Re: Draco's Apartment

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco sat down and poured them both some water before taking a bite of the scallops. He smiled when she mentioned how well the café seemed to be doing. "Thanks, I got really lucky with Alix and Marcel, even if Marcel is a bit of a handful at times. When I got it it was in a bit of a sorry state so I cleared it out and rebuilt it." He picked up some of the chips, so glad that Mme Mason had stopped by. Her food, well her chef's food, was up there on the list of best things that he got given. He still didn't actually know how to cook a proper meal for himself and he lived off of take away and what his friends sent him home with. Mme Mason and Mme Berrier were by far the most generous and both gave him food to rival any restaurant's.

When she spoke again he put down his fork and looked at her. He didn't speak immediately, taking a moment to consider what she had said. After thinking about it he gave her that slightly confused frown. "I don't want to hold grudges. Sure what you did hurt but I wasn't perfect in the situation either. We both messed up and I don't see why we should spend our lives hating each other for it. I guess I just saw you and, I'm not going to lie, it did all come back to me, all that pain we caused each other, but really Pans, have you looked at yourself lately? You're not the same girl that broke my heart and ran off to Mars. Something happened to you," he held up his hand so she didn't interrupt, "and I know you don't want to tell me just yet but I can tell something changed. I'm not going to leave you out on the street, I don't care if everyone at home thinks I'm nuts for this but before everything happened with us Pans we were friends and hopefully at some point we can get back to that."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy had momentarily stopped eating, her hungry stomach ignored for the time being. The food would still be there after this discussion, and suddenly she cared less about hot food than she did about listening to what he was saying and thinking of an answer for him. Her brain was asking why he was being so perfect, but she didn't voice that question. He'd apparently changed quite a bit since she left as well, had done a lot of growing up. He had everything so in order, so under control. She felt as though she was in a state of constant awe at him, amazed with how well he had adjusted to everything, how he had taken initiative and figured things out and done what he wanted to, which apparently had been moving to Paris and owning a successful cafe. She never would have guessed, but he seemed brilliant at it. There had been a time when she could have imagined this exact scene between them, albeit much happier. She could have easily pictured them sitting down to dinner in a little Paris apartment, glancing at each other across the table after a day of work, enjoying their meal and talking, perhaps even a little one growing in her belly. Granted, they'd have been talking or much happier things, and the little one would have been his. But that's how things tend to work isn't it? All the situations you make up in your head that seem so perfect, how many times have they actually happened like that? As she looked at him, she couldn't help realizing she still loved him immensely, completely, even after all that had happened. She was afraid to admit it, but she knew she'd still do anything he told her to. If he told her to leave, she would in an instant, if he told her to stay, well, she'd argue it, but she knew she wouldn't leave if he didn't want her to. He had been her first love, and she knew she would always love him, even if the feelings weren't returned. And rightly so.

She glanced down at her plate as he asked if she'd looked at herself lately. She knew he saw what she tried to hide, at least in her face if the sweater took care of hiding the bump. She was tired, worn down, stressed out and pushed to the end of her rope. She was a desperate girl with no one to turn to and no where to go, and she needed to figure something out as soon as she could for her own good and the good of her baby. The little one was safe while still inside, but Pansy knew time would pass more quickly than she expected, and she needed a plan, a home, a job, some way to take care of them both. It felt like her heart compressed a little in regret as he mentioned her not being the girl who broke his heart and ran to Mars. If only he knew just how much had changed.

"Merlin, I miss being your friend, Draco. And now's not exactly the time, but I will tell you what happened, if you even care to know. Just, not now. Not yet." Her eyes fell to her plate again, unable to maintain eye contact with him. A pained expression spread very subtly across her face. "I didn't see it then, but my life fell apart as soon as you weren't in it anymore." One arm subconsciously wrapped around her stomach and she picked up her fork again, not eating yet, just fiddling with it in her fingers. Finally with a sigh she ate again, cleaning off the rest of the food on her plate and then picking up her water to take a sip. "Thank you for sharing your dinner with me. It was delicious."

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco nodded even if she wasn't looking at him. When she said her life fell apart he had to resist the urge to walk around the table and pull her into a hug, tell her it was all going to be okay and that he was here for her. Even after all they had been through he still cared about her. He couldn't say if he loved her or not anymore, he was, no matter how hard he tried to push past it, bitter about everything between them but that didn't mean that he could ever even consider hurting her. "You know you're welcome here as long as you need. I'm glad someone was here to share dinner with me. I swear the ladies around here want me obese the way the feed me. All they do is cook in butter!" He threw her a small smile, finishing up his own dinner. When they were both done he stood up and took the plates to the sink, pulling his wand from a hidden holster and charming them to do themselves. He was about to speak to her again when a buzzing started from his bag. He gave her an apologetic look and pulled out his iphone, sliding the little bar and putting it up to his ear.

