In a sixth year Muggle Studies class, Ginny watched The Wizard of Oz for extra credit. Now, she finally understood the meaning of there's no place like home.
Home.
How she wished she was there right now. Not The Burrow, as it hadn't really been her home since after graduation. And not Hogwarts, because the wizarding school hadn't been her home since before graduation.
No, home was a strange place for a Weasley… Malfoy Manor. From the first time she set foot inside as Mrs. Draco Malfoy, Ginny understood where Draco got some of his pride from. Malfoy Manor had been in the Malfoy family for five hundred years, being passed from father to son as the time came. The 'time' as deemed by Malfoy tradition was when the oldest son, or heir, became of age. This was considered to happen when they became twenty-five, or married, whichever came first. She and Draco had married four months after his twenty-second birthday and they had moved into Malfoy Manor the following week.
Lucius had protested, of course. The older Malfoy never recognized the youngest Weasley's place in his son's life. It was a "phase," according to the father. His son was "slumming." Only it wasn't. The magic in the house ultimately won, however. As the power shifted, the old magic removed Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. They eventually took up residence at a summer home in the lake district of England.
Now, she longed for home. The vastness of Malfoy Manor, the way you could get lost in the halls if you weren't careful. Cera and Seth both had bedrooms down the hall from her own, and she could easily peek in at night to check on them. Draco kept his study in the opposite wing of the house; it was where he did all of his work. It was also where they enjoyed endless hours of each other.
Home most definitely was not the townhouse in London they had lived in for the last six years. There were no walls lined with pictures of the Malfoy lines, no libraries filled with walls of books, and mostly there were no memories of Draco. Not once had he stopped her in the hall with a look, or picked her up to carry her to their room. It was like he didn't exist in this house.
But he did. Deep in her heart, Ginny Malfoy knew her husband was alive. She could feel it. Since that afternoon so long ago when she had announced it to Blaise, Ginny continued to believe it herself. It wasn't because she needed to believe – she knew she could live without him. She would have to, as the twins wouldn't raise themselves. But that afternoon a peace had come over her, as if Draco was reaching out to her from where he was, letting her know he'd return some day. In all the years she'd known him, Ginny had never known him to break a promise. This was the most important promise he'd ever made, so she doubted he would start now.
Both Cera and Seth knew their father very well. Each night before bed, she would tell them both stories about how he was at Hogwarts. Most nights she told them about his sixth and seventh years, when he began to change. When they asked for them, however, Ginny would tell them about his earlier years. There was no point in hiding anything about their father from them, as they would find out eventually. Ginny never wanted one of her children too look at her in disbelief. She knew her heart would break if it ever happened.
Somewhere in the house an old grandfather clock struck nine and Ginny turned away from the window. The sun had set long ago, but that window reminded her of Draco in some ways. She would go there to be close to him, even though he'd never been there.
The woman climbed the stairs to the second landing, and made her way to hall with the twin's bedroom. She kissed them each, and smiled gently at them. "What will it be tonight?"
The two children – each of them a blend of their parents in different ways – exchanged glances and grinned at their mother. "We want you to tell us about your wedding, Mum," Cera asked.
She couldn't deny them anything. Ginny sat on the bed next to Cera, and patted the spot beside her, motioning to Seth. "We might as well get comfortable."
The little boy hurriedly climbed into bed beside his mother, eager to hear about his parents again. From everything he knew about him, his father was an extremely cool guy. Plus, any mention of his Dad always irritated his Uncle Ron. And that was the best part of it all.
"It started at Hogwarts," their mother began…
***
Ginny Weasley rounded the corner breathlessly, when she finally caught sight of them. "Ron!" she yelled, "Stop!"
Her brother continued to hit the blonde haired boy. "Gin, stay out of this," he said between breaths. "This is between Malfoy and myself."
"Stop it!" she yelled again. "You're hurting him." Ginny had finally made it to where the two boys were fighting, surprised to see Hermione and Harry both standing behind him. "Stop him," Ginny asked Harry. "He'll kill him."
"Gin, he won't kill him," Harry tried to reassure her. "Anyway, he's only defending you."
