A New Beginning (Sequel to A Different Beginning)

Chapter Sixteen - Happy Holidays

Delilah had spent the first three days of her Christmas holidays giving her father's home a really good cleaning. The maid was visiting her family for Christmas and Delilah had taken the opportunity to relieve some stress. She had scrubbed down every inch of the house, including walls and baseboards. Now she was stretching to find something to do. As long as she kept busy she could continue to ignore the fact that she wanted to kill Draco.

Jonathon watched her from the doorway as she furiously scrubbed in between the floor tiles with a toothbrush. Delilah hadn't said anything, since she had come home, about her mood. He had hoped that she would come to him but the days had passed, and she still remained silent. He'd watched her throw Draco's unopened letters into the trash, and again, he hadn't said anything. Now, he was determined to find out exactly what was wrong with his daughter.

"Delilah, Draco's here."

Delilah's entire body tensed up before she made herself relax. "I'm a bit busy, Dad."

Jonathon nodded. Draco of course, was not there, but he had wanted to find the source of the problem. "Good to know, since he's not actually here."

Delilah rolled her eyes. "What's up, Dad?"

Jonathon stepped into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. "That's what I've been wondering. What happened between you and Draco?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, you've got to tell someone or you're going to explode. What the hell happened? The last time we talked you were going on and on about what a wonderful guy he was."

"Well he ... why do I love him so much?" She groaned, burying her face in her hands.

Jonathon smiled now. "Honey, love is a really interesting thing. You're going to go through all sorts of problems and all sorts of good. It's never perfect."

Delilah grinned. "I know that, Daddy, but he ... Pansy's pregnant."

Jonathon let out a whistle as he leaned back in his chair. "Now, I wasn't expecting that. Is he the father?"

She sighed and stopped scrubbing long enough to look up at him. "I don't know."

"Well then, you better find out."

"Pansy says he is. We both found out that she was pregnant at the same time and he just ... he looked so stunned but he didn't deny it or confirm it."

"Honey, I bet he was stunned. That's not something you can be alright with hearing. Did you talk to him about it?"

She shrugged. "He's tried to talk to me. He says the baby isn't his, but I just ... I don't know. So much has happened lately with Pansy, and with him, and with me ... I just don't know anymore. There were these pictures that someone sent me, I'm betting it was Pansy, of her and Draco in all sorts of intimate positions ... he swears that they're a lie, and I believe him. I don't know why, when the evidence is clearly against him but this ... how can I trust him, Daddy?"

Jonathon sighed and stood up, taking a seat on the floor next to her. "Delilah, you have to go with your heart. I know that you love Draco and he clearly loves you more than anything in the world. It's up to you."

Delilah leaned into her father and when his arms came around her, the tears began to fall. "I don't know what to do." She sobbed. "I don't who to believe and I don't know if I can trust my own heart anymore, because it's telling me something different than my mind."

Jonathon held his daughter closely and kissed her cheeks. "Honey, always trust your heart. What's it trying to tell you?"

Her eyes met his and she sighed. "That Draco's not the father."

He nodded. "Then I think you've got an apology to make."

She sighed. "I guess I do."

Jonathon kissed her cheek and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I think it's time you try to find out who the real father is, too."

Delilah nodded. "That could be anyone."

"Well, if that's a possibility then you really need to talk to Draco."

She sighed. "Alright, I'll work it out. I just hope he can forgive me."

Jonathon grinned. "Sweetheart, he's putty in your hands."

Delilah laughed as her eyes fell to the beautiful ring she wore on her finger and then she shook her head. "No, Daddy, he's not, but my heart certainly is in his hands."

He smiled. "Go get him, sweetheart."

She grinned. "I will. Thank you!" She hugged her father tightly before she kissed his cheek. "I love you. Would you like to come to the manor with me? The wedding is tonight."

Jonathon shook his head. "You go and make up with Draco. I'll be by later on."

He watched her hurry out of the room and he grinned as he picked a cookie out from the tin on the table. He was definitely going to miss his daughter's cookies when she moved out. With that in mind, he hurried out of the room to work on wedding plans.

*******

George was having trouble breathing properly. He was getting married in less than an hour, and he just couldn't believe it. It was Christmas Eve and tomorrow morning he was going to wake up next to his wife. He looked up when the door opened and he grinned at his twin.

"Ready Forge?"

George shrugged. "As ready as I can be I guess. Can you believe almost all of us are married now?"

