The September days were passing much too quickly and Ginny found herself to be nearly beside herself in anticipation of her child's birth. It was only weeks away, days away really, and she wasn't so sure she was ready. But, she had to be. And she didn't have much time to worry about the birth when her real fears came after- the child would be her first priority, but this was a time of war... And war was at their doorstep.

Though Draco continued to try and appease her fears, she knew he was as worried as she was. The explosion from the first of the month had been ruled an accident, but David had told Draco the experts had next to no idea what had caused it. Scorch marks had been found on the cement, unexplainable to the Muggles, but Draco had know exactly what had caused them: magic. He was worried that they would be found out, but now... So very close to Ginny's due date, he wasn't sure what to do. And so he'd written to Remus, asking for advice and he could only hope his response was prompt.

It was just after midnight, two weeks to her due date, when Ginny woke feeling unwell. She had slipped from their bed and used the bathroom, pausing a moment to look at her own reflection. Brushing back a lock of hair, she flipped the lights off and made to leave the bathroom when she heard it... The sound of footfalls on the cement outside; months on the run had trained her ears and eyes to everything and anything. She paused in the doorway, peering down the stairs, listening closely to the silence all around her. Again she heard it, the sound of approaching footsteps... She turned towards the bedroom door, prepared to wake Draco, when she saw him already coming towards her. He looked grim as he pressed her wand into her hand, slipping past her to tiptoe down the stairs. Draco glanced back over his shoulder at her, gesturing for her to remain up there out of sight. Just as he turned back around, they both heard it, both felt it as the explosion sounded.

Grasping at the handrail, she kept herself upright, but just barely; when the smoke cleared, she could see Draco had slipped down the last few stairs, but he was rebounding, his wand brandished as laughter sounded. "You've hid well, Draco," Lucius Malfoy's vocals sounded and Ginny felt her heart sink, a cold dread settled into the pit of her stomach. "We thought we'd never find you two." More laughter, Greyback and Dolohov this time, and Ginny tightened her grip on her wand. "Where is she, Draco...?" Lucius' tone dropped, so low that Ginny had to strain to hear his voice as he spoke. "Don't make me hurt you." This would be the last ounce of kindness he'd offer his traitor son. "Come with me now and all will be forgiven. You can even bring the child, we'll take care of them. Your mother misses you, Draco."

Draco tightened a hand into a fist, turning his head away for a long moment. But then he looked up, meeting his father's eyes, and raised his wand. "Expelliarmus!" He shouted and at once the battle began. However, Draco knew he was severely outnumbered, and already Greyback was on the move towards the stairs, as if he meant to go up to find Ginny. Striking at him with a nonverbal spell, Draco diverted his attention, and soon found himself facing both his father and Greyback at the same time. His own attention momentarily caught up, he didn't notice Dolohov sneaking off instead. It wasn't until he heard Ginny's shout and the loud thud as Dolohov came tumbling down the stairs. Ginny stepped around his body, one of her hands clutching to her stomach, her eyes wide in her face. He spun back, dodging a curse from his father, moving to stand in front of Ginny who's face contorted and he heard the soft intake of breath. Glancing over his shoulder at her, he could see it, the pain reflected in her eyes, and something inside of him knew what was happening.

"Oh... Oh no..." Ginny's soft vocals reached all of their ears as she sucked in a breath, something warm suddenly rushing from between her legs. A sharp pain unfurled in her belly as the baby twisted and she knew immediately what was happening. She lifted her eyes to Draco, who had turned completely around then, his own eyes widening. "Look out!" She cried out, seeing Greyback moving from over his shoulder. Draco turned but knew he wouldn't make it in time- Greyback was moving too fast. He raised his arm to at least block the curse that was thrown at them, but to all of their surprise another voice joined in the fray.

"Stupefy!"

Draco turned to the front door, shocked beyond words to see David in the doorway, a wand held aloft before him. He met Draco's eyes for just a moment and then smiled, striding across the room to stand at his side, Violet on his heels. She slipped a protective arm around Ginny, drawing her back to the stairs as a contraction ripped through her, nearly rendering her legs useless. "Come on love," Violet whispered, pulling her with her as the battle between the men began.

"Crucio!" Lucius screamed, but his attack was dodged, and the old man flung a nonverbal curse back at him. Who the hell was this man, anyway? He had thought he'd done all the research on any potential wizards hiding out in the Muggle town, he thought he'd discovered them all. To find two more living right there in the house next to Draco's, it was almost... Convenient. "Who sent you here?" Lucius sneered at the old man, his wand pointed directly at his chest. "Who are you?" He felt anger rising up within him- it never failed, his plots were foiled by these damn Order members.

