. “You’ll have to tell Seth and Cera. I won’t be the one to break their hearts. I won’t be the one who has to explain every day why their Mum ran their Dad off. That’ll be you, Virginia.”
“Always the hero, aren’t you Draco? You know, if you didn’t have such a bloody hero complex, we wouldn’t have lost seven years together.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I never wanted to be a hero, I only wanted to be your husband.”
“You wanted to save everyone, Draco. You couldn’t save your Mum, so you thought you’d save your Father. He never wanted to be saved, though. Lucius only wanted to destroy you – us – and he did. You let him.”
“My father’s not here now. The only person standing between us is you.”
Ginny turned to face him, surprised to see him sitting in the same position. The book was lying at his side. “I want you gone.”
"It's my manor." His tone was superior, as if it didn't matter what Ginny wanted. It only served to make her angrier.
"Actually, it's Seth's manor. He isn't of age and I'm the recognized guardian with the Ministry. Will I have to call my father to have you removed?"
"Go crying to Daddy, Virginia. That's very mature. How can you raise children when you act like a child?"
Her face turned red and she glared at him. "I don't want you here. The children don't want you here. So just leave."
Draco folded his arms across his chest and propped his feet on an ottoman. "No."
"What do you gain from being here?" she asked, exasperated. "You don't want me, Draco. Is it the children? Because you're so damn noble you can't leave them? Divorced parents raise children all the time. It's a fact of life."
"Yes, but I will be in New York. It wouldn't work. You aren't tossing me out of their lives."
Ginny stopped and studied him. "Is that what you think I'm trying to do? I don't care where you live, as long as it isn't here. Move to France and teach Muggle Studies if you want. I don't care."
"Wrong," he said. "You don't want to care."
"Draco--"
"What?" the blond asked. "I've seen you look at me, Virginia. I recognize the look in your eyes when you do. Just..."
"Just what?" Ginny interrupted. "Let you lie to me? Just pretend that it doesn't matter you have no clue about us? I'm sorry, but I won't do that."
"You're the one who's clueless, Virginia."
She wanted to scream in frustration. Draco was being so difficult. "Why won't you just go back to New York!" she screamed. "Leave and don't ever, ever come back!"
“Fine.” Draco looked up at her. “But I’m taking Cera with me.”
“What?” Ginny gasped. “You aren’t taking either of my children anywhere.”
“They’re mine, too, Virginia. I’m a good father, I can provide a steady home for her, and any judge will see this is the best way. You keep Seth and I’ll take Cera with me to New York.”
“Seth not good enough for you?” his wife questioned. “A few days ago, you were all upset about your heir not wanting you. Now it seems the situation is reversed.”
“Seth is the Malfoy heir. He deserves the opportunity to go to Hogwarts and carry on the Malfoy tradition. I suspect when he’s eleven, he’ll be sorted into Slytherin, like all Malfoy heirs, and he’ll follow in my footsteps.”
“As what?” Ginny asked. “Biggest git on Earth! Sorry, I’m quite sure you’ll still be holding that title. You can’t take Cera away from me.”
“I can and I will. I’ll fight you with every resource I have. I will fight you and I will win.”
Ginny sighed heavily. “Why are you doing this? Is this some sort of revenge? Some further way to prove you don’t
love me anymore?”
“I’ve been in love with you since I was sixteen years old, Virginia. I keep trying to tell you that, but you won't listen. So I'm finished. If you want me gone, then I'm gone."
“You can’t remember me!" she cried. "How could you love me?”
“I remember you,” Draco told her. He stood, turning toward her. “I remember that your fingernails dig into my shoulders right before you climax.” Another step. “I remember we were in the hallway outside Snape’s classroom the first time we kissed. You kissed me, not the other way around.” Now he was standing directly in front of her. “I remember promising to love you for the rest of my life. I plan on keeping that promise.”
“You . . . you remember?” Ginny began to back away from him.