"C'est Draco. - Oui, nous nous ouvrirons demain. - Alors Marcel, zut. As tu un am--- Non. D'accord." (Draco - Yes we're opening tomorrow - Then Marcel, shit. Do you have a friend-- No, okay.) He clicked thé phone off, "Sorry just one sec." He hit another number and held it back up to his ear, "Alix, c'est Draco. - Non, c'est pas une rendezvous. - ALIX! - Vraiment tu--" He shook his head laughing, "J'ai téléphoné parce que Marcel ne peut pas travailer demain - Oui je sais - Oui - Double - Merci Alix. - Bonne nuit." (Alix, it's Draco - No it's not a date. - ALIX! - Really you--- I called because Marcel can't work tomorrow - Yes I kow - Yes - Double - Thanks Alix - Good night.) He hung up and shook his head, walking into the kitchen again and putting his phone down on the side.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy handed her plate to him, moving to get up and help him out. She shrunk back slightly though as he offered for her to stay as long as she needed. "Draco, I can't possibly ask to stay here and let you take care of me and give me somewhere to sleep. I'll be gone soon and you can carry on with your normal life." She shook her head at him. She wouldn't let him care for her, not after all she'd done to him, and not when she had his cousin's child growing in her. She smiled slightly though at the mention of all the butter in the food. If she was staying here a little while, she knew she would have to eat healthy. Every meal counted when someone else was taking nutrients from it as well. Her train of thought was disrupted however as something started making an incredibly strange noise from within his bag, and she was positively puzzled as he pulled out a small black and silver square and then began talking to it with it pressed against his ear. What the hell? She picked up some scraps off the table and made sure it was clean, not really listening to his conversation, mostly because she couldn't understand it, and partly because it just seemed crazy for him to be talking to a little metal rectangle. Once he stopped and went into the kitchen, she followed along and put their cups in the sink to be washed like the rest of them.

She picked up the little rectangle that he had set down, looking at it curiously. She turned it over in her hands, looking at it from all sides. Upon pushing a button, the screen lit up and she blinked in surprise, seeing that it displayed the time and had a nice little picture of his cafe on it. Then along the bottom it told her to slide to unlock. Slide? Slide what. She touched the screen, amazed as it seemed to respond to her, the little silver arrow moving with her finger. Does she slide this? She moved it over, amused, but then a number pad popped up and asked for a password. She'd only ever had a password to get into the dungeons back at school, and that had been spoken, not typed. She had no idea what to do now, so she sat it back down, looking at it suspiciously. It was too smart to be a little hunk of metal with a touchy picture on it. "What is that thing? Oh, and before I forget, I'm going to cook for you tomorrow, something that won't be swimming in butter, maybe."

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco watched in great amusement as she picked up his phone, tentatively following the instructions that flashed up on the little screen. He put the dishes away but turned around when she said she was cooking. "You're going to cook? You?" He had never ever seen Pansy cook in his life, heat up leftovers and takeout yes but never cook from scratch. He turned his head and blinked at her, "You're going to cook from scratch? Looks like I'm not the only one who has changed." His phone buzzed and a some text appeared on the screen. Grabbing it he slid the bar across and read the message, typing and sending off a response. "By the way Pans, this is my phone. It's called an iPhone." Some days he wondered how he had changed so much in such a short time but he didn't like to analyze it. Mostly because he didn't like to think of all the muggle conveniences he lived with now.

He supposed that was what happened when you ran a muggle business and employed them but he still had never thought he would ever be in this situation. After much thought he had realized that he had never actually hated muggles as much as it was muggle borns. He didn't like that they tried to change the magical world. The muggles themselves were not an issue with him and he was finding it easy to live with them. At first things like taking the metro and using his phone had posed a challenge but he had sorted through them quickly enough and now he was perfectly competent. He walked into the living room with her and pulled out some extra sheets, "You can stay upstairs."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Oh, it's great to see you have such confidence in me. Yes, I'm going to cook." She half-grinned at him, amused by his shock. "I'd like to think that I'm not completely incompetent, and if you're letting me stay here tonight the least I can do is promise you a good dinner tomorrow. Besides, Pigfarts food was awful. I had to cook or starve, so I sort of learned out of necessity." She shrugged, looking at his phone again as it made that same insecty buzzing noise. "A phone?" She tilted her head in a mildly confused way, trying to think of why that sounded familiar. Finally it dawned on her. "Wait, a phone, like the thing Muggles use to talk to each other? Never would have expected you to be one to use Muggle things." She smiled a little, somewhat entertained by the thought of Draco becoming so proficient at Muggle things. "I guess we're both just full of surprises." Some of us more actually physically full of surprises than others.

She followed him into the living room, watching as he grabbed a set of sheets. Immediately, she shook her head at him, crossing her arms resolutely. "I will not be taking your bed. I'll sleep on the couch, and you sleep in your bed where you belong. It's your house and I honestly don't even deserve to be allowed to stay here. I can't take the bed." Guilt welled up in her. She couldn't believe he had offered her his bed, not after all that had happened with them. She cheated and left him for crying out loud. Sure, they were only seventeen and young and stupid, and they still were to a certain degree, but she'd screwed up and hurt them both. She hardly deserved him even speaking to her right now, but the last thing she'd expected was for him to do something like this, to offer her dinner and somewhere to stay and such after she just showed up on his doorstep out of nowhere, nothing but one small bag of clothes and whatever she could carry in her pockets at the time.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco still couldn't believe she could cook. It's preposterous. He should probably keep alternate food in the apartment just in case. He wasn't sure exactly what she would cook, maybe sammiches. Maybe? That seems a little advanced. Maybe one of those muggle hot pocket things. yeah that sounded about right. And physical surprises will really surprise Draco, really really surprise him. Much more shocking than him using muggle devices, Draco doesn't want to let anything defeat him. Especially not something made of a muggle. It's about as shocking as him marrying a muggle. A muggle like Alix. Anyway Draco's muggle phone really is an amazing thing, it has made his life much easier already, even if it's only been less than three months.

