Perfect Storm

Chapter 21

"So, Draco, any Valentine's Day plans?" Ginny asked as she cleared the dirty plates from the table and sent them flying into the sink.

Draco looked up and shook his head at her wiggling eyebrows. "Is this your subtle way of asking me to babysit? If so, it's a poor approach and the answer is no."

"Merlin, no. You've only just graduated to holding him without supervision."

Draco flicked a rogue pea at Harry when he started chuckling and was pleasantly surprised when it flew in a perfect arc and bounced off Potter's nose, resulting in an affronted, "Hey!" His victory was short-lived as Harry stood and plopped James into Draco's arms so he could help with the washing up.

"I only ask because I thought you may have made plans with Hermione for the weekend," Ginny explained, tucking a bib around Jame's neck, dropping a cloth on Draco's shoulder, and then handing him a bottle.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Draco asked, holding the bottle at arm's length and giving it a wary look.

"Shove it up your arse, Malfoy. What do you think?"

"This is not what I signed up for when we became friends," Draco muttered, slowly lowering the nipple of the bottle to the baby's mouth. As soon as it hit his lips, James started drinking like he hadn't been fed all day.

Helping with the new baby wasn't the total nightmare Draco liked to make it out to be. Complaining was second nature to him and he never could pass up a chance to wind up either one of the Potters. Of the few babies Draco had encountered in his life, James was certainly the cutest. And he'd never publicly admit it, but cradling James and watching him drop off to sleep was actually extremely comforting and relaxing. There was a time or two he caught himself starting to nod off with James before jerking awake and transferring the little one to his cot.

"We never discussed any plans for the commercialized holiday," Draco said, finally answering Ginny's question. "Hermione doesn't seem like the kind of woman that puts stock in Valentine's Day. Does she?" Draco shot a worried look at Harry.

"I don't think she cares too much about it. I know she never went out of her way to make plans when she and Ron were together," Harry answered, drying the clean plates as Ginny handed them to him. "I only know of her ever sending one valentine and that was to Lockhart in second year."

Ginny snorted and Draco couldn't help but grin. "She didn't?"

"Fuck, she's going to kill me," Harry hissed.

"I think it would be really sweet if you went to New York and surprised her," Ginny said, raising her voice so they'd hear her over Draco's laughter.

With a deep, settling breath, Draco cleared his throat and said, "Yeah, maybe."

"Aren't you missing her? It's been almost a month," Ginny commented.

"Of course. I'm not a complete shithead," Draco said defensively. He set the empty bottle on the table and quirked his lips in amusement as he watched James' mouth still sleepily suck on a now imaginary bottle. Slowly, he lifted the baby to his shoulder and gently patted his back. "I feel like I've already played my 'surprise, I'm here!' card and I shouldn't keep showing up on her doorstep unannounced."

"Trust me, you can never play that card too much," Ginny said with a reassuring smile. "She gave you a key to her flat, right?" Draco nodded and she shrugged her shoulders. "Then go use it. Personally, I'm surprised you two aren't traveling back and forth every weekend."

"Because we'd be living in a permanent haze of, what the hell did she call it?" In Draco's brief pause for thought, James let out a belch and woke himself up for a brief second. "Yes, that's it, James. Jetlag."