Draco started to reach for her, but let his hand drop in midair. “Not everything. I may never remember everything. However, my father kept detailed records of our time together. I’ve been reading his records. They were sent to him from someone named Malcolm Baddock.”
“He was a Slytherin, a few years younger than you." Ginny sighed, upset that he didn't really remember. "You read about us. You don't remember - you just know what your father's writings say.”
“Those are my memories and that's my life. That's good enough for me.”
His wife dropped her head, sighing deeply. "It's not... it's not good enough for me. I need you to..."
"What?" Draco asked. "You need me to what? Remember? I'm trying. Do you need me to love you? I do. What do you need from me?"
"Time," Ginny answered. "Space. Understanding. Friendship. Loyalty. I need you to be him."
"Who?"
"The Draco who died seven years ago."
He closed the space between them. Gently he lifted her chin so she was looking in his eyes. “I spent seven years in New York, imagining you. I thought about your hair color, what your eyes looked like, and if we had any children. I've talked to you thousands of times, even if it was just a conversation in my head. I would dream about being with you at night. For seven years, I tried to imagine what you were like. Those dreams don't even come close.
"I may never be that man again, Virginia. I may never... I may never remember the first time I realized I loved you, or the day I asked you to marry me. But I need you to decide if you can live with that. If you can't, then I'll go. I'll take Cera and say my goodbyes. I'll walk out of your life."
"With my daughter," Ginny whispered. "If you love me, you wouldn't do that."
"I do," he told her. "I love you enough to walk away if it's what you want. But I won't walk away empty-handed. She's my daughter."
"And I'm your wife." Inwardly she cursed herself for her wording. "What about what I want?"
"You just want me gone, Gin. I'll give you that, but there's a price. Don't you know that there's always a price with a Malfoy?"
"You sound just like your father."
Draco didn't respond to her comment. He knew she was trying to hurt him, because he was hurting her. He hated knowing that, but he couldn't stop himself. If she wanted him to go, he would. "You're beautiful. I understand why he loved you then, because I love you now for the same reasons."
"Draco..."
“I carried your wedding ring with me, even though I didn’t know who you were. I came to England because I had to know. I had to know if you still loved me.”
"I can't make you any promises," Ginny told him. "There aren't any guarantees."
“And I'm not asking for them."
"Then just..." his wife looked away from him. Her eyes swept over the study, taking in the richness of the Manor and how much this room reminded her of him. "Will you stay?"
"Stay?" Draco repeated.
"Here." Ginny looked at him again. "In a guest bedroom, or your childhood bedroom, or something. Continue
spending time with Seth and Cera, be their father. Find out what it really means to be a Malfoy."
He wanted so badly to touch her, but managed to
refrain. "What about us?"
"I... I can try."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I won't try to push you out any longer. I won't ask you to go back to New York," she sighed. "I won't Apparate away in the middle of an argument."
"Then I'll stay."
She nodded. "There's one more thing."
"What?" he asked, weary.
"If you decide this isn't working for you, you can't disappear. Not from their lives, not from my life. There's no going back if you decide to stay here."
"I don't want to go back," Draco told her.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded.
"Alright then. I'll have your things moved to the spare bedroom." Ginny turned from him and went to the door. When she looked back, Draco was back on the couch reading again. "Draco?"
He didn't look up from the journal. "Yes?"
"Welcome home."
She was pretending to look for the recipes, but was really more interested in the cover story about her daughter and Draco. Ginny's sudden appearance frightened her so much she jumped in her seat. "Dear, I wish you wouldn't do that."
"Sorry, Mum." The younger woman kissed her mother on the cheek. "Where are Seth and Cera?"
Molly flipped another page. "At school, I imagine."
"You don't know?"
"No." She turned another page, admiring the picture of Draco and Ginny from their wedding day. "Draco took them over a week ago. I saw them for a few hours on Sunday, but didn't they start school today?"
"Yes, but . . . " Ginny sat in the chair next to her mother. "Did you say Draco? Did he . . . Mum, did Draco take my children with him to America?"
