Draco's Apartment

Pansy took his hand, following him to the front so that he could buy their books, and then walking outside with him, leaning comfortably into his side with his arm around her. She pondered over what she wanted to order, and finally decided. "I'll take one with nutella, and the rainbow sprinkles, and strawberries. Please." She grinned, taking it quite happily as the owner passed it to her. Following Draco down the street back toward home, she nibbled on the end of her crepe, disappointed that it was gone much more quickly than she would have liked. With another happy sigh, she settled her head into the nook of his shoulder, but found that it disappointingly jostled too much as they walked and she had to lift her head away again. Soon enough they were back at the apartment door, and she stepped inside, shrugging her coat off and leaving it and her scarf on a hook by the door, toeing off her boots and leaving them under her coat. She made her way into the kitchen and pulled out a teacup, turning to look at Draco. "Want some tea?"

Draco munched on his crepe as they walked home, chuckling when she finished her food before him for the second time that night. When he finished his own crepe he dropped the paper in a trash can as they strolled past, leaning his head against hers when she rested it on his shoulder. As they walked into the apartment he took off his coat and hung it next to hers, following her into the warm kitchen. "That would be great." He stood next to her as she brewed the tea, moving away to collect the milk from the fridge when it was ready. He picked up his mug and walked into the living room, bringing the bag of books with them. Sitting down on the sofa he pulled out the baby names book and patted the spot next to him. "Want to start looking?"

Pansy finished up their tea, fixing hers how she liked it and following him into the living room. She sank down onto the couch next to him, so much closer than she would have ever dreamed of sitting with him again, curling against his side with her cup of tea between her hands. "Yes, we can mark the ones we like." She grabbed a pen off the coffee table and passed it to him, resting her head on his shoulder so that she could peek into the book while he held it, still feeling quite cuddly. She only lifted her head from his shoulder to take a sip of tea, but it always went right back into his warm shoulder again afterward. She read through a column of names out loud. "Abrielle, Adelie, Alaina, Amelie, Angeline, Ami, Anette, Arianne, Aurelie, Avignon, Avril... Is this one of just French names?" She grabbed a corner of it, turning to look. "French Girls Names. Yes. Well, let's keep looking. It would remind her of where she was born if we ever move, and it won't seem strange in school here if we stay here."

Draco put his arm around her when she sat down and curled into his side, setting the book on his lap and taking the pen from her. Somehow he would find a way to manage book pen and tea. He gave her a sheepish smile when she asked if it was a book of french girls names. "I think it would be nice to give her a name that reminded her, and us, of Paris." He had picked up another book with just general names but hopefully they would pick something front his one. He leaned against her, setting his tea to the side and flicking the page over. "Anything you like so far?" He quite liked Aurelie and Aurore but he wanted to see what sort of direction she was leaning in.

Pansy glanced the first page over again, pondering the names. "Aurelie is pretty." She grinned and took the pen from him, drawing a little star beside the name. "Thought your hands were a bit full. Which do you like?" She would draw a star beside the ones he liked too, so that later they could go through and see all their favorites and narrow it down from there. She took another sip of her tea and settled her head back onto his shoulder, glancing over the next page when he turned it. "Alright, B names..." she began to read some out loud, just to see how they sounded and how they were to say, as that was quite important. "Babette, Beatrice, Belle, Bernadine, Bernice, Bijou, Blaise," she laughed to find his name in a list of French girl names, "Blanche, Brie, Brigette. Well, Belle is alright. And though I'm sure Blaise would be honored if I named my child after him, somehow I think no. Brigette is sort of nice. Which of the B's do you like, any of them?"

