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Ginny shook out Li-Ro's jumper for the seventh time, before trying to refold it once more. She tried to get her mother's words out of her head, but they wouldn't shake. She hadn't cared what her mother thought for 12 years, so why did her views make her so angry now? Arthur had a right to a father. Li-Ro didn't, and Ginny could see it affected her. Draco helped her, he disserved to see his son. It wasn't like he wasn't trying to change.

She gave up on the jumper and threw it into her daughters bag before going into the bathroom. It had been stupid trying to talk to her mother, how could she have even thought that she would have changed? She never should have tried to talk to her, not after that Christmas 6 years ago...


Christmas at the Burrow had always been a manic time. As much as she loved having her family all together, Molly had for many years lived up to her name and Weaseled out of doing it. In Ron's first year, she'd gone off to Egypt, a few years later she had the Yule Ball occupying most of her flock and last year she had been very fortunate when Fleur and Bill had decided to hold Christmas to celebrate the new addition that would be coming soon.

This year though, she was once again faced with cooking for in excess of 20 children, grandchildren, spouses and friends-who-might-as-well-be-family. By 11 she had managed to persuade most of her guests and family to go for a walk in the freshly fallen snow to leave her in peace. The only people in the house were her, Lily (who was helping to peel sprouts), Ginny (who had been ill since arriving at the Burrow and was resting on the sofa). Ron and Hermione had also stayed, but that was more so they didn't hold everyone up, and were enjoying each other's company in Ginny's old room.

"Granny, why do I have to cut crosses into the bottom?"

"So they cook all the way through," Molly said ruffling her only grand daughter's hair. Something told her that no matter how many children the rest of her brood had, Lily would be the only girl among them.

"Morning," Ron said looking rather disheveled as he walked in and felt his way to the nearest chair and plonked himself down. A moment later his wife wheeled herself beside him, running her fingers through his hair. "Anything I can help you with mother dearest?"

"Yes. Staying out my way!"

Ron grinned at her then groped round the table until he found an empty mug. "All right then. I think I'll indulge in what Mr Christmas left me." He reached round the back of his trousers and pulled out a flask and poured some of the contents out.

"RON!" Hermione screeched, hitting him on the knee. "It's not even noon yet."

"Come on Hermione it's Christmas! If you can't drink stupidly early on Christmas then when can you. And you should take it up with Santa. If he didn't want me drinking he shouldn't have given me my favorite brand of Firewhiskey," he added with a half grin in his mother's direction. "Hey, Ginny do you want any?"

As usual, Ron sensed her coming long before the others. She leaned against the doorway and shook her head. Molly looked at her suspectly from the sink.

"No, I'm fine. Still not feeling well," Ginny said while her daughter skipped over to give her a hug.

"Oh come on Ginny, don't make a man drink alone. You haven't drunk anything since you got here, it's Christmas for Merlin's sake! It might make you feel better?"

Ginny was about to open her mouth to speak, but instead brought her hand up to it and jerked. In a flash she dashed to the bin and promptly threw up in it. She wiped her mouth and stood up while Hermione tried to get away from the table to help her while Lily looked on with confusion. Ron made a disgusted face and lifted the mug to his lips. Molly shook her head.

"You're pregnant again aren't you."

Everyone else in the room froze for a second before slowly turning to Ginny, still hunched over the bin, her eyes closed as she wished this wasn't happening. Not today.

"Yes."

Molly yelled before throwing the pan she had been carrying into the sink in frustration.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, when will you ever learn!"

"I'm sorry?" Ginny said looking up with anger etched on her face.

"I would have thought after Rosie you would have known better to just sleep with someone..."

"I did not just sleep with someone!" Ginny said, shouting now, "You think I'm a slut don't you! You believe all those stupid rumors about me?"

"Do you at least know who the father is this time," Molly said flatly, determined not to start this fight again.

"I knew who the father was last time, I'm just not telling you." Ginny's words were filled with venom.

"And why is that? What's wrong with him?" Molly snapped back.

"Nothing is wrong with him it's just..."

"Complicated! It's always complicated." Exhasperated, Molly threw her hands in the air and walked to the other end of the kitchen. "Well is this one complicated as well? Do I get to know the identity of the father of my grandchild this time?"

"Yeah actually, you do," Ginny narrowed her eyes as she walked down to stand in line with her mother. "It's Draco. Draco Malfoy. Happy now?"