"What if I don't want him to?" she asked. Ginny looked at Hermione. "You're Head Girl, you can't allow this to happen!"
"Ginny–" Hermione started.
"Oh, bloody hell," the youngest Weasley exclaimed, right before she jumped into the middle of the fight. She managed to get her overbearing brother off of her boyfriend, and she pushed Draco up against the wall. Turning back, she wasn't surprised to find Ron glaring at her. "What is your problem?"
"My problem?" he repeated. "What is my problem? You're the one sleeping with the enemy!"
"I'm not sleeping with him!" Ginny declared. Suddenly, she turned to glare at Draco. "Did you tell him that?"
The Slytherin was bent over, his hands planted against his knees, as he desperately tried to catch his breath. His lungs burned each time he pulled oxygen in through his mouth, so he only shook his head 'no' at her question. It seemed to be enough for Ginny, as she turned her glare back to her brother. "Where did you get that idea from, then?"
"Gin–"
"Don't 'Gin' me, Ronald Weasley, I want to know what this is about. You promised me and you promised Mum you'd leave him alone. Do you want me to owl her?"
Ron paled and his eyes widened. "You wouldn't."
"I would," she told him. Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "In fact, I think I might. What will everyone think when Ron Weasley gets a howler from his Mum about messing with his little sister's life. It'll be all they can talk about."
"Ginny," Harry broke in, embarrassed for his friend, "You wouldn’t do that. Ron was only trying to look after you."
Her brown eyes swung to his green pair, and she glared. It was insane to think she once thought she might love him. "How many times do I have to tell you? I. Don't. Need. Your. Help." She ended the statement by poking him in the chest. "I was doing just fine without you, Harry Potter. Just because you've decided I'm the little sister you never had, doesn’t mean you get to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."
"But why him?" Ron asked. "Out of any boy at Hogwarts, why'd it have to be a Malfoy?"
Ginny shrugged. "If I recall, you reacted the same way when I fancied Blaise."
"They're Slytherins!" he exclaimed.
"Oh," she asked, "So I can have any boy at Hogwarts, except those in Slytherin house? Is that what you're saying?"
"They're evil, Gin. Why can't you see that? Anyone sorted into that house is pure evil."
Ginny swung her gaze back to Harry. "If I remember correctly, you were almost sorted into Slytherin house, and no one seems to think you're evil." She placed her hands on her hips and rocked forward on her feet. "I'm only going to say this once, so the three of you need to listen. I'm dating Draco because I want to. He hasn't put me under a spell, he isn't blackmailing me, and neither of us is winning some kind of bet. He cares about me, Ron. And I care about him… so please, please leave him alone."
She didn't wait for her brother's response and she turned back to the Slytherin leaning against the wall. "Are you okay?" At his nod, she smiled slightly. "Let's get out of here."
Draco slipped his arm around her waist and shot one last glare at the Trio. He was still hurting, but he wouldn't have them know that. As they turned the corner towards his bedroom, his grip on her waist tightened. "Hold on a minute," he told her.
Ginny turned to him, concerned. "Are you sure you're okay? Perhaps we should visit Madam Pomfrey."
He shook his head. "I'll be fine. I've learned a few healing charms over the years. You can help me, if you want when we get back to my room."
The redhead nodded. "Of course. Was there something else?"
Draco smiled at her, gently. "Thank you. No one… no one's ever done anything like that for me before."
She smiled slightly, then. "I couldn't let my brother kill you. He'd go to Azkaban then."
"Oh," Draco faltered. "So that was you're reason?"
Ginny shook her head.
He felt slightly relieved. "So what was your reason?"
"I…" Ginny hesitated, unsure of what to say next.
"Go on, Virginia."
"I think I love you."
"You think?" He prodded gently.
She smiled. "I love you."
Draco reached up and touched her face, smiling gently. "I'm not sure anyone has ever said that to me before."
"Not even your Mum?"
"My Mum has to love me, Virginia." He smiled, as he ran his left hand through her hair. "It's required."
Ginny closed the distance between them, backing him against the dungeon wall. "I love you," she whispered again. Her forehead resting against his, the two of them standing as close as possible for a long time.
