Re: Draco's Apartment

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy opened her mouth to protest, but he was still talking so she held her tongue. The more he said, the more she realized he was right. It was stupid and selfish to try and take care of herself at this point. She hated to admit it, but she was helpless. She had essentially nothing to her name. Nine galleons tucked away into her bag, but that wouldn't get her jack shit around here. Pansy's independence had run out, had no ways left to be beneficial to her. It had helped her survive several moves between countries and planets, and had helped her stay strong so far and not just break down crying on some side-alley in London. But now there was no use for independence. She needed help. It made her physically ache to hear him offering his home to her, despite everything that had happened between them, everything she'd done. Listening to him putting the baby first, even though it wasn't his, he shouldn't even worry or care about it in the least, she didn't know what to think. He should ideally be telling her how much she screwed up, how she should have just behaved at home and she wouldn't have been in this situation, wouldn't have to worry about a baby and money and a home. He should be telling her how stupid it was, and how if she'd only been faithful, if she'd only kept the promises she'd made to him, the promises of their marriage, it might have been okay. But here he was telling her that she had to have money and somewhere to live and a way to take care of the baby, and that until she could do it herself he would offer things for her. Pansy couldn't help it. Tears started falling down her cheeks, and though she always hated to cry, she did nothing to stop it this time, staring down at her lap as they splashed into her hands.

"You're right." She looked back up at him, wishing she could stop crying. "I've got nothing. That bag upstairs is it. What am I going to do? You can't keep me here, Draco. You can't pay to let me live in comfort in your house, I don't deserve it." She was shaking her head, blinking and trying to stop the tears. "After all that I did to you, you can't honestly be thinking of letting me live with you again, no matter the addition of a baby into the situation. And besides, staying here I'll never get enough money for that, I can't even speak French, so a job is just... I've got to go somewhere else Draco. I've got to just go back to London or something and figure it out. Old friends or something. Anything."

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco shook his head when she said he couldn't keep her there, his heart breaking at the sight of her tears. He would find something for her to do, he couldn't let her leave now, not to go back to London where their old friends all knew what had happened, where he knew she wouldn't be treated as well and would be even further rejected thanks to the pregnancy. At least here with him he would take care of her, make sure she got fed and taken to the doctors. Even if it meant him sleeping on his couch for an extended period he was okay with that as long as he knew that she and the unborn baby were safe. A little part of him reminded him that if she hadn't cheated with him and run off with his cousin then none of this would ever have happened anyway and that he should just let her walk out right now and never think of her again but he squashed that part. As much as he liked to tell himself that he hadn't thought of her in the past few months and that he was getting over her he knew it was a lie. He knew that if he ever did get over her it would take more than a couple of months and even then it wouldn't honestly make a difference. Despite what had happened between them he wouldn't change anything about the way they were, he would have still married her back then the last time they had been in Paris together. He wished they had had a different outcome but there was nothing to be done about it now. And even though their marriage was unofficially ended that didn't mean that he wasn't still allowed to care about her and worry about her. She was still his oldest friend and the first person he thought of when he needed to talk.

Taking his napkin off his lap, he walked around the table and crouched next to her, taking her hands in his. "Don't leave Pans, stay here for now. We'll figure something out for you, I promise." He watched the tears continue to fall from her eyes and without thinking reached up to brush them away before moving slightly to pull her into a hug. His arms wrapped around her and he could honestly say that it felt right. He pressed his cheek against the side of her head and held her close, letting her cry onto him. He wasn't sure whether this was just her being overwhelmed by everything or if it was just hormones but when it came down to it it didn't really matter. She needed a hug and he was there to give her one and let her get it all out.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy was mentally preparing herself to thank him for his hospitality while she was here, to insist that he could not keep her here, and to gather her things and leave. A hotel would work for a few nights until she could figure something else out, surely there was a cheap one somewhere within walking distance. But when she saw him moving toward her, she tried to blink away the blurring tears, looking up at him in confusion until he dropped to the floor beside her. Resisting the instinct to pull her hands out of his, she made herself listen to what he was saying. It only made her cry harder, hearing him say she should stay here. What really got her though, was the 'we'. 'We' will figure something out. The fact that he referred to it as 'we' instead of 'you'll figure something out' was more than she could have ever asked for. And as he wiped the tear streaks off her cheeks and wrapped his arms around her, Pansy broke down completely. She couldn't believe that after everything, he would give her screwed up self somewhere to stay, hope for the future, and even hug her. After all the ways she had hurt him and messed up, he was hugging her, letting her cry onto his shoulder.

