Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Come Back
The forest was dark that night, there wasn't even a moon to light the way. But that was of no consequence to the young girl who made her way through the darkness, trying desperately to hold back the flood of tears that tried to overwhelm her.
It was no use. Before long, a single tear streaked her cheek, then another, and another, until the whole flood poured down her face, and she was reduced to a trembling mass of flesh, laying where she had fallen in her misery, her small frame still racked with sobs.
Why now? Why did he have to leave now? Things were going so well. And what about-
No she dared not think it. He didn't know yet, and she couldn't tell him. Not now.
The thought was not a happy one, and it did nothing to relieve her misery.
Draco was leaving. He was going to war, and he was leaving her. And though he didn't know it, he was also leaving their child.
Ginny had just recently found out. She had been waiting for the right moment to break the news, but it hadn't come.
And now it might never come.
She was still sitting on the ground when Draco found her, unable to move, frozen in despair.
She saw the concern in his eyes as he bent down beside her.
" Ginny? What's wrong?"
She looked up at him with tear filled eyes and saw his concern deepen.
" How can you ask me that?" she asked him. " Did you think I wouldn't find out? That we would just meet tonight and then you'd leave as usual? That you wouldn't even have to tell me that you were going to war and that I might not ever see you again? How could you do that to me Draco?"
Her tears had slowed to a trickle now, and Draco felt the misery that she was obviously experiencing rise up inside him. He'd tried so hard to push it away, but now it was coming out. Oh how he had dreaded this moment.
" I was going to tell you, Gin. I really was. I just wanted to wait until the last minute possible. I didn't want to hurt you." It sounded lame, even to his own ears.
" Well, you did." Ginny started to stand up, but Draco shook his head, sitting down beside her.
" We'll stay here."
She nodded mutely.
For a long moment, they sat in silence, both trying to control the overwhelming feeling of sadness that had come over them.
" This really is it then, isn't it?" She asked after a while. " This might be the last night I see you."
" Yeah," he said just as softly. " Yeah, it is."
Silence.
Then in one smooth movement Draco pulled her into his arms so she was sitting in his lap. He kissed her gently on the head.
" You know I don't want to go-" he began.
" But you have to." She finished with him.
He nodded solemnly. " Yes, I do."
" I know you do, but I want to come too. I'm not without my fighting abilities myself you know."
He laughed quietly, but the sound expressed no real joy or happiness.
" I know you aren't."
" Then why can't I come and help you fight Voldemort?"
" Because," he replied, his voice breaking slightly, " we've been over this before. I don't want you hurt."
Ginny could say nothing to that.
For a long time, they sat there like that, her head on his shoulder as she rested against him.
They didn't talk. They didn't have to. The feelings that passed between them needed no words. Words just got in the way.
Morning came far to quickly, the first rays of light creeping over the forest much too soon.
They had put it off as long as possible, but there was no getting around it now.
Reluctantly, Draco eased Ginny off his lap, pulling her to her feet as he stood.
They stood staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, but was really only seconds.
" Come back to me," Ginny finally managed, her voice barely more than a whisper.
" I will," Draco replied confidently, although they both knew it was just an act. There was a very real possibility that he would die out there, and neither of them wanted to accept it.
Suddenly, he leaned over and kissed her gently, a goodbye kiss that made her heart ache all the more.
" I love you, Gin."
" I love you too, Draco."
That was it. No tears, they had none left to cry. No more words, they'd all been spoken. He turned to walk away.
" Wait!" she called suddenly, before he could get too far.
He turned and looked at her questioningly.
" Don't come back just for me. Come back for her too."
Draco followed her eyes down to her stomach, and then back to her face, reading the confirmation there.
How desperately he wanted to go back, to take her in his arms and never let her go. But he couldn't.
Instead, he met her eyes, and gave a brief nod.
He would come back.
He would always come back to her.
A/N: Just something I felt inspired to write one night, and then I decided to post it. I was feeling a little depressed (my computer had just erased like a whole chapter of the other story I'm working on and I had to rewrite it. Ack!) and I guess I just needed a sad story to go with it. I did want this story to be kind of sad, but I also wanted to give hope. Draco could die, but he might live. And his will to live would be especially great since he has so much to live for. Please review and tell me what you think.