After some time, Draco shifted and hugged her again. "I think I want to marry you, Ginny."
The younger girl pulled her face back, her eyes searching his for truth. "You think?" she repeated his words from earlier.
It was his turn to smile then. "I want to marry you, Virginia Weasley."
"Are you asking?" she whispered softly.
Draco shook his head. "No, I want to do it proper, when we're both out of school… I just, I wanted you to know."
Ginny smiled at him. "Just so you know, I'll say yes."
"Good to know."
She pulled him off the wall, wrapping her arm tightly around his waist. "C'mon. Let's go see about those healing charms."
***
The soft snores of her children pulled her from the memory. Each of them were curled in towards her and Seth had a leg draped across hers. Which was exactly like Draco would sleep.
Slowly, she managed to get herself out of the bed without waking either of them. "I never get to the end of the story," she whispered. Gently she kissed both of them on their foreheads. "Sleep well, my darlings."
Ginny covered both of the children before leaving the room.
She found Cynthia, her longtime companion, sitting in her parlor. "Cyn, could you listen for them for a little while?"
The woman looked up from her knitting and nodded. "Going out?"
Ginny nodded. "I need to speak with Blaise."
"You'll be back tonight, though?"
The other woman nodded. "I will. It won't take long."
Cynthia studied her mistress for a moment, before asking, "Madam, is there something wrong?"
Ginny leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. "I want to go home, Cynthia."
"Madam, this is your home."
She shook her head. "It's not. This is just where we've lived for six years. I want to return to Malfoy Manor. My children… it's time they know their heritage."
The older woman eyed her for a moment, before nodding her head. "I'll start preparing everything tomorrow."
Ginny smiled. "Thank you. I'm going to Floo to Blaise's house, and I'll return soon."
Cynthia nodded. "I'll listen for the children. I should be up when you get back."
"Thank you," Ginny repeated. "I'll be back soon."
She left the parlor and went to the study, where the only fireplace connected to the Floo network was. Ginny grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it in the flames. They turned green before she stepped inside. "Blaise Zabini," she pronounced clearly right before she disappeared.
Home.
How she wished she was there right now. Not The Burrow, as it hadn't really been her home since after graduation. And not Hogwarts, because the wizarding school hadn't been her home since before graduation.
No, home was a strange place for a Weasley… Malfoy Manor. From the first time she set foot inside as Mrs. Draco Malfoy, Ginny understood where Draco got some of his pride from. Malfoy Manor had been in the Malfoy family for five hundred years, being passed from father to son as the time came. The 'time' as deemed by Malfoy tradition was when the oldest son, or heir, became of age. This was considered to happen when they became twenty-five, or married, whichever came first. She and Draco had married four months after his twenty-second birthday and they had moved into Malfoy Manor the following week.
Lucius had protested, of course. The older Malfoy never recognized the youngest Weasley's place in his son's life. It was a "phase," according to the father. His son was "slumming." Only it wasn't. The magic in the house ultimately won, however. As the power shifted, the old magic removed Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. They eventually took up residence at a summer home in the lake district of England.
Now, she longed for home. The vastness of Malfoy Manor, the way you could get lost in the halls if you weren't careful. Cera and Seth both had bedrooms down the hall from her own, and she could easily peek in at night to check on them. Draco kept his study in the opposite wing of the house; it was where he did all of his work. It was also where they enjoyed endless hours of each other.
Home most definitely was not the townhouse in London they had lived in for the last six years. There were no walls lined with pictures of the Malfoy lines, no libraries filled with walls of books, and mostly there were no memories of Draco. Not once had he stopped her in the hall with a look, or picked her up to carry her to their room. It was like he didn't exist in this house.
But he did. Deep in her heart, Ginny Malfoy knew her husband was alive. She could feel it. Since that afternoon so long ago when she had announced it to Blaise, Ginny continued to believe it herself. It wasn't because she needed to believe – she knew she could live without him. She would have to, as the twins wouldn't raise themselves. But that afternoon a peace had come over her, as if Draco was reaching out to her from where he was, letting her know he'd return some day. In all the years she'd known him, Ginny had never known him to break a promise. This was the most important promise he'd ever made, so she doubted he would start now.