Eventually the sobbing slowed, her shoulders ceased their shaking and she composed herself enough to sniff a bit and sit up, reaching for Draco's face and very shyly running her fingers down his cheek. She looked at him for a second, looking at his eyes, the expression in them that was a mix of at least a dozen different ones, as it always had been. She remembered the better times with them, back when they could just run off and have fun by the lake at school, or hang out at his house in the gardens, all the fights she'd gotten into and times he'd sat by her bed until she was better again, always reprimanding her for it, but always there to help her get better. She thought on their adventures in Paris and the wedding and their pirate ship and the islands and oreos and the boats and pigeons in Italy, all of it as clear as though it was only yesterday. "I am so sorry, Draco. For everything. You know that, right? I can never make it up to you, as much as I wish I could just make it all go away. I'm so sorry."

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco held her close as she pulled herself together, quietly murmuring nonsense to help calm her down. When she brushed her fingers down his face he froze for a second, half his instincts wanting to lean into the comforting touch and the other half telling him to pull away now, pull away before he got invested again. Fortunately that side of him was quashed by the knowledge that no matter what happened he was always going to be invested, regardless of what happened between them. When she spoke he gave her a sad smile and his own hand reached up to brush back some hair that had fallen from her braid, running down her jawline before falling into his lap. "I know Pans, I know you do and I feel the same way." As much as at first he had blamed her for everything now he realized that it took two people to keep a marriage together and make it work and he had dropped the ball before she did.

After sitting for a little longer he stood up and offered her his hand, helping her to her feet. He waved his wand and sent the dishes to the sink and the spare food into containers, not wanting to waste any of it. Still gently holding her hand, and not really realizing what he was doing he walked her over to the sofa and nudged her onto it before heading back into the kitchen and returning with two mugs of tea. He passed one to her and sat down, taking a sip before he started to talk. "So you're about three months now? I guess you need to see a doctor don't you?" He made a mental note to ask Alix where her sister had gone for her pregnancy, "So what do I need to know?"

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy nervously took his hand, following him toward his couch where she gladly took a seat. Her legs were all shaky from all the built up stress over this, the breakdown she'd just endured, and the overwhelmingness of it all. She pulled her legs up onto the cushion, her sock-clad toes curling over the edge as she wrapped her arms around her knees. Watching him in the kitchen, she smiled slightly and took the mug from him once he returned. She reached up to her face for a moment, wiping at her cheeks and trying to get rid of the residual tears. Nodding to his question, she took a sip from her mug. "Yeah. Twelve weeks yesterday. I'll have to find somewhere to go here. Just had been going to the school nurse at Pigfarts. I guess everything was looking okay though, or at least as expected in someone like me." She shrugged slightly. She was small and young, so nothing would go quite as smoothly as it would for someone a little older than her, but nothing had caused concern yet. "I suppose I'll find out if it's a boy or a girl in a few more weeks. I've just been really tired and sick a lot." Pansy fell quiet, feeling strange talking so much about it to Draco.

She took another sip of tea, staring down into the brown liquid. She wished that this was simpler, that maybe it was his, or maybe she wasn't pregnant at all. But she knew she wouldn't give up the little one now, not for anything in the world. She would fight for this baby if she had to, she would do anything for it. She couldn't feel it moving yet, it was still too small, but she would swear they already had a connection. It was like their feelings were shared. If she was excited, there was a fluttering in her stomach. The baby was still when she was sad, but always seemed to keep her awake when she most wanted to sleep. It was a strange thing, having another being growing inside her belly, realizing that in a handful of months, she would have a little person she was responsible for, someone to raise in this world and teach all that she knew. A daunting task, sure, but she knew she would do it. Nothing would stop her from trying, and she wouldn't let anything keep her from succeeding at it. Returning her attention to Draco, she shrugged softly. "Not sure what else to tell you about it. I just need to make sure to eat regular meals and get enough naps. Which makes a job a little complicated, but I'll figure something out."