"I liked Auralie too, and Aurore." He waited until she put a star on it then flicked the page, "We are not naming her Blaise, and some of these are ridiculous. Who would name their child Babette? Bridgette might be good for a middle name but I think not a first one." Turning the page he looked down some more B names and onto the Cs, "Blondelle, Briar, Brunella, Cache, Camille, Cantrelle, Carole, Celine, Cerise, Chalice, Chaney, Chantal, Charlene, Charlotte, Charmaine, Cher, Cheryl. Any you like?" He personally thought some of them were ridiculous but Charlotte and Celine were rather nice and sounded good in both English and French.

Pansy closed her eyes with her head on his shoulder as he read the names to her, just focusing on his voice. The baby gave a little start as he went through, and Pansy smiled imagining she was trying to give her input on the games. "Well she kicked a bit when you said Camille, so I'll take that as a 'definitely not, mommy' sort of kick. But I really like Celine. And Charlotte as well. Briar is interesting to say the least. It's almost as bad as just naming your kid thorn, right?" She laughed softly, starring Celine and Charlotte. "Your favorites?" She asked, finishing marking them before turning the page. "Christiane, Claire, Clemence, Colette, Coralie, Corinne, Cybille, Delaine, Delphine, Demi, Denise, Diane, Dionne, Dior, Dixie, Dominique, didn't we go to school with a Dominique?, Eleanor, Elie, Elise, Elle, Eloise, Emele, Emilie." She stopped, glancing over the page again, putting a star beside Claire and Emilie. "Your picks for this page?" she asked, turning to look up at him, unable to resist pressing her lips to his cheek softly.

Draco smiled when she kissed his cheek, leaning his head against hers. Reading back down the list he noticed a few she hadn't mentioned. He was really hoping that they did name her something from this book, thinking that a french name would be perfect for their future Parisian princess who was guaranteed to be spoilt by him, regardless of what Pansy said. "I rather like Coralie and Christiane. And we did go to school with a Dominique. Elle is pretty and I think that's about it for this page." He turned his face to hers and smiled, leaning his forehead against her and giving her a soft kiss. "I'm so glad you came here and we can share this."

Pansy nodded, marking the ones he mentioned as well. She bit her lip, staring hard at the book for a moment after his last statement. "I'm so glad you let me stay. I honestly don't know where I would be without you. I hate to even think about it, but it wouldn't be good for me or this little girl to say the least. I can still never thank you enough for taking me in like this even after everything." Finally she turned to look at him, hints of tiny teardrops in the corners of her eyes that she would readily blame on the hormones. Pansy stared at him as if she could never look enough. She had tried to imagine once what would have happened if she hadn't come to Draco, or if he'd turned her away. It hadn't been a pleasant thought and had been the cause of several following nightmares she had brushed off as the baby keeping her awake. She still had a small fear deep inside that he would one day recall what she had done and remember how much it hurt and make her leave. Though she knew that was stupid and he had made promises to take care of her, she still felt so undeserving at times. "I never want to be without you again."

Draco put the book to one side and took the pen from her, moving it away. Reaching up he brushed the tears from her eyes and pulled her into his arms more comfortably, "You never will be. I think we've done enough reading for tonight." Shifting slightly he helped her settle better onto the sofa with him, brushing her hair back and pressing a kiss to her temple. As they cuddled back up together he ran his hand down her arm and over to her stomach. "So when do you think we can move? I guess sooner rather than later."

Pansy let him take the book and pen, and shifted on the couch to lean against him comfortably, her head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped protectively around her. She smiled at the sight of his hand on her round belly, and she put hers on the other side, moving across to link the tips of their fingers together. "Soon, yes. She said we could move as soon as we were ready. I've been packing a lot while I'm home during breaks from work, when I'm supposed to be napping but can't. Most of the kitchen things are boxed up, and a lot of the random things that were sort of lying around down here. I've not done your clothes yet though. I think I'll tackle those drawers up there this week sometime if that's alright with you. They're over-stuffed with shirts and socks, I don't know why you've got quite so many, Draco," she laughed, her mood lightening slightly again at the thoughts of moving and packing their things to switch into a larger and safer home where her little girl could grow up properly.