Both Cera and Seth knew their father very well. Each night before bed, she would tell them both stories about how he was at Hogwarts. Most nights she told them about his sixth and seventh years, when he began to change. When they asked for them, however, Ginny would tell them about his earlier years. There was no point in hiding anything about their father from them, as they would find out eventually. Ginny never wanted one of her children too look at her in disbelief. She knew her heart would break if it ever happened.
Somewhere in the house an old grandfather clock struck nine and Ginny turned away from the window. The sun had set long ago, but that window reminded her of Draco in some ways. She would go there to be close to him, even though he'd never been there.
The woman climbed the stairs to the second landing, and made her way to hall with the twin's bedroom. She kissed them each, and smiled gently at them. "What will it be tonight?"
The two children – each of them a blend of their parents in different ways – exchanged glances and grinned at their mother. "We want you to tell us about your wedding, Mum," Cera asked.
She couldn't deny them anything. Ginny sat on the bed next to Cera, and patted the spot beside her, motioning to Seth. "We might as well get comfortable."
The little boy hurriedly climbed into bed beside his mother, eager to hear about his parents again. From everything he knew about him, his father was an extremely cool guy. Plus, any mention of his Dad always irritated his Uncle Ron. And that was the best part of it all.
"It started at Hogwarts," their mother began…
Ginny Weasley rounded the corner breathlessly, when she finally caught sight of them. "Ron!" she yelled, "Stop!"
Her brother continued to hit the blonde haired boy. "Gin, stay out of this," he said between breaths. "This is between Malfoy and myself."
"Stop it!" she yelled again. "You're hurting him." Ginny had finally made it to where the two boys were fighting, surprised to see Hermione and Harry both standing behind him. "Stop him," Ginny asked Harry. "He'll kill him."
"Gin, he won't kill him," Harry tried to reassure her. "Anyway, he's only defending you."
"What if I don't want him to?" she asked. Ginny looked at Hermione. "You're Head Girl, you can't allow this to happen!"
"Ginny–" Hermione started.
"Oh, bloody hell," the youngest Weasley exclaimed, right before she jumped into the middle of the fight. She managed to get her overbearing brother off of her boyfriend, and she pushed Draco up against the wall. Turning back, she wasn't surprised to find Ron glaring at her. "What is your problem?"
"My problem?" he repeated. "What is my problem? You're the one sleeping with the enemy!"
"I'm not sleeping with him!" Ginny declared. Suddenly, she turned to glare at Draco. "Did you tell him that?"
The Slytherin was bent over, his hands planted against his knees, as he desperately tried to catch his breath. His lungs burned each time he pulled oxygen in through his mouth, so he only shook his head 'no' at her question. It seemed to be enough for Ginny, as she turned her glare back to her brother. "Where did you get that idea from, then?"
"Gin–"
"Don't 'Gin' me, Ronald Weasley, I want to know what this is about. You promised me and you promised Mum you'd leave him alone. Do you want me to owl her?"
Ron paled and his eyes widened. "You wouldn't."
"I would," she told him. Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "In fact, I think I might. What will everyone think when Ron Weasley gets a howler from his Mum about messing with his little sister's life. It'll be all they can talk about."
"Ginny," Harry broke in, embarrassed for his friend, "You wouldn’t do that. Ron was only trying to look after you."
Her brown eyes swung to his green pair, and she glared. It was insane to think she once thought she might love him. "How many times do I have to tell you? I. Don't. Need. Your. Help." She ended the statement by poking him in the chest. "I was doing just fine without you, Harry Potter. Just because you've decided I'm the little sister you never had, doesn’t mean you get to stick your nose where it doesn't belong."
"But why him?" Ron asked. "Out of any boy at Hogwarts, why'd it have to be a Malfoy?"
Ginny shrugged. "If I recall, you reacted the same way when I fancied Blaise."
"They're Slytherins!" he exclaimed.
"Oh," she asked, "So I can have any boy at Hogwarts, except those in Slytherin house? Is that what you're saying?"