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco nodded and listened, slowly drinking his tea. So it didn't seem too complicated right now, she just needed a job with an understanding boss. He relaxed back into the pillows and thought for a moment before realizing something. He sat up slightly, a small grin on his face. "Pansy, you can make sammiches right?" When she said she could his grin widened a little. "Well then you can come work at the cafe." He held up a hand before she could interrupt or protest, "Right now we get all our sammiches pre-made and we end up running out no matter how many I order and there's also one or two people who can't get what they want on them. I've been tossing around the idea of having someone there to make them fresh for a while but I could never find the time to actual find a chef or someone to work for me. And," he gestured at the kitchen, "After enjoying that amazing meal I think I've found someone. And with our orders and schedules the way they are we'd need you working for lunch and then our early dinner so you'd get a couple of hours off in between where you could nap or go to the doctor or whatever you need to do." He leaned back again and cocked his head to one side slightly, "So what do you think?"

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy narrowed her eyes, mildly confused why he was asking so randomly if she could make sammiches. She had just made him dinner, so why would he want a sandwich right now? "Well, yeah, I can." She was even more confused when he grinned at her answer, but as soon as he started talking, it all clicked. A mixture of relief and denial rushed over her, so glad that something that simple and perfect worked out, but also not knowing if she could depend on him for both a job as well as shelter. But at this point, she had no choice. She smiled back at him as much as she could manage, nodding. "Draco, that would be perfect. I honestly couldn't thank you enough. Granted, we'll still have to figure a few little things out since I can't speak french, but this could work really great, actually. Those hours in between, those will be so great." She sighed, obviously relieved by having at least one thing figured out in her crazy life right now. "Seriously, thank you. Want me to start tomorrow?" She then wondered and hoped she had something suitable to wear to work shoved away in her little bag. She thought she had another pair of nice jeans and a simple black shirt, but she wasn't quite sure. Perhaps those nine galleons would go to finding some better clothes that didn't look a size too big on her, now that she didn't have to worry quite as much about hiding the small baby bump. She wouldn't be showing it off, that was for sure, but it didn't have to be kept fully secret, at least not from Draco.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco smiled at her and shook his head, "It's not a problem Pans, really. Actually you're a huge help to me really because I needed someone else in the cafe but the time to do interviews and sort applications is something I just don't have. And don't worry about starting right away, take a couple of days to settle in. You can start on Wednesday." Today being Sunday of course. Duh. "You can figure out your way around here a bit and if you want to get yourself anything then you can do that too. And don't worry about the french. Alix and Marcel both speak good enough english that they'll take orders and give them to you all nice and translated. It's good for them." He emptied his mug and glanced at hers to see it was empty too. He took it from her and dropped them both off in the kitchen, slipping his phone into his pocket from its holder on the counter. Walking back into the room he put a hand on her shoulder, "You should get some sleep now, and don't worry about getting up tomorrow morning. Sleep in a bit and get yourself figured out. I'll stop in after lunch and check on you and you can either come back to the café with me or hang out here some more."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

"I can't express to you how much this means to me, really." She smiled at him, handing over her cup and looking up at him again when he came back and put his hand on her shoulder. She nodded, realizing she really was tired, not that that was an unfamiliar feeling. She was tired most of the time these days. Looking over her shoulder, she grabbed the blanket that was draped over the couch, full intentions on sleeping down here if he would let her get away with it, though she seriously doubted it. When she saw the look he was giving her though, she knew better than to argue with him. She would only lose in the end. Handing over the blanket, she got up from the couch and retreated toward the ladder, heading up to grab her toothbrush and something to sleep in. Groaning as she realized she only had the shirt to sleep in, she grabbed it and headed back down the ladder. Turning to Draco, she pushed the escaping hair out of her face as she tried to think of how best to ask him. "Um. You don't have shorts or something I could borrow to sleep in? I've only got this shirt, I sort of didn't get a chance to grab much stuff when I left, and..." She shrugged feebly, feeling like an idiot for having so very little left that she could call her own.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco was not going to let her sleep on the couch and was glad that she didn't push it, not really wanting to argue with her over something as silly as sleeping arrangements. When she asked him if he had shorts he nodded and opened his cupboard to pull out an extra pair of boxers for her, passing them to her and pulling out his own sleep things. After making sure she didn't need anything else he headed into the kitchen while she used the bathroom to set his coffee machine up so it was all ready for the morning. When she was done with the bathroom he went in and did his own necessaries before coming back out the sofa and fixing his blankets, "Sleep well Pansy."

