A/N: I didn't want anyone to get the idea that when I'm writing this and
completely leaving out how the two actually quit hating one another. And
you'll have to forgive me if Draco seemed out of character last chapter,
but it's good for the mind when you step out of the box. Right?
Disclaimer: Yep, as usual I don't own anything.
"If I leave her tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be traveling onward, cause there's too many places I've got to see. But if I stay here with you girl, things just couldn't be the same. I'm as free as a bird now. And this bird you cannot change.
Bye, Bye, it's been a sweet love. Though this feeling I can't change. But please don't take it so badly. Cause Lord knows I'm to blame. But if I stayed here with you girl, things just couldn't be the same. Cause I'm as free as a bird now and this bird you cannot change. Lord knows I can't change. Lord help me, I can't change."
-"Freebird" Lynard Synard
Chapter 2: Reality
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wandering around alone in the peach orchard at 5 in the morning isn't suspicious at all." He said as he walked down a row of ripe trees towards Ginny.
"I was restless." She replied as she turned to face him. She sat on the wet ground and watched him as he lay down near her. She rested her head on his stomach. "I can't help thinking that this may be the last time I ever get to lay against you."
"You know you can really put a damper on something good."
"Wonder where I got that from."
"I'm male. It's my job to be pessimistic."
"That's your excuse when you piss on the toilet seat."
"Better me than you." She laughed and her head moved with his stomach as he laughed with her.
"The sun is starting to come up." She said as she stifled a yawn.
"It usually does."
"Draco Malfoy, don't you start acting smart with me."
"And what would you do to me if I kept on?"
"I'd cut out your tongue so you could never act smart with me again." She replied with an added giggle.
"Sounds pretty bad."
"How much do you like your tongue, Mr. Malfoy?"
"How much would you miss it?" He asked with a smirk.
"Too much." She answered sadly and turned her body onto her side.
"We need to come out soon and pick the peaches." He knew he wouldn't be here long enough to pick any.
"We should have." She sighed heavily.
"Will you make me a cobbler with them?" He changed his tone as he asked her the question.
"To eat by myself?" She choked on her tears and sat up as she started coughing.
"Damn it, Ginny! Everything I've said you've turned into some sappy comment about me never coming back." He sat up and glared at her in the half-light of the sun. She was making him feel guilty about something that couldn't be changed by now.
"Well, I'm sorry if I have any bit of concern for my husband.' She stood up and brushed grass from her cotton nightgown.
"There's a difference between you being concerned and you trying to have a pity party about something that can't be helped. Besides you're beginning to make me feel like it's absolute that I'm going to die." He stood up beside her.
"I'm having a pity party? You think I'm having a pity party? I'm sorry I'm not so happy that you're leaving me alone in a different country where I have to worry each day if my husbands or the rest of my uncaring family is still alive. Maybe you should have found a different wife!"
Malfoy watched her walk away angrily, her thin, freckled arms swinging by her sides with her hands in fists.
"Ginny, come on." He whispered to no one who could hear. "Damn it, Ginny!" He walked quickly as a small voice inside him was saying to let her go, but he walked quick enough paces to where he'd caught up with her before she'd reached the last row of trees.
"Ginny, I didn't mean it that way." He said softly as he grabbed her wrist.
"Let go of me!" She said angrily as she twisted her hand to get away from him.
"Don't be mad at me, Ginny. You know you'll regret it." She paused and threw her hand down in a rapid movement. "I don't know what I meant by that. It's just I know this may be my last day with you but I don't want to waste it by repeatedly reminding myself of it. And come off it, where am I supposed to find myself a pretty wife like you?"
He let go of the grip on her arm slowly and she moved to wrap her arms around his neck. She pressed her head against his chest. "I hate how you always win."
"It's what you get for falling in love with a Malfoy."
"I've never seen it look so beautiful out here. It's the way the light hits the orchards. Everything is so perfect out here; it's so untouched and pristine."
"What would you do if it was gone?"
"I haven't bothered to think about it much."
"I'm fighting to keep it this way for you." He whispered into her ear.
"Let's not talk about it any more."
"We have to now." He replied, as he moved one of his arms to lift up his sleeve.
"Why?" She asked as she unwrapped her hands and moved back from him.
"My mark is burning."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny wrapped the thin, white armband around the black robes of Draco's upper arm. He told her it was a tradition with deatheaters to have their wives wraps a white band around their arm. Draco told her he'd seen his mother do it for his father once when he'd been small and his father had snuck off somewhere. Ginny had torn a piece of the bottom of her nightgown to make the band. The nightgown he'd told her was his favorite. She smiled up at him.
"You've ruined my best nightgown."
"I'll buy you a million more when I come home." He whispered to her as he handed her a small, silver pendant in the shape of a flying eagle. She smoothed her hand over it before pinning it to his robes.
"What do you need that for?"
"Just means I'm a lieutenant."