Draco put the blankets down and crossed his own arms, "There is no way I'm letting you sleep on my couch and don't say that you don't deserve to stay here. No matter what happened between us we always were and I hope always will be friends and as a friend you have every right to stay here when you need to." He pointed up the ladder, "That is where you will be sleeping tonight, I'm not going to let you sleep on the couch Pansy." Draco would never let a woman sleep on his couch, not when he had a bed that she could use, and especially not Pansy. He meant what he said about them being friends. Even if she had broken his heart and stomped all over it he wouldn't throw her out on the street. He turned around and started to unfold the sheets, putting the pillows on the side and lying the sheets down. He walked back to the cupboard and pulled out a duvet and some extra pillows to bring them up to put on his bed for her to use.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy is insulted, and she absolutely can cook, believe it or not. No matter, she'll prove it to him when his taste buds orgasm tomorrow. Then he will be converted into a believer, and hopefully he just won't make her cook huge meals all the time. Because that can get tiring, you know. But these surprises will be quite a shock. Perhaps it will go more smoothly since he will be full of good food and quite happy and entering a food coma. Pansy can't describe how nervous she is about telling him. She half expects him to tell her to leave as soon as she tells him, and then part of her also fears that he will simply ask her to stay, unable to turn her out like this if he can't even turn her out under what seem like more normal circumstances. And then the guilt will overwhelm, because Pansy cannot possibly have him take care of her pregnant self when it's her who screwed up and got herself into this situation in the first place. She didn't want Draco to have to fix her again. He shouldn't have to keep fixing her every time she came to him in varying degrees of desperation and disappointment and hurt.

Pansy pouted at him slightly when he continued to insist that she take the bed, and she kept shaking her head, saying she couldn't take that from him. But as he continued arguing the point and was quite insistent, she finally gave in and relaxed her arms by her sides. The look on his face was something she couldn't say no to. Her face fell into a somewhat sad but appreciative expression as she reached out and touched his arm. "Thank you." She glanced at the couch once more, the place she felt like she belonged and turned toward the ladder, climbing it carefully. It was still early, but a fall at any point in this pregnancy wouldn't be good. She reached the top, realizing she'd left her bag down below. Pulling out her wand, she charmed it up to her easy as you please, and sat it on the corner of the bed, starting to dig through it, hoping she had something suitable for sleeping. It was hard to tell what she might and might not have, especially since she'd not grabbed her things from Hogwarts when she left for Pigfarts, and not grabbed her things from Pigfarts when she came back to Earth. Her possessions were scattered between her two schools and her childhood home, the bare minimum of what she grabbed while sneaking into her own house stuffed into this little bag. Finally she located a shirt, an old Slytherin quidditch shirt, which unfortunately she thought belonged to Scorpius. But a shirt was a shirt, and it would do. It was much too big, so maybe if she didn't have shorts or something it would suffice as a sort of sleeping shirt/dress thing. She rummaged through a bit more, really hoping on some shorts or at least a pair of stolen boxers from one of the boys.

[Draco Malfoy]

Entering a food coma is a good place for him to be when he tells her that. Though it might be that she's permanently destroyed whatever dish it is that she'll prepare for him, he'll never eat it without remembering the trauma. She also shouldn't feel guilty about staying at all, should she listen to him when he tells her that he does this for her because she's his friend. He really wouldn't want her feeling guilty like that, it's not good for her and it's most certainly not good for the baby. He smirked when she finally admitted defeat but his heart leapt when she touched his arm. It wasn't the same as it was before, he knew that he didn't love her the way he used to but that didn't mean that he didn't still love her, you never truly get over your first love. He watched her walk up the stairs with a sad smile on his face, he couldn't stop himself from wondering where this was going. He knew she would have a hard time finding work around here as she didn't speak french but he knew she was capable of finding herself something. When she found a job he knew she would want to move out and that would be that, would she still see him or would it be like two strangers living in the same city, avoiding each other. He hoped they would stay friends but he felt that she probably couldn't wait to put all of this behind her. He knew that he had started fresh and changed his whole life and she probably wanted to do the same thing. It was a sad and sobering thought, but at least for now he could give her a bed and food.

As she walked up the ladder he went over to the cupboard on the side and magically opened it, pulling out a pair of boxers, socks and a tshirt, walking into the bathroom and washing and changing. He did everything he needed to do before walking back out and getting a glass of water in the kitchen. He walked back into the main room and put his clothes in the wash basket and hanging up the things that were still clean. After he closed the closet again he stepped back slightly, "Pansy do you need anything?" He had seen her small bag and knew that she hadn't taken much from Hogwarts, she had nothing from the manor, and somehow he doubted that Mars had much shopping.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Well, apologies in advance for making his favorite food forever have the memories of Pansy telling him she got knocked up on Mars. She promises that starting after tomorrow, she will only cook that if he asks for it specifically, so that the food doesn't make the dinner awkward, if they're still eating together for a while into the future that is. Pansy doesn't plan on it having to be that way though. Living in the same city, maybe, if she could find somewhere to work here given her inability to speak or understand the native language, but she didn't see herself living with Draco for very long if she could help it. She couldn't let herself depend on him so fully, couldn't bear letting him take care of her after what she'd done to him. It truly and honestly bothered her, and she didn't want to just waltz back into his life and expect things to be okay again. She knew that was impossible, and she didn't want him to have to step away from what was going so well for him to accommodate her. She'd already screwed things up for him once, and she didn't intend to stick around long enough to do it again. It played over and over in her mind, that last time she'd seen him, the look on his face, all of it. She would never let herself forget. And she knew that though she loved him still, she didn't love him the same. Not because she couldn't. She could very easily let herself fall for him all over again, and she probably would if not for the complexity of the situation. It was simply the fact that she refused to let herself, for his own good.