"You know who sent me," David replied with a sly smile, whipping his wand back and forth, the jet of blue light shooting forth at such a force it left a hole in the wall where it hit. "And Remus sends his regards." Beside him, Draco turned shocked eyes onto him, but he smiled as if to say all would be explained eventually. Draco turned back, ready to fight, but saw his father lowering his wand, as if he had already consented to defeat. "Get out of here Malfoy." David urged, his wand still pointing at the two men across from him. "Tell the Dark Lord these kids ain't his for the taking."

Lucius glanced at Greyback who spit angrily and then took a step back, vanishing from the spot, Dolohov forgotten on the floor. Lucius turned his eyes onto his son, who's disguise had been lifted by a stray spell only moments before. Their eyes met for one long moment and something told Lucius this would be the last time he saw his son. And then he was gone, disappearing without a single word. Draco sagged, running a hand over his face, his heart hammering hard inside of his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, to question David thoroughly on all that had just happened, when he heard the scream from upstairs. "Ginny!" He gasped, all other thoughts pushed aside as he rushed past the unconscious Dolohov, and up the stairs and into the hall.

The door to the master bedroom was wide open and he went in, finding Ginny laying on the bed, propped up by pillows, Violet at her side. She was panting, sweat beading on her forehead, her head thrown back as another contraction ripped at her. "She's in labor," Violet said as Draco approached the other side of the bed, reaching for Ginny's hand, shocked at the strength she squeezed his. "There's no time for..." She trailed off, looking at the young woman writhing on the bed. Draco knew what she meant- there was no time for a doctor, no time for anything at all. "But we'll be just fine, won't we?" She leaned over Ginny, brushing a lock of hair from her forehead, giving her an encouraging sort of smile.

Ginny had never felt such pain in all her life. The only thing comparable was her dose of Sectumsempra, but even that... She hadn't been prepared for this much pain. It felt as if her insides were being ripped away from her, as if her entire lower body was on fire. Draco held to her hand, not saying a word no matter how hard she squeezed it, and Violet played the part of a doctor. The woman had birthed children of her own, she knew what she was doing, and while Ginny wished with all of her heart it was her mother... This was the next best, this woman she had grown so close to these last few months. "You can do it," Draco leaned down to whisper into her ear and she turned her head, her lips finding his for a single moment. And then the pain was claiming her again, forcing a cry from her lips, and she felt the call of her own body. It was as if her body knew exactly what needed to be done.

"It's time, Ginny." Violet said from the foot of the bed where she knelt between Ginny's legs, knowing this baby was ready to make it's appearance. "Push, Ginny. Push!" She cried as the girl grunted, bearing down with all of her might. Draco was speaking soft words into her ear, still holding fast to her hand, his silvery hair catching in the lamplight. "Good, good! Keep going!" Violet said, excitement pitching her voice up a notch, already seeing the blonde hair that belonged to the child. "I can see them!" Ginny bore down again, her cries mounting as she fought to bring the child into the world. "Again!"

Though she felt like her entire body was being ripped in half, she kept on, concentrating not on the pain but on the sound of Draco's voice in her ear. Over and over he spoke words of encouragement, his hand clinging to hers, his other hand sponging off her sweaty forehead. She was so close... In a matter of moments, their child would be there. Suddenly, Ginny gave a cry unlike any of the others, and Violet was triumphantly shouting. A moment later, Ginny gave a shudder and sank back against the pillows as the shrill sounds of an infant screaming filled the room. "It's a boy," Violet blinked against the tears filling her own eyes, having grown attached to this little family in her months of knowing them. She wiped the baby clean as he screamed, proof of his healthy little lungs, and wrapped him in linen. And then, she handed him to his mother.

Ginny had never, not in all of her life, experienced such a profound moment; as the soft, warm weight of her son slipped into her arms, she felt something welling up deep within her. "I don't believe it..." She whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks as she gazed upon the baby in her arms, his cries silenced but his little mouth moving. She looked up and Draco was leaning over her, their tears mingling as he pressed his cheek to hers. He reached out a tentative hand to touch his son's forehead, to touch the silky down of silver hair atop his head, his heart full to bursting in that moment. He had never been so happy.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her temple, and then leaning over to brush a feathery soft kiss to his son's forehead. "And I love you too," he murmured to the child, blinking against the fresh wave of tears in his eyes. But, now that he was here, and Ginny was safe, he had some questions that needed to be answered. Knowing Violet could handle everything in the bedroom, Draco slipped away, heading back downstairs to find David standing over the still unconscious Dolohov, though the man was tied up all the same.

"The baby?" David asked the moment he'd entered, looking up at him in concern, as if he was the doting grandfather. When Draco smiled and nodded, telling him it was a boy, David let out a breath and a smile crossed his features. "The Order is on their way; Remus and Kingsley, specifically." David said a moment later, gesturing down at Dolohov. "They'll take care of him," he went on, sitting down on the couch, looking tired now that all was said and done. "How is she?"