Fred shook his head as he straightened his brother's tie. "No, it's quite hard to believe. But we're all hunks so it's natural that sexy birds flock to us." When George grinned, he smiled. "Katie loves you, George, and it took you way too long to tell her, but she does. You're not going to blow this."

"How do you know?"

"Because I managed alright. Lina and I have been doing great. If I can do it, then so can you. Now come on, let's go get you married."

George took another deep breath and then he nodded. "Yeah, let's go get me married."

********

Draco gulped back the glass of Firewhiskey in his hand as he sat at the table and watched the couples dancing around him. He had seen Delilah come in during the ceremony and his heart had ached for her. She hadn't even acknowledged him and he hadn't heard back from her at all. When he realized his glass was empty he groaned and headed over to the bar just as Fred stepped up next to him.

"You know, drinking away your problems doesn't do anything."

Draco shrugged. "Well, it sounds pretty good to me at the moment."

Fred nodded. "Listen, Draco, I uh - I had an interesting visitor in my store today. Mala Crofton who I believe is a good friend of Pansy's is she not?"

"What about her, Fred? I don't even want to think about Pansy. That lying vindictive little ... she's done nothing but make my life miserable!"

Fred grinned. "Mala let it slip who the father is ... and its not you."

Draco's eyes hardened as his gaze met Fred's. "I knew that. Do you know who it is?"

"I do, and it's not so pretty."

"Meaning?"

"Well, Mala seemed to think that your father is the father."

Draco snorted. "You know that doesn't surprise me in the least."

Fred shrugged. "Well, at least now you know."

Draco nodded. "Yeah, I know, but Delilah's still not talking to me so if you don't mind, I think I'm going to have more Firewhiskey."

Fred nodded and left Draco alone. Delilah stepped over to him. She had been watching him from across the room throughout most of the reception, even though she had avoided him during the ceremony. Now, she tried to keep her breathing calm before she spoke.

"Enjoying the reception?"

Draco whirled around, the glass halfway to his lips. "Sure."

She nodded. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Draco nodded and followed her out of the common room and into the backyard. The cold winter wind bit at their skin. He did a quick warming charm on both of them. "How have you been?"

Delilah shrugged. "I've been better." She took his glass from him and tasted it before making a face. "Why are you drinking this stuff?"

"It makes the pain go away after a while."

Delilah placed his glass on the ground and then she took his hand in hers. "I've been horrible to you. I know that ... just don't speak, let me get this out." She said quickly when Draco made to comment. "I should trust you, and my heart is screaming at me that I do, but I don't think my mind does. I know that Pansy wants you and I think it has more to do with the fortune you were to inherit rather than yourself, which you knew already, but ... the baby thing. Even if ... I love you, even if this baby is yours."

He pulled her closer to him, tilting his forehead down to hers. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words from you."

She smiled and moved in a bit closer. "Probably pretty long. I know Daddy was getting frustrated with my stubbornness too, and finally knocked me back into shape."

"You're father helped you forgive me?"

She grinned. "He likes you; he just doesn't want to admit it."

Draco grinned and leaned down to touch his lips to hers gently. "Delilah, I'm not the father of the baby."

She nodded. "Alright."

He shook his head. "No, listen, Fred just said he overhead one of Pansy's friend's say that my father is the father."

"What?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

Delilah looked disgusted. "But your father has to be like forty years old?"

"Forty-two actually but like that will stop him."

"Him and Pansy? That's just ... just ... that's a twenty-five year age difference. That's just ... just ... Eww!"

"It just explains everything." Draco replied. "He would have my hairs to impersonate me to do those pictures that you got and naturally, he would be in on the plan, as he wants me to have a pureblood child to pass on the Malfoy name. He doesn't care about anyone but himself and his fortune."

"But what about your mother? Does she know?"

Draco shrugged. "Who cares if she knows? My father has been cheating on her for as long as I can remember. We had three of four mistresses living in the manor at some point. He always had someone to run off to for a quick shag."

Delilah shook her head. "How could she tolerate that?"

"Because she didn't have a choice. Don't paint my mother out to be a victim here though, because trust me, she's not. She took a lot of crap from my father, yeah, but ... she knew what he did, every detail. When I witnessed what happened to your mother ... she told me not to go downstairs, she said that my father was in an important meeting and couldn't be disturbed. I didn't listen, but I knew that she knew what was going on, and she didn't do anything to stop it. What does that make her?" He asked.

She snuggled closer into his arms. "I don't want to think about that." She framed his face with her hands. "Instead, I want you to kiss me."