"Lieutenant Malfoy."
She saw him wince and felt a butterfly rise in her stomach.
"Do you need to leave?" She asked quietly.
"I should soon."
"Do you want anything to eat first?"
"No, Ginny, I'll be fine."
She walked with him down the stairs and opened the door for him. He put his hand under her chin and smiled grimly.
"Try not to brood over this for too long."
"How can I not?" She asked looking up into his calm eyes with her panicked ones.
"Find yourself a young Italian and tell him to make love to you all the time. I'm sure you'll become somewhat distracted from me." A smile cracked her lips.
"Draco Malfoy, you are horrible."
"I'm glad you don't agree with my suggestion." He bent down to kiss her lightly on the mouth.
"I'll think about you all the time."
"That can't be healthy."
"I don't care anymore. I can't help it." He wrapped a red curl around his finger and stared at her.
"Ginny, promise me you'll be ok. I'll worry about you everyday."
"Why would you need to worry about me?"
"Because if something happened to you I don't know what I'd do."
"You'd find yourself an exotic woman and become a Colombian drug lord, most likely."
"I was being serious for one of the few times in my life. I'll miss you more than you think I will." He lowered his head again and kissed her and she kissed him back trying not to think this would be the last time that she'd be near him for some long while. She sucked on the bottom of his lip but she pulled away quickly when she felt hot tears running down her pale cheeks. He kissed both of her cheeks and pulled himself away from her.
"I wish you didn't have to leave me." She choked out as she watched her husband pull away from her. She moved her hands to cover her face.
"If I had the choice I wouldn't do it." He whispered softly. He turned away and walked slowly down the steps and down the red clay path made through the dense grass. When he reached the road that was not far from the house he called out to her. "You'll remember about the orchard? When I come home, I expect some cobbler."
She leaned against the doorframe and nodded her head as her breath came out in gasps. She felt like she was watching a disaster she couldn't do anything about. She watched Draco walk away, his blonde head so straight and proud as he walked to something new in his long black robes and the thin white band tied clumsily around his left arm.
She watched him until he apparated and all there was left was the red clay road, the large oak trees shading the early risen sun, and the desperate gasps that continually escaped her sore throat.
And across the road in front of the house was another orchard gleaming with the morning sun and bearing their fruits as the dew that settled during the night evaporated and left the field warm and untouched.
~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Well, I'm trying to get things up quickly here while watching yet another football game. Pray for something more in a couple of days and a big thanks to Katie who was so surprised I'd come back from the dead to start another fic and B. Maude for my first review for this story!
Disclaimer: Yep, as usual I don't own anything.
"If I leave her tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be traveling onward, cause there's too many places I've got to see. But if I stay here with you girl, things just couldn't be the same. I'm as free as a bird now. And this bird you cannot change.
Bye, Bye, it's been a sweet love. Though this feeling I can't change. But please don't take it so badly. Cause Lord knows I'm to blame. But if I stayed here with you girl, things just couldn't be the same. Cause I'm as free as a bird now and this bird you cannot change. Lord knows I can't change. Lord help me, I can't change."
-"Freebird" Lynard Synard
Chapter 2: Reality
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wandering around alone in the peach orchard at 5 in the morning isn't suspicious at all." He said as he walked down a row of ripe trees towards Ginny.
"I was restless." She replied as she turned to face him. She sat on the wet ground and watched him as he lay down near her. She rested her head on his stomach. "I can't help thinking that this may be the last time I ever get to lay against you."
"You know you can really put a damper on something good."
"Wonder where I got that from."
"I'm male. It's my job to be pessimistic."
"That's your excuse when you piss on the toilet seat."
"Better me than you." She laughed and her head moved with his stomach as he laughed with her.
"The sun is starting to come up." She said as she stifled a yawn.
"It usually does."
"Draco Malfoy, don't you start acting smart with me."
"And what would you do to me if I kept on?"
"I'd cut out your tongue so you could never act smart with me again." She replied with an added giggle.
"Sounds pretty bad."
"How much do you like your tongue, Mr. Malfoy?"
"How much would you miss it?" He asked with a smirk.
"Too much." She answered sadly and turned her body onto her side.
"We need to come out soon and pick the peaches." He knew he wouldn't be here long enough to pick any.
"We should have." She sighed heavily.
"Will you make me a cobbler with them?" He changed his tone as he asked her the question.
"To eat by myself?" She choked on her tears and sat up as she started coughing.
"Damn it, Ginny! Everything I've said you've turned into some sappy comment about me never coming back." He sat up and glared at her in the half-light of the sun. She was making him feel guilty about something that couldn't be changed by now.
"Well, I'm sorry if I have any bit of concern for my husband.' She stood up and brushed grass from her cotton nightgown.
"There's a difference between you being concerned and you trying to have a pity party about something that can't be helped. Besides you're beginning to make me feel like it's absolute that I'm going to die." He stood up beside her.