Molly was taken aback. The words hit her like punches and took a while to sink in.

"What? Did he ra.."

"NO!" Ginny exploded. She knew this would happen. "Ach! You never understand. He was my friend."

"He tried to kill Harry!"

"Not when we made love he hadn't," she spat in reply.

There was a moment of silence while Molly and Ginny glared at each other with their lips pursed. Suddenly Molly jerked away and began to wipe down to already clean table.

"So! What are you going to do about it? I know someone whose very good at these sorts of procedures. Hardly damages fertility at all. How far along are you?"

"What are you talking about?" Ginny said without looking down the table at her.

"Well you can't possibly keep it."

It was Ginny's turn to be punched this time. She gawped at her mother for a moment before finally remembering how to speak.

"You want me to get rid of my baby?" She whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

"It's the offspring of a madman!" Molly cried, appalled her daughter was even thinking about carrying the child of a Malfoy.

"You want ME to get rid of MY BABY!" Ginny advanced on her mother with hatred pounding in her veins.

"You were seriously thinking about bringing up ANOTHER child, that child, alone?"

"That ch..." Tears were glistening in her eyes as she shook her head in anger before turning away and grabbing Lily from where she had been watching the argument in fear. "I don't CARE who the father is! All that matters is that it's mine!" She had opened the door to the landing and already pushed Lily through. "And YOU will NEVER EVER SEE HIM!"



Ginny hadn't seen her mother for 6 months, and had no plans to do so anytime soon. Then her father died the day after she gave birth to her son. She knew her father would have loved him, who wouldn't.

On the day of the funeral she left her baby with her best friend, Bray's mother Mary and took Lily to the wizard cemetery where all Weasleys were finally laid to rest. After the ceremony, Ginny found herself sitting between her father's and brother's graves, running her hands over the soil and grass that covered them.

"Hiya sis," Ginny turned round to see Bill walk up to her and lean against Percy's gravestone. "How are you?"

"Suprisingly okay actually," she said with a slight smile. "What about the rest of you lot."

"Oh, coping you know. It was a bit of a shock, but he should have died years ago by rights. He made the best of what he had, he wouldn't want us lingering over him all our lives."

Bill looked down at the freshly dug grave and sighed heavily as the two sat in silence.

"Mum's not taking it too well though," he said tentitivly, watching Ginny tense at the mention of her mother. "She just needs a little time. She, uh... heard what you called the new baby," he said avoiding her eyes.

"What did she say?"

"Went ballistic for a while then started crying,"

"I knew she would," Ginny said shaking her head.

"Dad would have liked it though," Bill said quietly. "He'd be honored, and he'd know that with little Arthur around, it means he'll always be around, cluttering up the place."

Bill and Ginny smiled at each other before he helped her to her feet and they started walking back to the road. Good old Bill, he always knew exactly what to say when you needed a big brother. Ginny's eyes wandered round the graveyard at the people gathered to see off her father when their eyes met. She was standing by the gate being consoled by everyone that knew her, but her expression of sorrow twisted into one of pure hate as she saw Ginny. But Ginny just stared at her mother for a moment with tear filled eyes and then turned to leave on her own. Alone again.


"MUM!"

Lily-Rose yelled through the house, and knocked Ginny back from her revive.

"What is it?" she said stepping out into the sitting room where her daughter had brought all her possessions that had migrated through out the house over the holidays.

"I can't find my Potion's book," she whined from behind the sofa where she had been searching.

"Have you looked in your brother's room? When books go missing that's where they usually turn up."

Lily thought about this for a second before her face lit up and she hopped off the sofa and lolloped towards her brother's room.

"Why does he read so much anyway? It can't be healthy. Maybe that's why he's sick all the time."

Ginny chuckled to herself before catching sight of the clock on the mantle.

"Oh, Merlin. Leave it Li-Ro! Arty get your shoes on. Mungo's closes in a few hours"

Ginny when to get her children's coats and came back into the room to see Li-Ro sitting on her brother, trying to jam his feet into his shoes.

"What on..."

"MUM! She's attacking me!"

"He was being too slow!"

"I was not!"

"Were too! Now stop squirming! There, all done!"

Lily jumped off her brother and helped him too his feet. Ginny smiled to herself as she realized something. She wasn't doing this alone. This time she had Li-Ro.