Pansy headed down after he finished in the bathroom, a toothbrush clutched in her hand. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, pulling her hair over her shoulder before quickly putting it into a braid. She came back out as Draco was sorting through something in the closet and she went back up the ladder to the bedroom, glancing back over the balcony as he spoke up to her. She still hadn't located shorts yet, but if he was down there and she was up here it wouldn't really matter. It wasn't like she'd be prancing around in just her underwear and stolen shirt. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks again, Draco, really. You don't know how much this means to me." She looked at him for a moment, her gaze a strange mixture of desperation and sadness before she turned away, moving her small bag onto the floor at the foot of the bed, and tugging the covers back. She changed quickly into her makeshift pajamas and crawled beneath the covers, lying there and staring at the ceiling, trying to sort out what the hell kind of situation this was. Probably one of the strangest she'd ever heard of, and of course she had to be the one living it instead of just hearing about it. She closed her eyes, wishing that this was her life. Not the pregnant and staying with your ex thing, just the living in Paris with Draco thing. If he was lying next to her right now, her husband the successful owner of a cafe in Paris, a cute little apartment with a view of the eiffel tower out the huge window, eating dinner together at the small table, cuddling after work on the couch, cooking together, going to sleep together, waking up together. Happy. And yet here she was, and it completely sucked. She rolled over onto her side, hugging her arms around herself as she curled up into a tiny defensive ball, wishing that she could roll up like an armadillo and protect herself from the world. If only it were that easy.

[Draco Malfoy]

Pansy will have a serious fight on her hands if she tries to leave before she has enough money to get a decent place for her and the baby. Draco watched as she moved away from the edge of the platform and flicked off the lights with his wand as he crawled under the blankets on his couch. Lying there on his side his mind was racing despite the fact he knew he had to be up in only nine hours for his day to start. He couldn't have imagined when he woke up this morning that of all the things that had happened in the last six hours. Pansy had come back into his life and everything seemed mixed up again. Somehow he had managed to keep it together at the café and even at home but now he was staring at the wall in shock. Not only was her showing up a shock but that she seemed so different. He knew he had changed but anyone who knew him would say it was for the better, making him more responsible and much more capable and independent. She on the other hand was a changed woman but it wasn't a positive change, she was withdrawn and sad, her confidence seemed to be shot and she didn't look the same either. Back in Hogwarts she was always neatly dressed and whenever they were out of school she was still fashionably dressed and never looked sloppy or casual outside their home. Now she was walking around in overside shirts, her hair in ponytails and it worried him. He could have taken the silence for nerves around him, worried about how he would react, but the way she looked scared him more than he cared to admit. Until she told him the truth about whatever had happened he wouldn't be able to help her and even if he didn't still love her the way he used to it still distressed him, no matter what she would always be special to him, no matter how throughly she had crushed his heart.

It took him a while to fall asleep and before he had really gotten a decent amount of sleep his alarm was beeping at him. Draco groaned and sat up, hitting the off slider on his phone to make the annoying noises stop. He slid out from under the blankets and walked into the kitchen to turn his coffee pot on, the drips of the water through the fresh ground beans making him groan with happiness. He ran his fingers through his hair and messed it up a little before rubbing his eyes and walking to his door to grab the paper. Every morning he read the paper with his coffee on his little balcony before heading to the cafe. It opened at eight so that everyone could stop in for breakfast and he always grabbed a fresh baked good in the morning as a treat. This morning was definitely a chocolate croissant morning. He pulled a mug from the cupboard and went to pee while the coffee was being brewed, not even thinking about Pansy yet despite waking up on the couch.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy woke to one of the stranger sounds that had ever woken her up. Looking around, for a moment she panicked, having no idea where she was. Then yesterday came flooding back to her, and she rolled over again, curling into a little ball and staring at the wall, silent tears falling down her cheeks as she realized what all had happened. She hated herself for being here, for having Draco take care of her and give her a place to stay and dinner to eat and a bed to sleep in after what she'd done to him. That seemed the only thing her brain was able to concentrate on, and so she stayed there in bed for minute after minute, trying to stem the tears and make them go away so that she could get up and at least attempt to make herself useful or find a way to thank him and leave.