Draco chuckled and slipped his fingers between hers, "Well I think I've worn most of them. And you borrow them sometimes too," he smiled and kissed the side of her head, "So it's not as though they go to waste." He leaned back, sliding his wand out with his free hand and dimming some of the overhead lights now that they weren't reading. "Also you should be resting if you can't nap. I can always help with the packing in the evenings." He knew she wouldn't listen to him anyway but he thought he should point it out. He didn't mind helping her and the last thing he wanted was her getting over-worked or tired.

Pansy nodded faintly, snuggling more closely into his side, reaching up behind her with a free hand to tug the blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over herself and Draco. She tugged it up over her shoulder, keeping their body heat inside to warm her up. "I can't though, I feel useless. I feel like I should at least do something helpful if I'm going to be awake. And it's not that hard anyway. I'm basically just grabbing things and putting them in boxes, and sometimes I'm just using my wand to do it anyway. I miss using magic as much as we used to. I miss dueling especially." She sighed, remembering her days at Hogwarts when she lived like she was going to die tomorrow, fighting whoever would fight back or whoever deserved a little knocking around. It was honestly a wonder she wasn't expelled, after all she did destroy the quidditch pitch, several classrooms, and much of the astronomy tower in the last few months of school. She thought it very likely that she wouldn't have graduated anyway if she'd bothered to stick around until the end, rather than run off to you know where with you know who.

Draco kept his arm over her stomach under the blanket, staying warm with her. "I'm sure you do, maybe eventually we'll move into a magical area again." He didn't really want to admit it but he had grown rather fond of the muggle area they lived in. It made for a nice change of pace from their old life and freed them up to be whoever they wanted to be. He leaned his head against hers, inhaling the smell of her shampoo. "So which of the names from tonight do you like best?"

The idea of moving somewhere more magical, to Pansy, sounded wonderful. There would come a day where they may have to argue about living muggle or magical as far as their location for raising their daughter, but that was for the future, unimportant now. Pansy was lost momentarily in her memories, brought back only when Draco asked her a question. "Hm? I... I can't really remember." She shrugged feebly beneath the blanket. "We read a lot of them and marked a lot of them, and sleeping actually sounds lovely right now." She tilted her head back to press her nose into his neck, grinning a little and kissing his softly, nibbling at his neck with her lips half heartedly. Mostly she hoped to distract him, allowing herself to remain lost in her reminiscent feelings about Hogwarts and the simplicity of life there. She missed it horribly, the easy days where her biggest worry were the fights she had Draco had, and the duels she'd gotten herself into. Remembering who was on her good side and who was on the 'kill on sight' list. Her newest injuries and bruises and getting them mended. Those were the days, ironically enough. Now there were real life things to worry over, grown up decisions to make, and Pansy felt afraid. "We're so young, Draco. How did we get shoved into a life like this so young?" She did not realize how random it might have sounded to him, since he had not been following along in her thoughts.

Draco's lips curved into a smile when she muttered about not remembering and started to kiss his neck. Closing his eyes he leaned back, his hand still entwined with hers over the bump. He lay there in the silence with her until she spoke again and it took him a few seconds to catch up to her thoughts. When he did he sighed slightly and moved his free hand to brush her cheek. "I don't know how but it is what it is. There's no use wondering about 'what if's. At least we're here and we have each other." He had to admit there was still lingering bitterness within him about this whole situation but he was not going to air that with her at any point in the near future, given her propensity for running away. If she hadn't ever cheated on him then their relationship might not have been successful but he could be sure that she would not be pregnant right now, and they would both still be living the lives they expected. It was a small pocket of bitterness and overall he was still glad she had come to him and they were making a go of this, therefore there was no reason to stress her or put any undue strain on their relationship as it was re-forming itself. He opened his eyes reluctantly and ran his hand down her side, "We should move upstairs to bed. As comfy as this might be right now I'm sure your back would hate you in the morning if we stayed this way."

