With you in my Arms

16. Some home Truths

Draco had only ever heard of the house the Weasley family lived in. It looked at bit like a 3D puzzle gone wrong somehow. Though he had heard the stories of the happiness Ron's family had. They were not wealthy or influential but they had something Draco had never really experienced, a loving bond to each other. Until he had discovered Hermione for himself he had never imagined that he could want to give up all the splendour he was used to in order to be with the person closest to his heart.

He felt her gently squeezing his hand. There was en encouraging smile on her face.

"Don't worry. It'll be fine."

'I hope so!'

She led him up the street and went around the house to the yard. There she pushed the top half of a window open and called for Ginny. Moments later the red haired girl appeared. Beaming at her friend.

"Hermione! Harry said you had just vanished in the middle of the night and that you..."

That was the moment she noticed the figure standing behind her friend.

"You..."

"It's okay, Draco."

Hermione tried to diffuse his nerves as she felt him trying to pull away.

"Ginny!"

"Yes, it's okay, Malfoy. I know about you two. Even so I am not sure how you managed to... Never mind. Come in."

He followed his witch into the house and the hap-hazard scheme on the outside was continued inside. He had to admit though that it felt like a proper home. The manor had never felt like this. It might in the future...

"I'll wait outside."

Hermione looked at him.

"Why?"

"You two need to talk. I know, that girl talk is not meant for male ears."

He smiled at her, kissed her hair and then headed back outside.

Ginny stare after him.

"Is he always like that?" She finally asked.

"I think so. He has been like that as long as I have..."

They looked at each other both realising that the older witch had only ever spend about one night and half a day with him.

"Let's go upstairs."

"Where is everybody?"

The Weasley household was normally full of voices and people. Today it was rather quiet.

"Mum is in Diagon Alley, Dad, Ron and the others are at work. It feels a bit strange at times being here on my own. Then again, mum was on her own most of the day when we were at Hogwarts."

They ascended the stairs to Ginny's room. She mad sure the door was locked and cast a silencing spell as well.

"So, Hermione, what is this all about? I mean you and Malfoy. Not the most likely match ever, is it."

"No and I can't explain what exactly happened either. He has become a person I haven't known before. That night when he found me it was as if he had transformed into somebody else. He wasn't that malicious, snotty git we used to know. He was kind, considerate, in a way he was really shy."

"Shy? The ferret?"

"I know, it sounds too strange to be true but it is. He was what I always had hoped Ron to be for me but he never was. Draco is somebody I can see myself getting old with."

"The whole happy ever after thing? 

"Yes. We are going to be a family."

"When is your child due?"

"At the end of next March."

"Have you talked about... you know... getting married?"

Hermione blushed. She had always thought, that her wedding night would be the night she would give herself body and soul to a man, her man, for the first time. It hadn't quite happened that way.

"No. We haven't talked about that at all."

"Are you going to?"

The older witch shrugged.

"I don't honestly know, Ginny. I think, he wouldn't mind getting married. Though the whole pregnancy thing is freaky him out a bit."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think? How much do you expect Harry to know about it?"

"Oh."

"Yes. Draco hasn't got a clue about it. He is nervous and a bit too worried and proud at times to show just how nervous her really is."

"But are you going to get married?"

"I don't know. We are only now starting to get to know each other."

"So, the first step is really dating then?"

"Kind of. It's all a bit back to front. I have decided to stay with him."

"At the Manor?"

Ginny looked horrified.

"I know, Ginny, I know! It'll be okay, I promise. He'll not allow the past to impinge on our future."

"Living together, having a child together and dating at the same time? That really sound back to front to me."

They were lost in their own thoughts for a while.

"You do like him, don't you?"

Hermione looked at her friend with a radiant expression on her face.

"I love him."

"Wow! He must have done something right, if you have fallen for him this fast."

"When we are alone he is just himself. He doesn't need to pretend to be somebody he is not. He's just Draco."

She sighed.

"I hope Harry can make me as happy as he makes you, Hermione."

She hugged her friend.

"In a way I'm somewhat jealous."

"Why, Ginny?"

"You have everything a girl could want. A nice guy that happens to be rich, a baby on the way and a good chance for happy-ever-after. What else could you wish for?"

"My parents being here." Hermione whispered.

Ginny blushed.

"I am so sorry, Hermione. I didn't think."

A smile crawled over the older witch's face.

"Don't worry. It's okay. When the baby is born I'll go the Australia and find them."

"Will you take him?"

"Oh..."

"You hadn't thought about him, haven't you?"

She shook her head. She hadn't really arrived in the world of shared responsibility and long term relationship yet.

"I get the impression that you two will have to do a lot of talking, before the little one arrives."