Pushing the sheets away, she sat up, moving to the end of the bed and picking up the bag, sorting through it and finding a pair of jeans and another sweater. It wasn't quite as oversized as yesterday's, but it was still roomy enough that it wouldn't show her belly. She fixed her hair into a neater braid and made up the bed before slowly making her way down the ladder. She didn't see Draco right off, but the door to the bathroom was closed so she could only assume he was in there. Noticing the blankets were still rumpled on the couch, she crossed the room and picked them up, folding them neatly and sitting them in a little stack on one end of the couch since she had no idea where they actually belonged. She was working on folding the heavy quilt as the bathroom door opened, and she looked over to her right as he walked out into the kitchen. Her voice was still very soft, but she did what she could to remove any traces of sadness from it. "Morning."

[Draco Malfoy]

Walking out of the bathroom he noticed her folding the quilt and walked over to help her with it and to grab the other sheets. "Morning, sleep well?" He gave her a smile and slipped the blankets onto the top shelf of his closet, pulling out a sweater as he did and slipping it over his head. Now in the rather interesting ensemble of socks, boxers, a t-shirt and a sweater he walked back into the kitchen to get some of the fresh coffee, the smells wafting through the apartment and making it that little bit easier for him to get up. He walked over to the cupboard and pulled out two mugs. Pouring one full of coffee for himself he took a long sip, draining almost half the scalding mug in one go. With a happy sigh he put it back on the side and refilled it before turning around to her, "Tea or coffee?" He knew she wasn't the world's biggest coffee fan but at this time in the morning it was his personal belief that everyone needed some of the black liquid.

Looking at her he was glad to see she seemed a little better this morning, her hair braided and her sweater neater, but it was still a far cry from the Pansy he used to know. "So are you still planning on cooking tonight? Because if you are then we need to hit the market today. I might ask Alix to go with you if you don't mind. She speaks some english and needs to get in some supplies for the café."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"Yes, thank you." She handed him the quilt and watched as he put it away, finding herself amused by his odd choice of clothing this early in the morning. She tried to decide where to stand, to sit, whatever, if there was something she could help out doing this morning, but she felt completely out of her element, as if she were merely in the way and awkward. Luckily he asked her a question before she could make herself too nervous. "Tea, please." She wandered into the kitchen and noticed that he was drinking coffee, so she picked up the tea kettle for herself and filled it, heating it up until the water boiled and started looking around for a mug to use, a bit lost in the unfamiliar kitchen.

"Well, I told you I would cook for you so I can at least attempt to be helpful while I'm still here. I won't hang around too long though, I promise. Looking for somewhere else to stay, or some place else to go at least, today while I'm out. If Alix wouldn't mind, that would be incredibly helpful, seeing as she also speaks French and I don't." Pansy laughed softly, taking the mug he held out for her, since she hadn't been able to locate one herself. She opened a tea bag and poured the hot water into her mug, watching the color seep out into her cup. She wasn't sure where her moment of talkativeness had come from, but she found herself glad she at least wasn't being quite so edgy as she was yesterday. She did her best to keep a more cheerful face, but she knew better than to believe he'd be fooled. Draco knew her too well, they'd grown up together after all, and had dated and been married once. He knew her better than probably anyone else did, and she was just counting down the hours until he'd ask what had changed her so much.

[Draco Malfoy]

Passing her the mug he nodded at her plan, "Alix is going anyway and I'm sure she'll have no problem with you going with her. And you can stay here as long as you need, no point in moving out to live in some sort of hovel. Stay here while you find a job then when you're comfortable you can move out to somewhere safe." He didn't want her living just anywhere in Paris, if she was even going to stay in the area. She might want to move back to England, unlikely but possible, or she might want to move somewhere else in Europe but once again he couldn't see her doing that somehow. Maybe a part of him just wanted to keep her closer as much as part of him wanted her out of his life again. He had loved her so much but she had broken his heart and as nice as it was to have her back as a friend, even for a short amount of time, some of him wanted her gone so he could go back to his blissful existence where she was a memory and he could put up a blissful mask around everyone to hide the heartache. The other parts of him though were overjoyed to see her, glad that she still knew she could count on him. Only she could ever tear him apart like this because she was the only person who had ever wormed her way so far into his heart that she could truly hurt him.

He picked up his mug and the paper and gestured for her to follow him as he headed out to the little balcony, grabbing his cell phone as he walked past. Sitting down at the little table he opened the paper and pulled out the little british insert in it and passed it to her, keeping the french half for himself. After a quick check of his phone to make sure that no emergencies had happened he took another drink of his coffee and settled back to see what was happening the world.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy shook her head at him, following him out to the balcony as he gestured for her to do so. "I can't expect you to let me stay here. I'll find somewhere else, maybe just go back to England and figure something out. No use staying somewhere I can't even speak to the people." She sat down across from him, looking out at the view with the mug grasped between her hands. She could see the eiffel tower from here, and it made her stomach wrench a little, bringing back vivid memories from her last visit to Paris. Turning her gaze from the structure, she took the part of the paper he offered her, realizing she hadn't read a paper in ages. She had no idea what was going on in England anymore, not since being isolated at Pigfarts for so long. She flipped through the pages, searching for a few different things in particular, finding that she didn't have any classifieds on here, though that was expected since it was the English part of a French paper. The listings she would want would be in French, and that wasn't of much use to her. Maybe while she was out today she could find something with housing listings in English, and she could look up a local doctor too. She wasn't sure how long she'd stay here, but she knew she still needed regular checkups.