Pansy barely registered Draco saying they should move to bed. Her thoughts were too consumed by the events of the past year, bitter though they were. His hand moving down her side brought her back to the present again, and she looked up at him with tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. "Yeah, we've got each other. I've got you back, sort of, even if it's the last thing in the world I deserve. I'm so sorry," she whispered, her gaze falling unable to remain on his eyes. "I'm such an idiot. I had you and I screwed it up, and just because you were gone I thought you didn't want me and I'm so stupid. I should have never..." She was quiet a moment, and then continued, wiping at her left eye. "It was him as much as me but I should have stopped it, I was yours, yours only, and I broke all the promises we made to each other and I'm sorry. I wish she was yours." Without looking at him, she sighed and got up, though that was easier said than done as she had to heave herself up a little to stand as quickly as she wanted. She left the blanket in a crumpled heap on the couch beside where she had been sitting, and made her way to the kitchen to begin making herself another cup of apple spice tea.

Draco remained silent as she spoke, watching her wipe the tears away. He stayed on the sofa for a moment before getting up and following her into the kitchen. Wrapping his arms around her waist he stood behind her, pressing his cheek into her neck, "It was stupid yes, and I wish she was mine too but now we're here and she'll still be beautiful and brilliant. I'll still love her and be there as she grows up." Reaching past her he finished making her tea before turning her around in his arms. "What happened is done and there's nothing we can change. Remember that." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before stepping back and picking up the tea, "Now it's time for bed." After this emotional outburst he was tired too and he could tell the extra energy she was exerting being pregnant was taking its toll on her, not that he would ever mention that out loud.

Pansy did her best to ignore his arms around her as she made her tea, staring at the water as the tea bag's swirls of brown spread through it. She closed her eyes at his words, her breathing quickened from the exertion of getting up and moving to the kitchen so quickly, and the stresses of her thoughts and guilt. Letting him make her tea, she wiped at her face, clearing the salty tears away from her cheeks and eyes. She turned around at his prompting and looked up at him, not even bothering to try to not look exhausted and miserable. Blinking when he kissed her head, she took her cup of tea and sipped at it, though her desire for it had passed in his comforting. She drank only a little before setting it aside, taking his hand and following him back through the living room toward the ladder to go up to bed. Climbing up first, she was extra careful as she went, circling around to the other side of the bed once she got up there. Changing quickly, she crawled into bed with her back to him, but turned over a moment later, remembering the doctor's urgings for her to sleep on her left side and not her right, for the sake of blood flow and the baby.

Draco followed her up the stairs and slipped into his own pyjamas, lying down next to her and closing his eyes. He felt her roll over and reached across the bed, laying his arm over her waist. Without opening his eyes he murmured his usual night time wish of "Sweet dreams," before moving a little closer to her and letting himself fall asleep. When they woke up the next morning it would be a new day and they could hopefully press on past all the worries of their situation. Soon they would move and eventually they would pick out a name for their little girl, and then it would be time to start their baby shopping.

***


November twenty-fourth. Finally the day had arrived: moving day. They'd boxed everything up that they could, a huge pile of containers in the living room to be moved to their new place. A knock came at the door and Pansy grinned at Draco, hurrying to go answer it. Madame Berrier was standing there smiling back at her, wrapping her arms around her in a warm hug. "Congratulations, honey," the old woman told her, and Pansy gestured for her to come inside once she'd been let go of. For such an old woman, she had a might strong hug. Dangling the keys out to the young couple, Pansy reached for Draco's hand excitedly. "We really can't thank you enough. It means so much to me that someone I met only a few months ago would do this for me, for us," she squeezed Draco's hand and rested her other hand over her belly, which had gotten considerably larger now at 19 weeks along. The old woman reached out and pressed the keys into Draco's hand. "It's all yours. Now get your silly things out of here!" She laughed, a warm almost raspy sound. "I've some vintage things to move in, you know!" Pansy stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the woman's neck again. "Thank you." Hurrying back into the living room, she picked up one of the very light boxes and carried it back into the kitchen. Looking at Draco, she quirked an eyebrow. "Weren't Alix and Marcel supposed to be here to help us move? And Marcel's brother? They're probably both sleeping, those lazy boys. I'll call to see in a-" but she was cut off as the door opened again, and Alix hurried in looking frazzled. "We're here, we're here. Now give me that!" She laughed, taking the box from Pansy's hands as a sleepy looking Marcel and Louis came in the door as well.

