The Serpent and the Lioness

Chapter 32

Ginny woke with a start. Her eyes snapping open blurrily taking in the unfamiliar bed, smells, and sights. She hadn't known when she had fallen asleep. The boys had arrived at the house ready to tear it down to its foundations. It had been a very long and drawn out process that finally resulted in a rather uneasy alliance between all those involved.

Minerva had taken her leave to attend to the school after the very long, very dramatic, argument. She and Draco had been left behind in the bedroom while Esmeralda and Harry had taken Albus and Seraphina downstairs to sleep in the living room. Ginny had chosen to take one side of the bed while Draco had taken the other. Agreeing to sleep in shifts so as to watch over them in case anything would happen.

They had tried to pull the sleeping infants apart to separate the beds but that had only ensued in crying from both parties. Ginny's maternal instincts had kicked in and she had put her foot down. The two babies had been placed back in the center each one wrapped in a shirt of their own from the closet before being placed to rest under the covers.

The babies hadn't stayed awake for very long, just long enough to take in the confused but determined faces of all those involved before closing their innocent eyes. Ginny had felt something was off by the time she actually managed to lay down herself. They seemed to be growing, or at least she thought they were, it was hard to recall their original size through her fatigue.

That was at least 4 hours ago. Pre-dawn was starting to settle over the house and the lack of sleep made her head heavy. Her hand reached blindly to check on them when she realized they weren't there.

Ginny shot up, her eyes going wide. She jostled Draco who had been sleeping on the bed, as it had been his turn to rest when she ripped back the covers. He lifted his drugged-like face blinking in confusion.

"Wha...?"

"They're gone!"

That snapped him to attention, "What?!"

"I don't know I was watching them, I closed my eyes for just a second I swear and when I opened them they were gone!"

"It was your turn to watch them how could you fall asleep?!" His anger was heavily slurred as he tried to get his sleep-deprived brain to catch up.

"Get up." Draco snapped, turning away. Obviously, they weren't in the bed. Still a bit dizzy from standing so quickly, he half dragged himself towards the doorway. Ginny didn't wait, pushing herself clumsily from the bed to follow him down the stairs.

Draco took the room to the left and Ginny the living room. Esmeralda was still sleeping with Seraphina pulled close to her chest. The woman may have given off a cold vibe but she did seem to care for her child. Harry was stretched out on a cot, their son passed out on his chest, arms and legs akimbo.

A soft noise of an icebox door opening caught both of their attentions and they nearly ran into the other in the hallway. A light was coming from the kitchen now and both of them started to edge towards it, as curious as they were afraid.

Red and blond heads peeked cautiously around the frame listening to the tiny pitter-patter of bare feet. They both looked in just in time to see the top of a dark head disappear behind the island and the soft shuffle of someone moving against wood.

Draco went first, moving around the far side of the island while Ginny took the other . Both looked curiously to the other when neither one saw the owner of the head.