After reading through the interesting parts of the paper, she folded it up and sat it aside, pulling her legs up into the chair and cozying up with her mug of tea, taking a few shy sips in the silence of the moment, glancing at Draco out of the corner of her eye. He was being so perfect, he was so on top of things, so organized and grown up and put together. She couldn't help but wonder what things would be like now if she'd managed to not screw everything up, if she'd just been able to be patient and faithful and good while he was gone. But Pansy hated being alone, she couldn't bear to be alone. Only now, she was never alone. Not really.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco sipped at his coffee as he a read the paper, putting it down when his mug was empty. He smiled at her and got up, grabbing his phone, "Okay I'm going to get ready so grab whatever you want for today." He headed inside and grabbed his clothing to go take a quick shower. Soon after he walked out into the lounge, put his things into his bag and grabbed it, leading her out of the apartment and off to the cafe. After the initial morning rush he pulled Alix aside and asked her if she could take Pansy to the market. Happily agreeing the other girl lead Pansy away after Draco pushed some euros and a key into her hand and shooed them out the door. The afternoon passed by in the usual whirl of customers and at closing time Draco slipped around the sign on the door and headed back to his apartment.

He had told Alix to take Pansy straight back there knowing that he wouldn't be back until almost seven and that she had wanted to cook a meal that hopefully they would get to eat some time before midnight. Alix had come back to work a few hours after the girls had left and reported to him that Pansy was safely back at home and she had found everything she'd wanted. Walking into his apartment Draco was taken aback by the delicious smells wafting from his barely used kitchen. Even in all his time alone his oven had only been used to re-heat foods and his stove had been turned on once when his kettle had been broken and he had needed water for his tea. He put down his bag by the door and walked further in, smiling when he saw her standing in the kitchen, "Hey, smells incredible."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy followed Draco back to the cafe, staying out of the way as much as she could manage until she left with Alix to go to the market and pick up some things for dinner. The girl was friendly, and strangely enough Pansy found that she got along with her rather well in what conversation they could manage in english. With some direction and much help communicating from Alix, Pansy finally managed to procure several kinds of herbs, some lamb chops, apples, and potatoes. Afterward, Alix led her back to Draco's apartment, and she stayed there for a little while until later that evening when she started working on dinner so it would be closer to ready when Draco came home.

She started on the lamb, mixing up some cloves, thyme, rosemary, and salt into a bowl of olive oil. Coating it onto the lamb, she marinated them while starting on some mint jelly for them. Cutting up the apples, she added in the mint, simmered it all together, and then put them into a thin cloth to drain the juice out. Instead of waiting like Muggles would have to, she pulled out her wand and expedited the process, transferring the juice to a pan and adding in some sugar, boiling it and adding more mint until it was finished. She put the lamb into a skillet, browning each side, then moved the lamb into the oven to roast a while. Potatoes were next, cutting them into quarters and covering them with oil, garlic, and rosemary, and a pit of salt and pepper as well. She put them into the oven as well, roasting them along with the lamb.

It was about that time that the door opened and she looked over her shoulder to see Draco walk in the door. Quite a strange situation, to be cooking all day as if she lived here, to have Draco come in and tell her dinner smelled good as if this were an everyday sort of thing for them. Part of her wished this could be everyday for them, her having dinner ready for him when he comes home from work. She had to resist the urge to do what felt right in her momentary imaginary little world, to walk over and kiss him on the cheek, ask him how work was, tell him dinner was nearly ready for him to wash up and get out some plates. Instead, she smiled gently at him. "Thanks. It's almost done, actually. You still like lamb and potatoes, right?"

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco walked into the kitchen and looked over at her, "I most certainly do!" He couldn't suppress his smile that she had remembered his favourite meal but he reminded himself that before they had been married they'd been friends for a long time and there were some things that you just didn't forget. No matter what. He walked across to the cabinets and pulled out plates and other necessities before setting the little table for them. He wondered if this was the way it would have been if they hadn't messed up. He'd reached the point where he accepted that they both messed up, he shouldn't have left her like that and she shouldn't have cheated but regardless this was a new time and honestly they were almost different people now. Or at least Draco thought he was.

He stood behind a chair and watched her cook for a moment before heading over to the bathroom and washing up after the day at the cafe. He splashed some water on his face and finger combed his hair back before walking back into the little kitchen and leaning against the counter out of her way, "Is there anything I can help with? Dishwashing maybe?"