Draco slid his hands up her back and he grinned. "I think I could do that."

Delilah stood on her toes to meet his lips gently with hers. The kiss was soft, long, and filled with longing and promises. When she pulled away she smiled up at him. "Draco?"

"Hmm?" He asked.

"Can we go somewhere more private?"

He smiled at her. "Sure. One minute."

She watched as he hurried back into the house and then came out a moment later, Disapparating with her in his arms. With a popping noise, they landed in his bedroom at Potter Manor.

"Is this private enough for you? Everyone else is at the wedding. I just thought I should tell the Potters I was leaving; don't need to create a panic."

She grinned and took a seat on his bed. "I think it's perfect. I think we've both waited long enough, don't you?"

Draco smiled at her. "I agree." He sat down on the bed next to her and gently nuzzled her neck. "Are you sure?"

Delilah crawled into his lap with a smile. "Definitely."

Their lips met quietly in passion and their hands roamed and they gently undressed each other. As lips and hands wandered, Draco laid her on the bed beneath him his eyes on hers. "I love you."

She smiled up at him. "I love you too. Happy Christmas, Draco."

Hands joined together and lips met before they lost themselves in each other.

*********

Ginny curled into Harry on the chesterfield in the common room of the Burrow later on that evening and sighed. "The ceremony was really beautiful, wasn't it?"

Harry nodded as he ran his hand up and down her arm. "Yeah it was. Katie looked really amazing. I've never seen such a look of happiness on George's face either; it was nice to see it. He really loves her. They both just looked so happy."

She smiled and snuggled closer, taking his hand in hers. "I love you."

"I love you too. So ... we're going to make the announcement in the morning?"

Ginny smiled. "Yes. Tomorrow morning while we're opening presents. Are you nervous?"

He shrugged. "A bit. I don't know why. I mean, Mum and Da know, so do Bill and Charlie. I don't think Arthur will be that surprised."

"Daddy, really? Why?"

"We talked about it months ago. He told me that when the time came for me to propose that I had his blessing."

She grinned. "He wants me to be happy. I'm his baby girl and I know it. Even if he did give you his blessing it's still going to come as a shock to him."

"Yeah, I suppose it will." He took her hand in his and gently ran his thumb over her ring, even though it was currently hidden by a glamour charm for now. "It's definitely a big step."

"We're ready for it, though. I know I am."

Harry tilted her head up so that he could kiss her softly. "Me too."

"Harry, I want to spend Christmas Eve with you."

He smiled and kissed her again. "We could but I don't know, babe. Whose house are we going to stay at?"

Ginny curled into his lap a bit more so that she could straddle him. "Well, the manor has more privacy, as my mother won't be interrupting, but in the morning I have to be at the Burrow bright and early. It's kind of a tradition for us to make a huge breakfast in the morning and then start on dinner. Besides, you guys aren't all coming over until around lunchtime."

Harry kissed her again and then he pulled out a long thing box from his dress coat. "Well, until we decide ... happy Christmas."

"Harry, after this beautiful ring I didn't expect ... you didn't have to."

"I know. Open it up."

Ginny opened the box and gasped. Inside was a thin gold corded bracelet with diamond shaped rubies in the cords. "Oh Harry, this is ... wow."

He grinned. "Do you like it then?"

"Harry, it's beautiful."

"Good. Happy Christmas."

She kissed him softly and grinned when he snapped it onto her wrist. "I've got a present for you too, but it's upstairs, in my room."

Harry's grin flashed. "Oh yeah?"

She smacked his arm playfully. "Not that!" She kissed him again. "But I think you should come upstairs with me and I'll give it to you."

"Now, now Firefly, don't be a tease." Bill replied from the doorway.

Ginny groaned and buried her face in Harry's shoulder. "Bill!"

Bill grinned and closed the door behind him. "Listen, I just wanted to tell you that Mum's on her way down here. She wants to make sure that all of her kids get a good night's sleep."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm not surprised to hear this. Look what Harry got me for Christmas." She held out her wrist to show her brother.

Bill whistled. "Well, you are the future Countess."

She rolled her eyes again before she stood up, Harry's hand in hers. "Thanks for the warning, Bill, but I would like to say goodbye to Harry now."

Bill nodded and leaned against the doorjamb. "Don't let me stop you."

Ginny glared at him before pulling her fiancé out of the room and over to the front door just as Molly made her way downstairs. "Oh, Ginny, good, say goodnight to Harry now and then head on up to bed."

Ginny nodded. "That's what I was doing, Mum."