"Great. She did great." Draco said, dropping down onto the armchair across from David. "Will you tell me who you are?" Now that he had time to think about things, he couldn't believe it was coincidence they had moved in next door to wizards hiding in the Muggle world. Of all the places they had moved, how was it they had moved in directly next to the only other magical folk in the entire city?

David grinned, leaning back against the couch as a wail sounded from upstairs. "I am who I said I was. I'm David and my wife's name really is Violet. We've lived here all along, but Remus told me you two could be coming. I told him we'd look after you if you did." David began to explain the backstory- how when Voldemort had returned three years before, he and his wife immediately went into hiding. "We fought against him in the first war, but honestly the last thing we wanted to do was fight again. We're old now." Draco smirked, remarking that he was quite agile for an old man. "I knew Remus in school, I was Head Boy his first year, him and those troublesome friends of his." He sighed, recalling how one by one those friends of Remus died, all except for the one that instead turned his back and fought for Voldemort. "Remus didn't know where you two would go, but you two moved in so quickly, the day after the house went up. And you're both so young... And when we realized she was pregnant..." He trailed off, shaking his head a bit. "I reached out to Remus and we realized you two had moved in next door, of all people. And we promised to help you guys. Her mother sent Violet letters and Violet wrote back to tell her how you guys were doing." The baby upstairs had quieted down and they listened to Violet's footsteps as she made her way around the bedroom. "You're cover is blown though, what will you do now?"

Now, they were unsafe. The Order could put up protective spells and charms, they could give them their own personal guard, but they would still be unsafe. "We need to get her somewhere safe," he said, glancing at the stairs that led upstairs. "They know we're here and You-Know-Who will come for her before the night is over." He felt the icy fear rippling through him, similar to that day months ago when Snape had requested he bring her to his office. But now it was't just Ginny he had to worry about, now he had their child as well. He could only hope that Remus had a plan or could help him formulate one to help keep them safe until the war ended.

Which he could only hope would be soon.

[ x x x ]

It was just after dawn when Draco and Ginny found themselves settled into a new home, at least for a night or two. They had returned to the Burrow, protected by a fresh wave of even stronger protective magic, as well as a pair of guards at all times. They would remain there until Remus could secure a new safe place, which he would be Secret Keeper to, the only true way they could keep the young family safe. They could only hope that they could make it through the one single night at the Weasley home.

Molly was beside herself- over the moon in love with the grandson they had brought with them. She had settled Ginny into bed to rest and then had taken the baby, still without a name, into the crook of her arm to hold until he cried for food. And then she held the bottle to his lips, shushing him when he cried, her brown eyes full of a new love and tenderness even Ginny had never witnessed.

"Can't you sleep?"

Ginny turned at the sound of Draco's tired voice; he had rolled over onto his side to face her and saw she was awake, which forced him up onto an elbow. The baby slept soundly in the cradle beside the bed and Ginny smiled at him. "Not really." She wasn't nervous, fear was not what kept her awake, instead she enjoyed marveling over the sleeping baby that had so suddenly become her whole life. "He needs a name, still." She reminded him as he sat fully up, his own eyes falling onto the sleeping baby. "Mum must have asked me sixteen times already." Draco shared a soft laugh with her and he settled back against the pillows as she nuzzled closer to him.

"You should pick it," Draco murmured, his voice warm against the shell of her ear, sending familiar shudders down her spine. She tipped her head back from its place on his shoulder, brown eyes finding gray and she smiled, shrugging her shoulders as if it didn't matter all that much. "Pick a family name, all of mine... They've all done terrible, evil things... I don't want to name my son after any of them." His eyes darkened and then closed and Ginny slipped her hand into his, giving it a tender squeeze. In truth, she did have an idea of a name for their newborn son.

"Gideon..." She tested the name on her tongue, her voice causing Draco to open his eyes again as he looked at her. "It was one of my uncle's... He died before I was born, in the war..." Draco recalled hearing about Gideon and Fabian Prewett, her mother's brothers that had died after a raid led by Dolohov. "Gideon Arthur." She glanced back at Draco, as if gauging his reaction to the name, but all she saw was his small smile and a little nod. A surge of happiness rocketed through him and she grinned, leaning over to stare into the cradle at the sleeping newborn, his shock of silvery blonde hair soft against her fingertips. "Gideon..." She spoke softly, leaning down to brush a kiss to his forehead, his skin warm and as soft as his hair.

When she leaned back against him, Draco slipped his arms around her, breathing in her sweet scent. He had made a vow a long time to take care of her, to protect her, but now it just wasn't her he had to protect. But he knew he could keep them both safe. He would die before he allowed anything to ever happen to either one of them. Kissing the crown of her head, he settled back against the pillows, already well aware that she'd drifted off to sleep, his mind only on what they would do to keep themselves safe.

And then, he had an idea.