Her mother turned her brown eyes to her, studying her carefully. "Do you think he would do that to you?"
"I don't know. I haven't exactly been nice to him. He and I might not have . . . he might not love me, but he did love them."
"That's where you're wrong." Molly Weasley looked down at the happy couple from so many years ago and silently wondered what happened to them. "He adores you. I'd say that he's as much in love with you now as he was ten years ago."
"He doesn't know me, Mum. He can't love me." Liar, a small voice in her head whispered. Ginny knew she hadn't given Draco half a chance before she started pushing him out of her life. "He can't remember me."
"Virginia, that boy has loved you since he was sixteen years old. As your mother, I feel that I can tell you he's never stopped. Draco wants to be married to you. You're afraid to give him a chance, though."
"That's not true--"
Molly held her hand up to stop her. "Isn't it, though? You've waited for seven years for him to come back to you. Everyone thought he was dead; Harry and Ron brought you proof that he was dead, and you never gave up. You never stopped believing in him. Why?"
"Because I knew in my heart he couldn't be dead."
Her mother nodded. "That's right. You knew in your heart it wasn't possible. The connection you share goes way beyond anything normal. Virginia, you raised his children and stayed faithful to him when everyone thought you were crazy. And now you find out your right, and you're ready to walk away?"
Ginny sighed. "It's not that simple, Mum. You know it isn't. I wish it were."
"Why isn't it simple?"
"Draco can't remember," she answered. "He doesn't know who I am or what we meant to each other. And I can't spend the rest of my life with those memories. I can't go to him and say 'Remember when?' because he doesn't. Maybe . . . maybe I should ask Harry to prepare another memory charm so he won't remember me. I'll take him back to New York. He was happy there, Mum."
"If you do that, you're no better than Lucius Malfoy. You'll be hurting yourself and Draco. Ginny, think about your children. Will you wipe their memories away too? Do you want them to continue to think their father is dead?"
"No, of course not. Draco is amazing with them."
"You admit he's a good father. Your reservations aren't about Seth and Cera then. You're the reason you won't give him a chance."
"Mum--"
"He loves you, Virginia."
"No," Ginny disagreed. "He loves the idea of me. Draco loves the idea of a family with Seth and Cera. I come along with the package, Mum. Can't you see that? I'm the quickest way to get to his son."
"That's entirely not true and you know it."
"Why are you agreeing with him?" Ginny questioned.
"I'm not agreeing." Molly reached across the table and covered one of Ginny's hands with her own. "I want you to be happy, love. And I know how happy he makes you. I'm trying to understand why you're afraid of that happiness."
“I’m not,” the daughter insisted. “I want him to be happy and I know that he needs to be in New York for that.”
“The only thing that boy needs is you, dear. It’s the only thing he’s really ever wanted.”
“Mum–”
“Virginia, you’re being unreasonable,” her mother told her. “You’re acting like you did when you were ten years old and Ron was going to Hogwarts. You wanted to go so badly, mainly because Harry was there. You begged and begged for me to let you go. And when I wouldn’t, you refused to acknowledge me for weeks. Nothing I could do would change your mind.”
“I’m not ten years old anymore, Mum. I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone in this situation.”
“Except you’re not, love. You’re making decisions with your head, not your heart.”
“I’m trying to make the right decision.”
“The right decision for who?” Molly challenged.
“For me, the twins, and for Draco.”
“No. Those children need their father, every day. Someday they’re not going to be seven years old anymore, Ginny. They’re going to ask real questions that you’re not going to want to answer. Where their father is, what he’s doing, why he isn’t there. If you send Draco away now, you’ll have to lie to them.”
“He could still see them,” Ginny offered after a moment. “I have no intentions of preventing him from seeing them.”
“Are you sure?” the other woman asked. “He can see them, but not you? Is that how it’s supposed to work?”
“Eventually I will see him. When . . . ” Ginny sighed heavily.
“When what?” Molly questioned. “When you’re no longer in love with him? Is that when you’ll agree to see him?”