Molly smiled. "Good. Goodnight, dears."

She waited until her mother left the room before she stood up on her toes to kiss him softly. "Come save me, in an hour?"

Harry chucked softly as his lips grazed her neck. "I'll be here. I love you."

Ginny smiled at him. "I love you, too."

She watched him Disapparate from the spot, and sighed. She missed him already.

She was halfway to her room when she ran into Hermione. "Ginny! Good, just the person I was looking for!"

"What's going on, Hermione?"

Hermione grinned. "Follow me."

Ginny followed her friend into her brother's bedroom and grinned. Laying on Ron's bed was a huge tiger. She gasped and tentatively patted his head. The tiger seemed to be grinning at her. "Is this?"

Hermione nodded. "We've been practicing forever! Tonight, we both finally got it." A few seconds later, a beautiful doe was standing where Hermione had been moments before.

"Wow! Guys, this is great! What made you decide to work on this now?"

Ron and Hermione both changed back into themselves quickly and Hermione shrugged. "I don't know we just thought about it."

Ron nodded. "If only I had mastered it a few weeks earlier, I would have been able to escape capture or least tear those bastards apart."

Hermione linked her hand through his and sighed. "Let's not think about that. It only took us two years to master it. I'll admit, I was beginning to wonder if we would ever get it especially since you and Harry mastered yours ages ago."

Ginny grinned. "I knew you would get it. Two years is the normal amount of time, sometimes even longer. That's how long it took Sirius to master it." She hurried forward to hug them both. "This is wonderful!"

Ron nodded. "I know, now I can finally go hang out with Harry and the marauders during a full moon."

"Well congratulations both of you but I have to head up to bed and get ready I'll see you in the morning."

"Get ready?" Ron asked, a puzzled look on his face. "For what?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You keep thinking there, Ron."

Ginny only laughed to herself as she hurried out of the room to get ready for her evening with Harry.

Ron watched his sister leave and then he nodded. "Harry."

Hermione smiled. "Yes. Of course they would want to spend Christmas Eve together. We are."

Ron sighed as he sat down on his bed. "I suppose, sometimes it just ..."

"What?" Hermione asked, taking a seat next to him and placing her hand on his leg.

"Sometimes it just hits me really hard that Gin's not a baby anymore. I mean, her and Harry are together and having sex and that's huge!"

Hermione laughed. "Ron, they're so in love with each other. You have to stop worrying about her eventually. She is in the best possible hands."

Ron nodded, turning so that he could slip his arms around her. "I know that. When I was ... away, all I could think about was you and how much I wanted to come home to you. But I knew that you were alright, because Harry was there. I knew he would keep you safe."

Hermione smiled and kissed him softly. "He did. He was there for me even when I didn't want him to be. He was the one who held me close when I cried myself to sleep. He was the one who held me closer when I hit him and screamed and blamed everything on him, and then on myself. He was the one who did everything in his power to whip me back into shape. Even though I hated him for it at the time, I'll be forever grateful to him. I clung to him so hard, Ron ... it was ... it was so hard without you."

Ron brought her head to his shoulder. "I know. I'm glad he was there too, because by the sounds of it, love, you were a right mess."

She laughed. "Yeah, I suppose I was. I love you."

He grinned and tilted her head up so that he could kiss her softly. "I love you too. I've uh, I've got a present for you."

She smiled up at him. "What kind of present?"

He stood up and went over to his bureau and pulled out a tiny box. "Remember that thing I told you I've had in my dormitory for about four months now?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she viewed the box. "Yes."

"Well, I asked Neville to grab it for me." He opened up the lid before he knelt in front of her. "So now, I'm going to ask you again, properly this time."

Hermione fell to her knees next to him and silenced him with a kiss. "The answer is still yes."

He grinned. "I love you." He slipped the ring on her finger and her eyes moved down to it.

"Ron," she breathed. It was white gold with a small square-cut diamond in the center outlined by sapphires. "It's beautiful."

Ron smiled at her. "I always see you in sapphires. I know the ring isn't much and the diamond's not that big but -"

"I love sapphires. I love this ring." She kissed him softly. "Yes, Ron, I'll marry you, definitely. It's perfect."

He grinned. "You didn't even give me a chance to ask." When she laughed he kissed her. "Good." His hands fisted in her hair as his lips met hers softly. He let out a soft moan when her hands started to tug his dress shirt from his pants. "Mione."

"It's been ages, Ron! You're all better now, right, no more broken ribs no more ... anything?"