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy thanked him and headed into the bathroom, washing off her face, brushing her teeth, and changing out her clothes for the shirt and borrowed shorts. It felt so eerily familiar, wearing a pair of his boxers to sleep in, it was just like old times again, only not like it at all. Her belly stuck out a little more than before, and she stared at it a while before dropping her shirt down over it. She sat her toothbrush down on the sink by his, staring at them sitting there together. So innocent, but it seemed like leaving her toothbrush here was a step in the process of actually moving in with him again. Taking a last look at herself in the mirror, she headed back out through the kitchen so Draco could get in there as well. Going back into the living room, she stopped by the huge window, distracted by the view. The tower was there, lit up and gorgeous, a little park, lights of street lamps and muggle cars and windows of buildings and things. It was all quite lovely. She stood there staring for a while until the bathroom door opened again and Draco came back into the room. She turned, her mind brought back to the present. "Goodnight, Draco." With a last quick look at the window, then at him, she turned toward the ladder, climbed up carefully, and peeled back to sheets to crawl into bed.

It was nice having a bed to herself again, a real bed in a real home. Somewhere she could feel completely safe again. Traveling didn't exactly offer the nicest or safest feeling beds, and she had to admit she was much happier that she was allowed to stay here rather than needing to go find a hotel tonight to sleep in. She laid there a long while, just staring at the ceiling, her mind working over everything that had happened today. Sitting up quietly, she moved toward the end of the bed, peering over the edge of the balcony, down at the couch where Draco was sleeping. Something in her chest gave a tug, and she knew she still loved him. She always would. Lying back down, she curled up on her side, pulling the sheets warm around her so that she could fall asleep.

About three weeks had passed and Pansy had gotten things figured out around here, at least for the most part. She worked at the cafe for lunch, making sandwiches, then came home for a little while, either napping or running a few errands if she was feeling energetic enough, going to a doctor's appointment every once in a while to check on how things were progressing. All was well so far. Fifteen weeks along and it was going as expected. Still sleepy, still a little sick from time to time, but that had nearly stopped by now. Her stomach was sore sometimes, but the doctor said that was because of all the rearranging of things in there, the stretching of muscles and all that to make room for the baby to grow. They even said she could maybe find out if it was a boy or a girl next time, if the baby wasn't going to be too shy. She had gotten some new clothes, things nicer than her slouchy sweaters and oversized things. She got clothes that actually fit and looked nice, things closer to what she might've worn before. Her choice color was still black, as always, but the loose bottoms of the things made them look a little girlier, and her longer hair, usually kept in a braid over her shoulder, was a bit girller as well. Strange, perhaps, given that her favorite thing used to be kicking ass and taking names, but then again a lot of things had changed since the last time she had been around Draco this often.

Another usual Thursday morning, and Pansy got up, made the bed and slipped downstairs to make a quiet cup of tea. She had finally mastered how to use Draco's muggle coffee maker, and she got it started for him since she had tiptoed past the sleeping blonde, one arm hanging comically off the couch where he still slept. She put a few pieces of bread in the toaster, another machine she had mastered - and been quite amused by as well - spreading some jam on them once they were brown and warm. She put one on a plate for Draco, who she figured would be up soon, taking a bite out of the other which she had made for herself.

[Draco Malfoy]

The smell of coffee was the only thing short of an alarm blasted in his ear or some horrific natural disaster that could be guaranteed to get Draco up in the morning. And it was by far the most pleasant of those options. He rolled over on the sofa and kept his eyes closed for another couple of minutes before he smelt toast and was finally hungry and thirsty enough to make himself get up. Crawling off the couch he walked into the kitchen and gave her one of those 'I'm not awake yet but hi anyway' smiles and poured himself a large coffee, downing it as usual before getting another one and sipping it, accepting the toast from her. "Thanks." He had to admit that even after the last three weeks it was still odd for him to get fresh food made for him and to have such delicious smells coming from his kitchen. Not that he was going to complain. He put down the toast and went to the bathroom quickly before coming back into the kitchen and checking his phone. "So what's your plan for today? Did you mention last night that you had a doctor's appointment or am I imagining things?" He had only been to one of her appointments so far, Alix having taken her most of the time. The two girls were getting along rather well now and he was glad that Pansy had made a good friend here.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy returned his smile, having grown to be more of a morning person than he was, at least right after waking up. She finished up her toast, sipping slowly at her tea now. She turned around and leaned back against the counter, looking at Draco and nodding. "Yeah, a rather big one today actually. He thinks I'll get to know if it's a boy or girl." She shrugged a little, though the little smile on her face betrayed the fact that she actually couldn't wait to know. It was all rather surreal and terrifying, to know if she would be having a daughter or a son, to be able to start thinking about names or things like that. "Was Alix going to come? I didn't get a chance to talk to her yesterday after work." She rested her hand on her stomach, though she did it really without noticing. It was something she did nearly all the time now, the still smallish roundness of her belly becoming an excellent sort of little hand rest. Pansy didn't grow quite as quickly as some women did, her small figure somehow not getting huge and round as quickly as she had expected to. Though obviously in the early stages of pregnancy, it was nowhere near being called a big baby bulge yet. Just a nice little roundness sticking out of her shirt.