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy shrugged lightly as he asked if there was anything he could do. Pulling the potatoes out of the oven, she sat the pan on the stovetop and then reached in for the lamb. "Dump those in a bowl if you'd like, the dishes could wait until after we eat. A hot dinner is nice, in case you've forgotten what that is with all your takeout." She smirked a little, picking up the lamb carefully and moving it onto a plate, grabbing the mint jelly she'd made and setting that bowl on the plate with the lamb. She carried it over to the table and sat it in the middle, looking back into the kitchen to see how he was making out with the potatoes. She took the bowl from him and sat those on the table as well. She sat down, waited for him to join her in his own seat, and then filled their cups with her wand and helped herself to the potatoes, letting him get first pick of the lamb.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, though she did manage to make a little small talk about his day at work and her trip to the market with Alix, the experience of a French market much different than the sort back home she'd grown up visiting from time to time. Her chest physically ached wishing this was her life, that she actually lived here with him and made dinner for them, and asked him how his day was. That perhaps the child growing in her was his, that they were still together and happy and with their rings on their fingers and life as it should be. But nothing was that simple or easy, and she feared that for her, it never would be. After a small lull in conversation, she spoke up again. "I picked up a few listings of places to live around here today. Some look pretty good, I think I'll check them out tomorrow, so I can get out of your way before too long. Not sure how long I'll stick around Paris though. It's a little difficult not speaking French, and I don't always have someone with me to interpret. Just seems stupid to stay somewhere you can't communicate." She shrugged slightly, planning on leaving him as soon as she could manage. She didn't need to stick around and screw up his life again, not when it looked like he'd gotten it so perfectly together in her absence.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco managed to transfer the potatoes to the bowl, only dropping one, and smirked at her comment about takeout. "What can I say? Warming charms are a blessing." He sat down with her and helped himself to some of the delicious looking food. The last time he had had something home-cooked had to have been over a month ago when his mother had visited and made him pancakes for breakfast. He looked up sharply when she said she was going to look around for a new apartment or even leave Paris. He stopped himself from instantly protesting, knowing that he didn't currently have a persuasive enough argument for her to stay in Paris let alone with him. He picked up another piece of lamb and chewed it thoughtfully. When he had swallowed he put his fork down and pinned her with a stare.

"And how, pray tell, do you plan to pay for this place? You know you're in no state to go find your own place to live right now and I have no problems with you staying here. You need a job and some income before you even consider looking for somewhere else to stay." He shook his head and picked up his cutlery again, picking up a potato and eating it, "This really is delicious by the way."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy smiled a little when he told her the food was good, glad that he enjoyed it and she'd managed to at least make something palatable. She had learned to cook a little on Mars, since it became necessary in order to have anything worth eating for herself and Scorpius, but she hadn't made anything very fancy. She was actually quite proud she'd managed to get this dinner as good as it was, and was curious to see what else she would find herself able to cook. But that was not what was important right now. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it." Her mind turned back to what he had said a few seconds before that. "I've got some money, Draco. It's not like I just left without a little thought. I may have left my clothes, but I still have money." Not much at all, but he doesn't need to know that. He doesn't need to know that the Weasleys look like Kings in comparison to all the galleons I have to my name. "I've got to leave though, you can't just let me stay here and live off your money and eat your food." She shook her head sternly, pinning him with the same sort of gaze he was giving her. She sighed, falling silent for a moment as she contemplated far too many things at once, trying to sort through them all. Finally it came down to one thing. To tell him about the baby or not?

Pansy sat her fork down, took a small sip of water and dropped her hands into her lap. She picked at her fingernails nervously for a second, trying to figure how to even begin to tell him. There was no 'best way' to tell your ex husband that you're pregnant with his cousin's child, his cousin who you ran away with. No good way to let him know that after they broke up, when just a few weeks later she had left for Mars with Scorp, the two of them passed the time by getting her knocked up in transit from school to school, ending up with her showing up on Draco's Paris doorstep nearly twelve weeks pregnant, she just started talking. "Draco, I can't stay with you. I can't possibly ask you to take care of me, because I'm not just me anymore." Well that was good and vague, Pansy. Well explained. She took a deep breath, and started in again. "It was all so fast..." she paused, not sure that was quite right. "It wasn't supposed to happen and..." she stopped, that wasn't right either. "It's terrifying, but..." she stopped. She was mumbling. Out with it, Pansy. She lifted her hands from her lap, her fingers grasping at her hair a little, covering her eyes for a second. She looked up at him, meeting her gaze with all the bravery she could manage. What he would do after this announcement, she couldn't guess. She only hoped that he wouldn't react too terribly, but she fully expected to go upstairs and pack up her tiny bag of things and leave as soon as he was done telling her what he thought about that. In the animal world, someone in Draco's position would eliminate the baby, the offspring of a competitor male would be unwelcome in his world, that female either sent away, or the child gotten rid of immediately. But Draco had changed since they had been married, and it seemed for the better. Maybe he would take her by surprise, but she wasn't sure what that entailed either. Realizing she was too busy panicking inside her head and had just been staring at him silently, her hands shaking, for the past few seconds, she snapped herself out of it and told him quickly what she'd been attempting to tell him for the past few moments. "Draco, I'm pregnant." She felt like she wanted to throw up, and had a rather strong suspicion this time it wasn't thanks to the pregnancy's nausea.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco was about to protest that she could happily stay and live off his money and food. It wasn't as though he lived with a shortage of either and he would never turn any of his friends out to live on the street so despite their now tumultuous history he wouldn't do that to her either. Also if she lived with him it would actually work out nicely for him because this meal was truly the best thing he had eaten in a long time and he could certainly get used to things like this on his dinner table every night. But before he could speak he saw her face and the look of confusion and worry. He stayed quiet but put down his own silverware, watching as she struggled to find the right words to say. What had happened that was bothering her so much. What did she mean 'it wasn't just her' anymore? He had no idea what exactly that could mean, and as she kept trying to start sentence after sentence his confusion intensified. What had she done? Was it what had led her here to him or was it something that had happened with Scorpius that was the reason she left? He couldn't figure out any real potential scenarios for her broken phrases but that didn't stop his mind from whirling and trying to figure out what she was trying so hard to tell him.