Ron took her hand in his and placed it over his heart. "Only you."

He did a quick silencing charm on the door before he crushed his lips to hers. It wasn't slow. As soon as their lips had met, they started to tug at each other's clothes. They didn't even bother trying to get to the bed; they just sank to the floor.

His lips ran over her exposed skin eagerly and Hermione's nails raked over his back. It had been so long since his hands had been on her like this. So long since he had touched her and she was aching. She moaned at every touch and lost herself in the pleasures that only Ron could bring her. His tall muscular frame was now made known to her. She ran her hands over the strong muscles in his arms and over his chest as his lips trailed over intimate parts of her.

"Ron," she breathed as he nibbled here and there until she was screaming out his name.

Ron grinned inwardly at the sound of ecstasy that left her mouth. He loved the sounds she made when he was kissing her. They almost came out in soft purring sounds before she ended up screaming his name. He ran his tongue gently along her thigh and her hands fisted in his hair. It had been so long since he had last touched her. He had been dreaming of this moment for weeks on end. Now he had her writhing under him and he could only grin broadly, torturing her with more soft kisses and strokes.

"Ron!" She moaned, tugging on his hair to bring his lips back to hers.

When their lips met she sighed as they rolled across the floor, still desperate to touch and taste every inch of each other. When the last bits of their clothes were strewn around the room, Ron placed her hand over his heart again.

"Only you, Mione."

Hermione's eyes met his and she nodded. "Only you."

Then they lost themselves in the pleasure.

*********

Ginny paced up and down in her room wearing nothing but a short silk purple nightgown, the ruby necklace she always wore from Harry, and the bracelet Harry had given her for Christmas. It had been a little over an hour now and yet Harry still wasn't here. She sighed in frustration. She was worked up now and he wasn't even here for her to yell at, or jump depending on where her mood went. She jumped a bit when the flash of fire appeared and Harry stood before her.

He flashed a quick grin. "Hey, sorry I was late. Mum and Da were talking to me about the ring I gave you."

She smiled. "You could have at least told me."

Harry shrugged. "Sorry." He tugged her close then, his eyes travelling over her body. "You look incredible."

Ginny grinned and moved a bit closer, her hands already undoing the buttons on his shirt. "Do I?"

"Vixen," he murmured before he changed into a phoenix and held out his tail.

She grinned and took hold before they both disappeared in a ball of fire and landed in his bedroom at the manor. He changed back into himself and yanked her close for a long greedy kiss that made her blood boil.

"Mmm, yum."

She laughed. "Don't you want your present now?"

Harry's eyebrow lifted slightly before he gestured to her nightgown. "Isn't this my present?"

Ginny smiled. "Maybe. No really, do you want your gift?"

He nodded as he nibbled gently on her earlobe. "Okay."

She sighed as she enlarged the box in her hand. "Happy Christmas."

Harry sat down on his bed and quickly unwrapped it before he grinned. Inside was a small portrait of the two of them. They were kissing under the huge willow tree on the Hogwarts grounds. The brush strokes had captured every emotion and he sighed. "Gin, this is ..."

She grinned. "Colin had taken the picture one day and he had given me the copy. Dean actually painted the portrait."

"Dean did this?" He whistled softly. "Well, he really is good."

She laughed. "I know, he's amazing. I told him he should look into painting professionally but he just shrugged. Do you like it then?"

Harry grinned at her and tugged her close for a soft kiss. "I do. Thank you." He stood the portrait on his nightstand before he vanished the wrappings and pulled her into his lap. "Now, where were we?"

Ginny slid his shirt off of his shoulders and kissed the center of his chest. "Right about here."

Harry's breath hitched as she pushed him back down onto the bed. "Seems about right."

She grinned as she straddled him, planting soft kisses along his chest. "I've got big plans for you tonight."

His hands slid into her hair as he grinned. "Oh yeah?"

Her tongue touched his skin and he instantly came strongly to life. "Oh, big plans indeed. Are you up for it, Mr. Potter?"

Harry reached up and pulled the nightgown over her head. "I'm all yours, Miss Weasley."

Ginny slid her hands up his chest and dipped her tongue in the dimple on his chin. "Mmm, that's what I like to hear." Then she crushed her mouth to his.

*********

The pain shimmered through his body as intensely as the first kiss of a good lover would. It touched every inch of him and he could only gasp as the fire hot poker slipped into his skin, breaking through tissue and burning deep. He tried not to scream and to think of more pleasant things but it ate at him, the pain, and the itching.