Things had gone well over the past few weeks. She and Draco got along as well as could be expected. She stayed with him, worked at the cafe making sandwiches, cooked dinner for them both once they got home. They ran errands together from time to time, stayed up talking most nights about random things, work, news. They never discussed the past, their marriage, their breakup. Pansy was glad. If they didn't talk about it, maybe they could move past it and figure out this friendship thing which was working out rather nicely. Sometimes she caught Draco watching her at work, the look in his eyes indistinguishable. Sometimes she caught herself wondering if he still loved her, if the could fix what they had and get back together again, but she stopped that as soon as it started, focusing instead on scheduling naps and multiple little meals through the day, splitting up the money Draco paid her between food for them, new clothes she desperately needed, a pair of shoes that were more comfortable to stand in at work, and a few baby things here and there if she found something nice for cheap. She had become an excellent shopper, finding deals and talking prices lower. Three weeks had also done wonders for how much French she understood. A kindergardener could still probably hold a more fluent conversation than she could, but she at least could now go about town and run to the market or other places on her own without too much difficulty communicating with others, and she now had tiny conversations with Alix or Marcel, and a few particular customers, in a little bit of French. She and Alix had gotten close, bonding over their trips to the market or when Alix took Pansy to the doctor her sister had gone to when she had her baby. They had quickly become good friends and often hung out after work or on weekends. Pansy couldn't even begin to describe how nice it was to have a friend again. It had been a long time since she had someone she could call a best friend.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco smiled at her when she said that today was the day when she would find out the sex of the baby. He was rather excited too and was glad that over the past week she had stopped bringing up leaving Paris. Her French had vastly improved and she had found a great friend in Alix, the bubbly French girl teaching Pansy 'shopper's french' and taking her to the doctor's. He shook his head when she asked if Alix would be going with her that afternoon. "No, she told me last night that she wouldn't be able to make it, I meant to tell you but then I got distracted. Do you mind if i come with you?" He hoped she would let him come, that was really Alix's suggestion that he get more involved and start going to things like doctor's appointments. He was pretty sure the French girl had more plans than just to increase his awareness but for now he was more than happy to go along with it and find out more about the new little person.

He couldn't deny that having Pansy back in his life was odd but he had realized it was nice to have someone around after work to have dinner with and talk about the day. Up until now he had avoided bringing up
what had happened between them and she hadn't said anything either. With a sigh he stood up and finished his coffee and toast, quickly washing the dishes and putting them away, "Thanks, I think we're almost out of coffee so I'll grab some more today. Anything else we need?" He never thought about it but whenever her talked about them he said 'we' and without thinking about it he had started to refer to it as their apartment. Though he hadn't noticed others had, namely the older ladies who came into the cafe every day and thought it was 'tres romantique' that she had come to him and he was helping her.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Something swelled up inside Pansy at the sight of Draco's smile when she told him about today's appointment. Strange, but something about him being excited for it as well, it just felt right. She pouted slightly when hearing that Alix wouldn't be coming. She had hoped her friend would be there with her to find out, as they'd been talking about it for the past few days and had spent a few afternoons getting amusing glares from Marcel when they left him with a bit of extra work so they could sit in the corner and chat a while. Sometimes Alix would make Pansy do it in French, just for practice. It had paid off so far, the shopping and talking with Alix in French, and occasional French lessons from Draco at night when he taught her some useful phrases and things. Pansy was taken slightly by surprise at his question, but it didn't make her unhappy. If anything, it was the exact opposite. She smiled at him and shook her head. "No, if you want to come, you're more than welcome. It'll be nice to have someone with me anyway." It'd be almost like it was ours.

