Written for Dny Schr-Mlln Shtlnd in the 2015 DG Secret Santa.
I'm sorry to say it's not, uh, Christmassy? But it's what came to mind with your prompt! I hope you like it.
Ginny lets herself smile as she steps into the quaint little cafe, meeting Draco's eyes across the room. He's sitting in his usual spot in the somewhat secluded corner, his hands wrapped around a mug.
He nods at her, the corner of his mouth lifting up in a little smirk.
It's quiet, which had been the initial perk in choosing their meeting location.
"Any updates?" Draco asks when she joins him at his table.
"The Ministry is still in control of the situation. It... It really doesn't look good, Draco," she says softly, placing a hand over his.
His face goes dark for a moment, but then he shakes his head.
"I'm not surprised," he says haughtily as she releases his hand, "they never change anything quickly."
"If... If it fails, we still have our back-up plan. I know it's not... optimal, but..."
Draco snorts, which Ginny never fails to find amusing, "Not optimal? That's one way to put it."
"Hey! I should be offended at that implication, Malfoy," she retorts, playing up her anger to fluster him.
"Except you're not, are you, Weas-ley?"
"No, I don't think you're capable of offending me," she smirks at him.
He turns his nose up, a strange caricature of his mother.
"They can't keep doing this, can they?" He asks a few minutes later, and the exhaustion shows on his face.
She twists her ring distractedly as she thinks, wishing she had an easy answer.
"You know what, no. They can't. This law is inane and pointless. We're the only bloody country that even considered it!"
"I know that, you nattering twit, quiet down," Draco hisses at her, which really makes her remember where they are.
"I'm sorry, it's just... They won't repeal the stupid thing, and with the baby, I just-"
"...Baby?" Draco asks, and she immediately wishes she'd not mentioned it that way.
"Yes... I know you didn't want-"
"Oh, shut up, we're having a baby?"
"I found out last night, after I met with Percy. I... I haven't told anyone yet. I mean, I had these plans all thought up on telling you first and-"
"Be quiet for a moment," he says, lightly covering her mouth with one of his hands.
She mumbles against his soft skin, mostly to annoy him.
"They know the law is rubbish-half the country's fled to Europe and the Americas, and wherever else exists, just to be married. So, we'll give them all a symbol, shall we?"
"But... I thought the last thing you wanted was to have the public making a martyr of you, of us."
"I don't. But, it's not just about us anymore. Little Baby Malfoy doesn't need to grow up with the government deciding who she's fit to marry."
"Baby Malfoy, is it? And what if I wanted you to take my name?"
"Then I'd take your peasant name-not as if mine's worth anything anymore-that's not the point. I wanted to marry you eight years ago and that hasn't changed, but we have a baby coming."
"So you want to use our child as an excuse to break the law and get away with it?" She hisses, because no. She's not getting married if...
"No, I'd want to break this insipid law and get away with it either way, and you know that."
She nods, takes a calming breath. "I know. I'm just... tired."
"You should eat something, and then we need to plan."
"Plan?" Ginny says, listening his comment about her eating something by waving over the waitress.
"We're getting married before the baby's here, Weasley. The ministry's not stopping us now."
"No," Ginny says with a smile, "they aren't."
She waits a pause, "By the way, my mum's going to kill you for knocking me up before we were married."
My three word prompt was: Coffee, Persecution, Secular