"I'm having a pity party? You think I'm having a pity party? I'm sorry I'm not so happy that you're leaving me alone in a different country where I have to worry each day if my husbands or the rest of my uncaring family is still alive. Maybe you should have found a different wife!"
Malfoy watched her walk away angrily, her thin, freckled arms swinging by her sides with her hands in fists.
"Ginny, come on." He whispered to no one who could hear. "Damn it, Ginny!" He walked quickly as a small voice inside him was saying to let her go, but he walked quick enough paces to where he'd caught up with her before she'd reached the last row of trees.
"Ginny, I didn't mean it that way." He said softly as he grabbed her wrist.
"Let go of me!" She said angrily as she twisted her hand to get away from him.
"Don't be mad at me, Ginny. You know you'll regret it." She paused and threw her hand down in a rapid movement. "I don't know what I meant by that. It's just I know this may be my last day with you but I don't want to waste it by repeatedly reminding myself of it. And come off it, where am I supposed to find myself a pretty wife like you?"
He let go of the grip on her arm slowly and she moved to wrap her arms around his neck. She pressed her head against his chest. "I hate how you always win."
"It's what you get for falling in love with a Malfoy."
"I've never seen it look so beautiful out here. It's the way the light hits the orchards. Everything is so perfect out here; it's so untouched and pristine."
"What would you do if it was gone?"
"I haven't bothered to think about it much."
"I'm fighting to keep it this way for you." He whispered into her ear.
"Let's not talk about it any more."
"We have to now." He replied, as he moved one of his arms to lift up his sleeve.
"Why?" She asked as she unwrapped her hands and moved back from him.
"My mark is burning."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny wrapped the thin, white armband around the black robes of Draco's upper arm. He told her it was a tradition with deatheaters to have their wives wraps a white band around their arm. Draco told her he'd seen his mother do it for his father once when he'd been small and his father had snuck off somewhere. Ginny had torn a piece of the bottom of her nightgown to make the band. The nightgown he'd told her was his favorite. She smiled up at him.
"You've ruined my best nightgown."
"I'll buy you a million more when I come home." He whispered to her as he handed her a small, silver pendant in the shape of a flying eagle. She smoothed her hand over it before pinning it to his robes.
"What do you need that for?"
"Just means I'm a lieutenant."
"Lieutenant Malfoy."
She saw him wince and felt a butterfly rise in her stomach.
"Do you need to leave?" She asked quietly.
"I should soon."
"Do you want anything to eat first?"
"No, Ginny, I'll be fine."
She walked with him down the stairs and opened the door for him. He put his hand under her chin and smiled grimly.
"Try not to brood over this for too long."
"How can I not?" She asked looking up into his calm eyes with her panicked ones.
"Find yourself a young Italian and tell him to make love to you all the time. I'm sure you'll become somewhat distracted from me." A smile cracked her lips.
"Draco Malfoy, you are horrible."
"I'm glad you don't agree with my suggestion." He bent down to kiss her lightly on the mouth.
"I'll think about you all the time."
"That can't be healthy."
"I don't care anymore. I can't help it." He wrapped a red curl around his finger and stared at her.
"Ginny, promise me you'll be ok. I'll worry about you everyday."
"Why would you need to worry about me?"
"Because if something happened to you I don't know what I'd do."
"You'd find yourself an exotic woman and become a Colombian drug lord, most likely."
"I was being serious for one of the few times in my life. I'll miss you more than you think I will." He lowered his head again and kissed her and she kissed him back trying not to think this would be the last time that she'd be near him for some long while. She sucked on the bottom of his lip but she pulled away quickly when she felt hot tears running down her pale cheeks. He kissed both of her cheeks and pulled himself away from her.
"I wish you didn't have to leave me." She choked out as she watched her husband pull away from her. She moved her hands to cover her face.
"If I had the choice I wouldn't do it." He whispered softly. He turned away and walked slowly down the steps and down the red clay path made through the dense grass. When he reached the road that was not far from the house he called out to her. "You'll remember about the orchard? When I come home, I expect some cobbler."
She leaned against the doorframe and nodded her head as her breath came out in gasps. She felt like she was watching a disaster she couldn't do anything about. She watched Draco walk away, his blonde head so straight and proud as he walked to something new in his long black robes and the thin white band tied clumsily around his left arm.
She watched him until he apparated and all there was left was the red clay road, the large oak trees shading the early risen sun, and the desperate gasps that continually escaped her sore throat.
And across the road in front of the house was another orchard gleaming with the morning sun and bearing their fruits as the dew that settled during the night evaporated and left the field warm and untouched.
~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Well, I'm trying to get things up quickly here while watching yet another football game. Pray for something more in a couple of days and a big thanks to Katie who was so surprised I'd come back from the dead to start another fic and B. Maude for my first review for this story!