Pansy did all she could around the house to work for her keep, cleaning up from time to time and making their dinners and breakfasts, keeping tabs on what they were running low on or simple things like that. Things any wife would do, she supposed, though she wasn't that anymore. She opened the cabinet to glance in, looking around before answering him. "I think we're nearly out of parsley and if you make it down to the market today, could you pick up some bell peppers? I think I'll make something with those and some mussels for dinner tomorrow. Jacques said he had some extras we could have." Pansy smiled fondly at mentioning the old man who frequented the cafe. He came in nearly every day, hobbling along rather crookedly, always ordering one of three distinct sandwiches with really odd combinations like pickles and salami or peanut butter and mustard. He brought things to Pansy sometimes, fresh fish, clams, shrimp. He was a fisherman, and had taken onto Pansy a bit like his granddaughter, always teasing her and spoiling her with things he could manage to give her. Days when he carried a package into the cafe were always promising of a great dinner that night.

Pansy washed he cup and put it back into the cupboard, heading out of the kitchen and back upstairs to find some clean clothes. She shouted down to Draco as she changed. "Appointment's at ten, but I'm not sure how long it'll take. You sure it's okay if you're not at the cafe this morning?" Coming back downstairs, she pulled her hair over her shoulder and started to braid it. "I wouldn't be surprised if Marcel comes in with a hangover again." She laughed softly, poor Marcel. He could never manage to figure out that he shouldn't go out so late on nights before he had to work in the morning.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco grinned when she mentioned Jacques and nodded, "Sounds great. Have I mentioned lately just how great it is to have fresh homecooked food." He couldn't lie, the best thing about having her here, most days, was the meals and the company. It was amazing walking back into the apartment at the end of a long day to smell the sizzle of scallops or the roasting of pork chops. He no longer spent long evenings working down in the cafe after closing or heading to the bar over the river to avoid the loneliness of his apartment. Not that anyone knew he did that, he would show up to the cafe the next morning chipper as ever ready to greet people and be the social patron that he was expected to be.

He grinned when she asked if Marcel was going to be okay, "I'm sure he will be. We'll stop in on our way past to help for a bit before the appointment and then I think I'll let him go for lunch, it's never too busy on a Thursday and we can deal with it then Alix is coming in around 2 so we should be fine. Marcel can go crawl back into a dark room and nurse his head." Grabbing his clothing and headed into the bathroom for a quick shower and shave before making sure he had all his stuff together. "When she comes in Id think I'll leave her and get some stuff from the market, you can nap, and then work the evening and come back later." He pushed open the door and let her out past him, walking in step with her as they went to open up and check that Marcel had shown up on time.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy nodded, thinking that sound like a pretty good plan, especially because it included a nap. Naps were one of Pansy's favorite things these days, something she had never expected because of how active she was before, always doing something, always up into the wee hours of the night reading, studying, dueling, sure even occasionally more fun activities that required far less clothes. But now there was nothing quite like a good nap on Draco's couch, that really soft green blanket wrapped around her. A smile spread across her face at just the thought of it. Heading out the door ahead of him, she paused to wait while he locked it, and the the two of them walked together to the cafe as they had done for nearly every morning these past few weeks. Marcel was already there, standing at the counter with his head in his hands, mumbling to himself. There wasn't anyone in here, not this early. The breakfast rush was gone and no one would be in for lunch for a little while longer.

Pansy walked over, tapping him on the shoulder and offering him an amused smile. "Mal de tête?" She laughed softly, heading over to do a few things to have them ready for lunch later, slicing up some bread and check on the supply levels of all the ingredients. It all seemed good, so she came back out into the main area of the cafe to wait on Draco so they could make their way over to the doctor's office.

[Draco Malfoy]

Bars are excellent places to be alone because you're alone but there are other people there to be alone with you. As Pansy headed to the back to prepare for lunch Draco nudged Marcel and gave him an aspirin and a large water before tending to his machines. They weren't those rinky-dink machines you found in someone's (Draco's) kitchen at home. These were tall chrome beauties that let out steam and the aroma of coffee even after you turned them off. Grinding up some fresh beans he was sure to bag some to take home. Seeing that Marcel was a little more Live he nudged him over to the sink and set him to work washing the mornings dishes while Draco dried them. They were just finishing up as Pansy walked back in. Giving Marcel a pat on the back, DrCo stashed his coffee under the counter and walked around it to join her.

Opening the door he followed her down the roads to her doctor, rather amused that for once she knew the Paris streets better than him. She walked much slower now and it amused him that he had to alter his own gait to match hers. Once they reached the doctor he sat down while she checked in and smiled at her when she sat next to him. "Excited?"