“Yes.”
The Weasley matriarch finished the last of her tea as she studied her daughter with curious eyes. Several times she looked like she might say something, but didn’t.
“What?” Ginny asked. “Spit it out already.”
“You do realize you’ll never not love him, don’t you?”
“That’s not true. Someday he and I will be nothing more than two people who share children.”
“If you sincerely believe that, then I think you should check yourself into St. Mungo’s right away.”
“What?” her daughter sputtered. “Why?”
“Because you’re fooling yourself, love. You love him, Virginia. It’s not bad.”
“It is, though.” Ginny brought her hands up to her temples and started to rub. “It’s very bad, Mum. I love him. I’m as much in love with him now as ever. He’s Draco, the person I gave my heart to. The one I’ll never get it back from.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Molly asked gently.
“I... I need him to remember, Mum.”
“Ginny, dear, the past isn’t important now. It’s the future you should concern yourself with.” The older woman stood, busying herself at the kitchen sink. “Your father and I have been married nearly forty years now. Every night I lay down beside him and know I’m the luckiest woman alive. You’re our only daughter and that’s what we want for you. Has anyone ever made you feel like that?”
“Draco.”
“Anyone else?”
Ginny silently shook her head.
“Only him.” Molly flicked her wand and the dishes in the sink went into the cabinet. “That should tell you something, love.”
The youngest Weasley sat at the kitchen table for a long time that morning. She stared into a rapidly cooling teacup, contemplating her past, her present, and her future. Ginny thought about what her life was like without Draco. How empty she’d been in the past seven years. How happy she’d been when he returned to her. How good it felt to kiss him after the long drought.
She thought about how Cera and how the little blonde girl had jumped into her father’s arms. Cera had just known who Draco was.
Ginny thought about Seth too. How much she loved her son, how she couldn’t bring him up as a Malfoy, she couldn’t give him his birthright. Only Draco could show him what it meant to be a Malfoy. Only Draco could explain to Seth the importance of what the Malfoy name meant. Draco had the right to know his son. He had the right to the opportunity to help him become a man.
She knew she was being unfair to him. She knew she was terrified of having her heart broken again. Somewhere inside Ginny thought Draco might leave again. He might miss his life in New York and just take off one morning. He might never look back. Not that Draco would ever, ever do that. She just . . .
“Mum?”
“Yes?” her mother asked.
“Do you think it’s possible I made a mistake?”
“About what, dear?”
“Draco.”
“Ginny, love, you’ve been making nothing but mistakes since you left him over a week ago.”
“I think I’ll go home.”
“He’ll be there, waiting for you.”
“I hope so.”
When she found him, Draco was in his study reading. His long legs were sprawled out in front of him on the couch. He wore reading glasses and a look of total concentration on his face. Ginny took a moment to study him from the doorway. Draco was wearing a black t-shirt and well-worn jeans. She didn’t recognize the clothes, so they must have been his Muggle clothes from New York. He was barefoot, too.
“What’re you doing here?” she asked.
He didn’t even look up. “I live here.”
“Since when?”
“This is Malfoy Manor, isn’t it?” He turned the page of his book. “Last I checked, that was me.”
Ginny stepped inside the room, but didn’t move to stand in front of him. He wasn’t looking at her. “I thought you’d be back in New York by now.”
“I’m not.”
“I see.” She walked to the fireplace, taking a seat across from him. “Why not?”
“I’m just not.”
Despite what her heart was telling her, Ginny found her mouth saying, “This isn’t your home anymore, Draco. You should’ve just left.”
“I can’t do that.” He looked up from the book then, taking his glasses off. Ginny could see the marks left on his nose from them. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Right. Because of the children.”
“Think what you want,” he muttered. He flipped the page again and resumed his reading.
“I’m supposed to think you love me, then? That after seven years of having no idea who I was, you love me. Sorry if I’ve had a hard time with that.”