"They're evil, Gin. Why can't you see that? Anyone sorted into that house is pure evil."
Ginny swung her gaze back to Harry. "If I remember correctly, you were almost sorted into Slytherin house, and no one seems to think you're evil." She placed her hands on her hips and rocked forward on her feet. "I'm only going to say this once, so the three of you need to listen. I'm dating Draco because I want to. He hasn't put me under a spell, he isn't blackmailing me, and neither of us is winning some kind of bet. He cares about me, Ron. And I care about him… so please, please leave him alone."
She didn't wait for her brother's response and she turned back to the Slytherin leaning against the wall. "Are you okay?" At his nod, she smiled slightly. "Let's get out of here."
Draco slipped his arm around her waist and shot one last glare at the Trio. He was still hurting, but he wouldn't have them know that. As they turned the corner towards his bedroom, his grip on her waist tightened. "Hold on a minute," he told her.
Ginny turned to him, concerned. "Are you sure you're okay? Perhaps we should visit Madam Pomfrey."
He shook his head. "I'll be fine. I've learned a few healing charms over the years. You can help me, if you want when we get back to my room."
The redhead nodded. "Of course. Was there something else?"
Draco smiled at her, gently. "Thank you. No one… no one's ever done anything like that for me before."
She smiled slightly, then. "I couldn't let my brother kill you. He'd go to Azkaban then."
"Oh," Draco faltered. "So that was you're reason?"
Ginny shook her head.
He felt slightly relieved. "So what was your reason?"
"I…" Ginny hesitated, unsure of what to say next.
"Go on, Virginia."
"I think I love you."
"You think?" He prodded gently.
She smiled. "I love you."
Draco reached up and touched her face, smiling gently. "I'm not sure anyone has ever said that to me before."
"Not even your Mum?"
"My Mum has to love me, Virginia." He smiled, as he ran his left hand through her hair. "It's required."
Ginny closed the distance between them, backing him against the dungeon wall. "I love you," she whispered again. Her forehead resting against his, the two of them standing as close as possible for a long time.
After some time, Draco shifted and hugged her again. "I think I want to marry you, Ginny."
The younger girl pulled her face back, her eyes searching his for truth. "You think?" she repeated his words from earlier.
It was his turn to smile then. "I want to marry you, Virginia Weasley."
"Are you asking?" she whispered softly.
Draco shook his head. "No, I want to do it proper, when we're both out of school… I just, I wanted you to know."
Ginny smiled at him. "Just so you know, I'll say yes."
"Good to know."
She pulled him off the wall, wrapping her arm tightly around his waist. "C'mon. Let's go see about those healing charms."
The soft snores of her children pulled her from the memory. Each of them were curled in towards her and Seth had a leg draped across hers. Which was exactly like Draco would sleep.
Slowly, she managed to get herself out of the bed without waking either of them. "I never get to the end of the story," she whispered. Gently she kissed both of them on their foreheads. "Sleep well, my darlings."
Ginny covered both of the children before leaving the room.
She found Cynthia, her longtime companion, sitting in her parlor. "Cyn, could you listen for them for a little while?"
The woman looked up from her knitting and nodded. "Going out?"
Ginny nodded. "I need to speak with Blaise."
"You'll be back tonight, though?"
The other woman nodded. "I will. It won't take long."
Cynthia studied her mistress for a moment, before asking, "Madam, is there something wrong?"
Ginny leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. "I want to go home, Cynthia."
"Madam, this is your home."
She shook her head. "It's not. This is just where we've lived for six years. I want to return to Malfoy Manor. My children… it's time they know their heritage."
The older woman eyed her for a moment, before nodding her head. "I'll start preparing everything tomorrow."
Ginny smiled. "Thank you. I'm going to Floo to Blaise's house, and I'll return soon."
Cynthia nodded. "I'll listen for the children. I should be up when you get back."
"Thank you," Ginny repeated. "I'll be back soon."
She left the parlor and went to the study, where the only fireplace connected to the Floo network was. Ginny grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it in the flames. They turned green before she stepped inside. "Blaise Zabini," she pronounced clearly right before she disappeared.
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