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

True, Pansy just can't picture him being lonely enough to associate with muggles and drink their alcohol. But he's got lots of muggle things now, and she's slowly growing accustomed to it. Pansy followed him out of the cafe, turning down all the right streets as she headed to the doctor. She walked slower now than she used to. Before, she was always quick, always on the move trying to get somewhere in the shortest amount of time. Now, she took her time more, looking around her, just enjoying things as they passed. Why not? There was no need to rush, and walking slower made her less tired, and it was better for the baby anyway. She smiled in amusement to herself as she noticed Draco having to measure out his long strides to keep pace with her.

Walking into the office, she headed up to the window and checked in before going to sit next to Draco to wait her turn. She nodded at his question, a small smile spreading across her lips. "Quite. Nervous too, though. Not sure why." She rested a hand on her stomach again, the fingers of her other hand busy at her mouth as she chewed on her fingernails distractedly. It was a habit she had only picked up recently, over the past couple weeks or so, something that had come with the stress of such drastic changes in her life all happening at once. Her nails which had usually been rather nice were quickly becoming quite short and chewed. Pansy looked up nervously every time the door to the exam rooms opened, but glanced down at her lap once again as time after time it wasn't her they were coming for just yet.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco nodded when she said she was nervous, "Well it's a big moment, finding out what your baby is going to be." Looking around the office he saw two other couples, their cove evident by the way the men looked at their pregnant partners, how they caressed their bellies and whispered to each other. A little part of Draco that he liked to ignore to,d I'm that that could have been them, they could have been here together from the start waiting for their baby. It was amazing what Pansy being pregnant had done for his outlook on children, in the last he has always known that he would one day have to sire an heir but he had never relished the thought of having to raide s baby but now seeing Pansy like this made him want to know the little person who was going to come out of her.

Seeing her chewing her nails he automatically reached over and took her hands, pulling them from her mouth and holding them in his. Before he could say anything though the nurse walked out to call Pansy in to her appointment.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy had made it a point not to look at the others, to see that they were doing this together and in love and perfect, whereas she was here on her own mistakes, Draco only here with her because he was a decent human being who offered much more than she deserved. She blinked when he pulled her hand away, not having realized she was working on destroying her nails again. It felt good, his hand clasped around hers again. She looked at him, ready to listen to him, at least until a woman's voice called out her name. She stood up, her hands still in Draco's. Turning to look back at him, she paused a moment, unsure what to do. Part of her didn't expect him to come back with her, but a perhaps bigger part of her didn't want to let go of his hand, wanted the comfort of someone there with her. She opened her mouth, but wasn't quite able to find the words right away. "Draco, um." She sighed. "Would you, would you come with me?"

Pansy smiled with relief as he seemed to quite willingly agree, and she refused to let go of his hand as she followed the nurse through the small hallways. She had no right to hold his hand, but she was shaking and afraid and she needed to know someone was here with her. Stepping into the small exam room, walls painted what she supposed was intended to be a cheery shade of lavender, a few regular chairs and then the larger chair/bed combination in which Pansy was intended to sit. She went there nervously, sitting down and going through the usual typical checkup things with blood pressure and questions on how she was doing and such. Eventually though the nurse left, telling her that the doctor would be in soon and they could take a peek at the baby. Once the door was shut, Pansy looked at Draco, still a little quivery with nervousness, but more than glad he was here with her.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco hesitated when the nurse called Pansy's name, wanting to go in with her but not sure if she would let him. When she asked he smiled and instantly agreed, standing and following her in, noticing that she still hadn't let go of his hand. When they reached the room he gave her hand a comforting squeeze then sat down in one of the chairs at the side while she moved onto the bed chair thing. He picked up a pamphlet thing about 'What to expect when you're expecting' but wasn't really reading it, spending most of the time watching the nurse and Pansy perform all the routine tests. He hadn't actually been to an appointment with Pansy before, dropping her and Alix off from time to time when he was on his way somewhere else but he'd never been inside the doctor's office before. It was a pleasant enough place he supposed if one liked pastels and sheep and baby ducks.