“You never even gave me a chance, Virginia.” Draco turned to corner of the page down, putting the book aside. “From the moment I walked through the door, you’ve been pushing me out. I just don’t understand why.”
“I want you to have a life,” she tried to explain. “A life you want. A life you know.”
“Yes, and it just so happens that I want this life - the one with you, Seth, and Cera.”
“Draco–”
“Do you want me to leave, Ginny? Do you want me back in New York, a whole ocean away from you?”
“What if I say yes?” she asked.
“Then tomorrow morning I’ll be in New York and you won’t even be a memory.”
Ginny stood, walking toward the doorway. “If that’s the way you feel, then leave. I’m not stopping you.”
“There’s one thing,” he told her retreating back. She stopped walking, but didn’t turn to face him. “You’ll have to tell Seth and Cera. I won’t be the one to break their hearts. I won’t be the one who has to explain every day why their Mum ran their Dad off. That’ll be you, Virginia.”
“Always the hero, aren’t you Draco? You know, if you didn’t have such a bloody hero complex, we wouldn’t have lost seven years together.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I never wanted to be a hero, I only wanted to be your husband.”
“You wanted to save everyone, Draco. You couldn’t save your Mum, so you thought you’d save your Father. He never wanted to be saved, though. Lucius only wanted to destroy you – us – and he did. You let him.”
“My father’s not here now. The only person standing between us is you.”
Ginny turned to face him, surprised to see him sitting in the same position. The book was lying at his side. “I want you gone.”
"It's my manor." His tone was superior, as if it didn't matter what Ginny wanted. It only served to make her angrier.
"Actually, it's Seth's manor. He isn't of age and I'm the recognized guardian with the Ministry. Will I have to call my father to have you removed?"
"Go crying to Daddy, Virginia. That's very mature. How can you raise children when you act like a child?"
Her face turned red and she glared at him. "I don't want you here. The children don't want you here. So just leave."
Draco folded his arms across his chest and propped his feet on an ottoman. "No."
"What do you gain from being here?" she asked, exasperated. "You don't want me, Draco. Is it the children? Because you're so damn noble you can't leave them? Divorced parents raise children all the time. It's a fact of life."
"Yes, but I will be in New York. It wouldn't work. You aren't tossing me out of their lives."
Ginny stopped and studied him. "Is that what you think I'm trying to do? I don't care where you live, as long as it isn't here. Move to France and teach Muggle Studies if you want. I don't care."
"Wrong," he said. "You don't want to care."
"Draco--"
"What?" the blond asked. "I've seen you look at me, Virginia. I recognize the look in your eyes when you do. Just..."
"Just what?" Ginny interrupted. "Let you lie to me? Just pretend that it doesn't matter you have no clue about us? I'm sorry, but I won't do that."
"You're the one who's clueless, Virginia."
She wanted to scream in frustration. Draco was being so difficult. "Why won't you just go back to New York!" she screamed. "Leave and don't ever, ever come back!"
“Fine.” Draco looked up at her. “But I’m taking Cera with me.”
“What?” Ginny gasped. “You aren’t taking either of my children anywhere.”
“They’re mine, too, Virginia. I’m a good father, I can provide a steady home for her, and any judge will see this is the best way. You keep Seth and I’ll take Cera with me to New York.”
“Seth not good enough for you?” his wife questioned. “A few days ago, you were all upset about your heir not wanting you. Now it seems the situation is reversed.”
“Seth is the Malfoy heir. He deserves the opportunity to go to Hogwarts and carry on the Malfoy tradition. I suspect when he’s eleven, he’ll be sorted into Slytherin, like all Malfoy heirs, and he’ll follow in my footsteps.”
“As what?” Ginny asked. “Biggest git on Earth! Sorry, I’m quite sure you’ll still be holding that title. You can’t take Cera away from me.”
“I can and I will. I’ll fight you with every resource I have. I will fight you and I will win.”
Ginny sighed heavily. “Why are you doing this? Is this some sort of revenge? Some further way to prove you don’t
love me anymore?”