When she finally got the words out his jaw dropped. Pregnant? Snapping his jaw closed he stared at her, not really sure what to say. He looked down at her stomach then back up at her face, his eyes flicking back and forth a few times. His? No, not with her that small, though she had always been petite... no, it was ridiculous to think that it was his. Though that would be enough of a reason for her to come back but then she wouldn't want to leave. After what felt like hours to him but was surely only actually a little over a minute he spoke, "Scorpius'?" Not that he really expected any answer other than yes from her, he still wanted confirmation. And not that it would really change his view of the situation. It wasn't his child but that didn't mean he would let her go out and live in some crappy little hovel when she had a baby on the way. It could be anyone's baby and he would still let her stay here at least until it was born or until she was self-sufficiant enough to live alone and have it not jeopardize her health. He shook his head a little trying to make his thoughts more comprehendible. She was honestly the last person he had expected to be pregnant, especially after their talks when they first got married about how neither of them wanted children, then again what she had been saying before made it sound like this was some sort of accident and that she was still going to keep it but she hadn't planned for this. Blinking he refocused on her as she answered his question.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

She watched as his jaw fell open and he quickly shut it, his eyes dropping to stare at her stomach. Pansy crossed her arms protectively across her stomach, her fingers wrapping around her sides. She looked at him nervously, seeing a slight panic behind his eyes. He was probably wondering if it was his, and as soon as he said his cousin's name, her suspicions were confirmed. Pansy nodded, a tear escaping to roll down her cheek. "The very day I left Hogwarts." Her gaze fell from his face now, staring blankly at her nearly empty plate. She continued, preparing herself to tell him the whole story no matter how much it would hurt to recount everything that had happened. "After I left your house, I came back to school. Stayed a week or two and found out Scorp was leaving, transferring to PIgfarts. I had nothing left here, so I left with him. I just figured it would be better to start over somewhere else. I had no friends at Hogwarts." She loosened her grip around herself, relaxing slightly to rest a hand across her belly. "I went with him, and you can guess how we passed the time. Too competitive and always wanting to be the one who was right and the one who was best to stop ourselves." Pansy shook her head, wincing a little. Scorpius was, after all, the reason she and Draco were no longer together. "Anyway, I ended up pregnant and we were going to try and make it work. We were going to get a place up there and it was all going to be okay. He loved me." She shrugged. "Love means nothing anymore." Pansy was silent for a little while. She had loved her parents and they disowned her. She had loved her friends and not a single one of them had inquired after her. She had loved Draco and they fell apart, and she had loved Scorpius and he had run off after another.

"Long story short I caught him with someone else. Karma, I guess. I got what I did to you done right back to me. I guess I deserved it. Either way it sucked, and I took what I could grab and left. Caught the first ship back to Earth and had no idea where to go. Parents won't talk to me, no friends left, went to see your mum and she told me I could find you out here." She finally looked at him again, her dark eyes settling on his still perfectly silver ones. She had once compared Scorp's eyes to Draco's. They were both Malfoy eyes after all. But now she knew for sure that no one had eyes like Draco, no one in the world could look right through her like he did. "So that explains the shitty clothes that are too big and the quietness and why I'm even back on Earth. I'm going to have a baby. And I cannot ask you to take care of us. It's not yours, it's not your responsibility. I'm not even your responsibility anymore, not in the least." She would just pick somewhere that was nice enough but still affordable, at least for a week or two until she ran out of money or decided what her alternative plan would be. Either a job here or heading back toward home, picking out a hole in the wall somewhere she could speak the language, earning a little money and changing apartments to nicer ones as she could afford something better, hopefully getting something much more suitable by the time the little one was ready to come into the world.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco felt awful for her when she explained what had happened to her on Mars. He pushed aside the swell of anger he felt when she mentioned her time in the ship with Scorpius knowing that anger had no place here and that there was no point in him being petty and irritable over something that had already happened and he couldn't have changed anyway. He of all people knew best how she was feeling, the sting of rejection and the wondering of what wasn't good enough and why that person would need to go elsewhere. There had been plenty of those thoughts racing through his mind after she had left but now he was here and it was time for a fresh start after all of that bullshit and drama. He listened to her as she continued, his face morphing from a slight pity but understanding gaze to an 'are you on crack' look when she suggested leaving. Leaving here? Leaving his apartment where she had a bed and a bathroom and would be safe and well fed for some crappy hole in the wall, maybe even a space shared with others where she and the baby would most certainly not be safe at all. He shook his head and pinned her with a glare, thinking for a moment to find the best words to get his message across to her.

"Pansy, I don't care if you think you're my responsibility or not, I'm not letting you leave here until I'm certain you're going to move into somewhere safe for both you and the baby. It's not as though I need you out of here and you don't have a job or anything. Leaving right now wouldn't be sensible for you and honestly it would be entirely selfish of you to think that you can take care of yourself rather than thinking carefully and realizing that this is what would be best for your child." He was scowling at her at this point and crossed his own arms over his chest, mimicking her stubborn pose. There was no way in hell he was going to let her win this argument or leave his apartment. "Asking me has nothing to do with this and until you can prove that you've got enough money to put yourself up somewhere safe, pay for a doctor, feed yourself and not run out of money any time soon then you're staying here."

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