When the nurse walked out he looked at the door as it closed before turning back to Pansy. He could still tell she was nervous and got up and walked over to the chair, sitting on the edge of it next to her and taking her hand again when he saw it about to sneak up to her mouth. He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand and gave her a smile, "So when the doctor comes we get to find out what it is right?" She still looked nervous but there wasn't much Draco could do right now for her, he was still unsure exactly where they stood with each other but right now they were cohabiting well and he didn't want to do anything to fuck that up.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy moved over a little bit as he came to sit with her. They'd moved on past the awkwardness and the phase in which she demanded she deserved nothing from him. They'd been getting along rather well actually, heading off to work together in the morning, Pansy leaving partway through the day for a nap, coming back for the dinner rush and then cooking something for the two of them at home. It hadn't occurred to her that she had started referring to his apartment as 'home'. He still slept on the couch, insisting she took the bed for herself, but they ate together and went shopping together and sat in the living room talking until she was about to fall over asleep. It was nice. It was almost like old times again. Almost, given the exception of her growing belly.

She nodded softly at his question, smiling when he took her hand before she could get her fingernails back into her mouth. Pregnancy made them grow fast, but it also just meant she chewed on them more and more when they quickly grew out again. "Yeah. I honestly don't know if I would prefer one over the other. A girl would be nice, or a boy, either way." She fell quiet for a moment, one hand clasped in Draco's, the other resting over her stomach. She had gone shopping a little while ago with Alix and they had picked her out some new clothes, thank goodness, since she had so few. Some clothes that would work for only now and after the baby, and some that would be loose and comfy the more the baby grew. She looked from her stomach back to Draco again, offering him a little smile. "Thanks again for coming with me."

It wasn't too long after that that there was a soft knock on the door and someone cracked it open, the doctor appearing in the doorway and stepping in. It was the usual hello Pansy dear how are you doing how's the baby how's your diet, getting naps, getting rest, exercise, water, vitamins, all that. Another nurse had followed him in and she was getting busy setting up the machine so that they could look at the baby and see how it was growing, and hopefully tell if it was a boy or a girl. Pansy silently refused to let go of Draco's hand, even as he moved out of the way back to his own chair and she had to lay back and lift up her shirt.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco didn't really think it was his place to hope for one gender or the other but there was a small part of him that really wanted a little girl. One that would be just like her mother. He nodded when she thanked him, "Really I'm glad to be here." He looked over at the door when the doctor knocked and walked in. He squeezed her hand and got up but didn't pull away when she refused to let go. He knew she wanted the comfort and was glad that he was here to give to her, even if he wasn't the baby's real father he figured after all this he would end up with some part in its life and being here for Pansy like this was the most he could do at the moment. He chuckled when she shivered at the gel they were putting on her belly. Out of respect for her he kept his eyes on her face and the doctors while she was lying there, trying to keep his gaze from switching down to the stretched skin of her stomach.

It wasn't really hard because the whole process of the ultrasound was fascinating to him having never seen anything like this before. When the nurse turned on a screen he was intrigued and then they picked up a weird thing he kept close watch, not sure exactly what they intended to do with it. When they put it down onto her stomach he finally let his eyes focus there, watching as they moved the handheld thing over her. He moved a little closer to the chair, his hand holding hers and the other resting on her shoulder. Glancing up he was distracted by the screen. There on it was a blurry shape that he couldn't make out, it kept moving from side to side slightly as he watched.

[Pansy Parkinson-Malfoy]

Pansy laid there as they got her ready for an ultrasound, shivering slightly when they spread gel over her skin. It was quite cold after all. She kept her hand clasped in Draco's, turning to look at the little monitor when they placed moved the thing across her stomach, searching around until they could focus in on where the baby was. Finally they stopped moving it around so much, and there it was, among all the blurry waves, there was a little shape, something exceptionally like a little baby. Pansy could see the head, and little body, little arms and legs curled up as it laid there inside her, wriggling around a little. The nurse moved the wand-like thing around a little, looking from different sides as the doctor instructed her too, but Pansy was far too entranced with the screen to pay attention to what they were doing. That was her baby, a picture of her baby right there in front of her. She chewed on her lip nervously, her fingers tightening around Draco's without really realizing it.

"Well, would you two like to know what you're having?" the doctor asked her. Her voice failed her, and she could only smile and nod. He looked at the screen again, the nurse adjusting the view a little for him, and he nodded. "That right there is your daughter. Congratulations." Pansy couldn't stop smiling. A little girl, her little girl. She wondered what she would look like, who she would act like, what her personality would be, and so much more, but that was all to find out later, much later. For now, it was news enough that it was going to be a little girl, her daughter.

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