“I’ve been in love with you since I was sixteen years old, Virginia. I keep trying to tell you that, but you won't listen. So I'm finished. If you want me gone, then I'm gone."
“You can’t remember me!" she cried. "How could you love me?”
“I remember you,” Draco told her. He stood, turning toward her. “I remember that your fingernails dig into my shoulders right before you climax.” Another step. “I remember we were in the hallway outside Snape’s classroom the first time we kissed. You kissed me, not the other way around.” Now he was standing directly in front of her. “I remember promising to love you for the rest of my life. I plan on keeping that promise.”
“You . . . you remember?” Ginny began to back away from him.
Draco started to reach for her, but let his hand drop in midair. “Not everything. I may never remember everything. However, my father kept detailed records of our time together. I’ve been reading his records. They were sent to him from someone named Malcolm Baddock.”
“He was a Slytherin, a few years younger than you." Ginny sighed, upset that he didn't really remember. "You read about us. You don't remember - you just know what your father's writings say.”
“Those are my memories and that's my life. That's good enough for me.”
His wife dropped her head, sighing deeply. "It's not... it's not good enough for me. I need you to..."
"What?" Draco asked. "You need me to what? Remember? I'm trying. Do you need me to love you? I do. What do you need from me?"
"Time," Ginny answered. "Space. Understanding. Friendship. Loyalty. I need you to be him."
"Who?"
"The Draco who died seven years ago."
He closed the space between them. Gently he lifted her chin so she was looking in his eyes. “I spent seven years in New York, imagining you. I thought about your hair color, what your eyes looked like, and if we had any children. I've talked to you thousands of times, even if it was just a conversation in my head. I would dream about being with you at night. For seven years, I tried to imagine what you were like. Those dreams don't even come close.
"I may never be that man again, Virginia. I may never... I may never remember the first time I realized I loved you, or the day I asked you to marry me. But I need you to decide if you can live with that. If you can't, then I'll go. I'll take Cera and say my goodbyes. I'll walk out of your life."
"With my daughter," Ginny whispered. "If you love me, you wouldn't do that."
"I do," he told her. "I love you enough to walk away if it's what you want. But I won't walk away empty-handed. She's my daughter."
"And I'm your wife." Inwardly she cursed herself for her wording. "What about what I want?"
"You just want me gone, Gin. I'll give you that, but there's a price. Don't you know that there's always a price with a Malfoy?"
"You sound just like your father."
Draco didn't respond to her comment. He knew she was trying to hurt him, because he was hurting her. He hated knowing that, but he couldn't stop himself. If she wanted him to go, he would. "You're beautiful. I understand why he loved you then, because I love you now for the same reasons."
"Draco..."
“I carried your wedding ring with me, even though I didn’t know who you were. I came to England because I had to know. I had to know if you still loved me.”
"I can't make you any promises," Ginny told him. "There aren't any guarantees."
“And I'm not asking for them."
"Then just..." his wife looked away from him. Her eyes swept over the study, taking in the richness of the Manor and how much this room reminded her of him. "Will you stay?"
"Stay?" Draco repeated.
"Here." Ginny looked at him again. "In a guest bedroom, or your childhood bedroom, or something. Continue
spending time with Seth and Cera, be their father. Find out what it really means to be a Malfoy."
He wanted so badly to touch her, but managed to
refrain. "What about us?"
"I... I can try."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I won't try to push you out any longer. I won't ask you to go back to New York," she sighed. "I won't Apparate away in the middle of an argument."
"Then I'll stay."
She nodded. "There's one more thing."
"What?" he asked, weary.
"If you decide this isn't working for you, you can't disappear. Not from their lives, not from my life. There's no going back if you decide to stay here."
"I don't want to go back," Draco told her.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded.
"Alright then. I'll have your things moved to the spare bedroom." Ginny turned from him and went to the door. When she looked back, Draco was back on the couch reading again. "Draco?"
He didn't look up from the journal. "Yes?"
"Welcome home."
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