Draco tucked the keys into his pocket and picked up one of the heavier kitchen boxes as Pansy walked back in. Eying the box she was carrying he was wondering how heavy it was and as he was about to reply to her comment the door banged open. Grinning at Alix and winking at her when she took the box he directed Marcel and Louis to take another couple of the heavy kitchen boxes. When he saw Pansy about to reach for another box he put his down and grabbed her, sliding the keys out of his pocket and pressing them into her hand. "Can you go upstairs and unlock? Then direct the boys and when we've gotten a few more things up there you and Alix can start unpacking?" He knew as long as he and Alix were around she wouldn't be able to exert herself too much. Fortunately as well he and Madam Berrier had agreed that there was no point in moving furniture through the small building and instead they would just leave it all be, the apartment had been furnished when he got it from her and she had no problem trading it like that.

Pansy blinked up at Draco, nodding as a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Sure. But come with me. We've got to walk into our new home together," she told him, leaning forward to kiss his cheek quickly before taking the key and his hand and heading toward the door. Moving up the stairs of the building, she rounded the corner, passed all the boxes of Madame's things she had stacked up in the hallway to move downstairs, and pushed the key into the lock. She turned and looked at Draco, taking a breath before she turned the knob and looked inside with a smile on her face. Glancing around at it, it was hard to believe that they'd been so lucky. This apartment was at least three times bigger than Draco's had been. She knew it had a huge living room, kitchen, perfect bedrooms, everything they would need. She rested her hand happily on her belly as she looked through the door, forgetting that she was actually allowed to go inside, her other hand clasped tightly in Draco's. "After you, Mr. Homeowner sir," she laughed.

Draco followed her upstairs, letting the boys and Alix sort themselves out with what they were going to carry up first. He let out a happy sigh when the door was opened, showing them their new home. Though he had been there multiple times to visit Mme, it felt different now. When she turned to look at him he smiled, "Let's go in together, it's our home." He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, walking in side by side. As they walked into the living room he was overcome with excitement and spun her around, wrapping both arms around her, leaning down and giving her a soft kiss. As he was pulling away he couldn't help himself and leaned back in, this time giving her a much longer more involved kiss.

Pansy grinned, stepping inside with him and looking around, absolutely in love with the place. It already felt like home, and she knew it would be perfect for them. Gasping as Draco spun her, his hands secure around her, she had barely regained her balance before he was kissing her, and barely realized he was kissing her before he was kissing her again. She moved her arms to wrap around his neck, holding tight to him and kissing him back, leaning gently into him. Though it had seemed strange at first, these long kisses between them had become relatively normal once again, happening more frequently as the days passed. She had just begun to deepen it, opening her lips to his tongue, when there was a knock at the door and Alix and the boys crowded in. Alix immediately started cooing and going on about them kissing like that and how precious it was and how Pansy's belly had grown and how perfect they looked together like that all wrapped up and how they should just carry on and pretend they weren't here, they'd just put the boxes where they went and go on to get more, that they shouldn't let them ruin the moment at all, but the longer Alix rambled, the more time she was using up, and the more Pansy's grip around Draco loosened and she straightened up again with a happy mildly dazed look on her face. When he kissed her like that, even interrupted, it never failed to blow her mind. "Those boxes can go back to the main bedroom, if you want," she said, looking at Marcel who promptly took them that way, obviously eager to put the heavy things down.