Author's Note: Horrid title… I know. But it's this chapter's title and that's what counts. I hope you like it. And um… thank you all for the awesome response to the previous chapter! I love you all! ^________^

Chapter Sixteen

~Love is just a Word~

Ginny jerked her head to look at him, raising both thin eyebrows high and tilting her head. She then stood up from his arms quickly—rather difficultly, but managed to after several seconds—and glared at him, her mouth slightly parted in surprise.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand to silence him and he closed his mouth again. "What are you playing at?" she snapped rather angrily. "You don't need to say that to me just because I'm pregnant! I don't need your sympathy, Malfoy." She spat the name as she had done in her school years.

And to think, it only had been two years before.

He looked at her, knowing that she hadn't understood what he meant. He knew he had taken that woeful step for nothing now. She was still looking at him. And she looked, if possible, even more beautiful under the moonlight, as her hair glowed in its silvery glare. And it matched her dark glare, now directed to him.

"I still stand by what I said when we were married," she said in a finality tone, "I do not love you, or like you."

She then turned on her heel and stomped out of sight, leaving a flabbergasted Draco Malfoy behind.

***

Ginny was walking around the gardens at Malfoy Manor, hoping to get lost in them. She dreaded having to go back upstairs to sleep. Who did he think he was?! He was playing with her, that's what he was doing. No way in hell he loved her.

It had been a lie; a cruel mistake that came out in a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, she knew it. He wasn't going to fool her. He wasn't going to make her fall for him. Merlin! He wanted even more publicity now? What did he want from her?!

He already had her for a wife, he'd been in her so many times she had lost count and now she bore his child. He had money, fame, everything! Then what the fuck did he want?! Was he out of his mind? Oh… she thought angrily, I will not give him the pleasure of making me fall for him. She paced around the same spot once, then again, and then again. She walked backward and forward angrily, not knowing what to think.

She was so… confused now. Not because of what he had said, although that did confuse her a little. But now… now she was afraid that she might, could indeed…

Don't even think about it, Virginia Weasley, she reprimanded herself.

No! She was so young; she had all her life before her. Yes, her life had been ruined and now she fully blamed it on him. It was his fault. He was her husband. He got her pregnant. He made her lose all her dreams. It was him for which she had had to give up her hopes. And she resented him. All the unshed anger came back up slowly, boiling her veins as liquid fire instead of blood.

She felt the anger rise in her, and she felt dizzy. Before she knew it, she fainted.

***

She woke up by someone rubbing a damp washcloth to her forehead and she opened her eyes. Oh great… her vision was blurred. She blinked a couple of times before finally making out Draco pressing the washcloth to her head. She attempted to sit up, but he held her back.

"Don't strain, it will not do good to the baby." His voice was cold and distant now. She saw a faint ray of sunshine peek through the closed drapes.

"How long have I been unconscious?" she blurted out absentmindedly.

"Three days," he said carelessly and seized his cloth pressing actions and standing up from the edge of the bed. He crossed his arms and looked at her with a tinge of something in his eyes, but it faded instantly. "The Mediwitch said that it was quite normal. You had an over… overdose of emotion or some bullshit like that? I don't know." He cleared his throat. "The baby is alright and that is all that matters. You'll be into your seventh month soon, she said. I suppose you'll know what that means. Oh and… I found you."

She nodded and twiddled her fingers nervously. "About the other night—"

"I don't want to hear it," he hissed rather defiantly and she was painfully reminded of how he was at Hogwarts. "Once you have the baby, I'll see what I'll do with you."

She looked up at him in horror. What exactly did he mean by that? He must have seen the question in her expression for he said, "Well, we can't be under the same roof if you do not like me. I'll set up arrangements for you, but quite later. After Ormand does not need to breast-feed, we'll see."

"But—"

"You said it, not me," he snarled quite loudly and she cowered a bit. She didn't like to see him like this. It frightened her.

"You must understand that I get… moody," she said in a tiny voice, blinking quickly. She was feeling very emotional at the moment. Her eyes started to burn with tears.

"I've had it with that," he stated easily. "You're always moody, you snap at me when I do nothing! You snap at me when I'm nice! When I'm honest… when I'm… forget it."

"I'm pregnant! You got me pregnant, now face the consequences!" she almost-yelled, slightly agitating.

"You didn't complain too much when I was getting you pregnant," he growled. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I quote, 'Draco!' Or maybe I need an ear check." He smirked his all-too-known trademark smirk at her.

"I hate you!" she spat, tears now spilling from her eyes shyly. "Once the baby is born, I'm leaving! I don't bloody care about your fucking publicity! And I'm taking the baby with me!" Her breathing became labored now.

"You can leave, but he stays with me!" spat Draco menacingly, pointing a finger at her and then at her belly. "Even if I have to pry him out of your hands, he'll stay in Malfoy Manor, with his father!"

She was now breathing in short, broken gasps as tears spilled freely. "I… I hate you." She gave a dry sob.

"No you don't," he said and she could hear his voice calm. She glared up at him, though she couldn't exactly see him because of her tears.

"Yes I do!" she managed to yell and he walked forward and began to dry her tears gingerly. Not knowing what she was doing, or why she was doing it, she flung her arms around him and cried into his chest uncontrollably. He caressed her back and hair gently. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Draco…" she said muffled against his chest. "I don't want to leave…" she said softly.

He kept on caressing her and comforting her, rocking her in his arms slowly. He lay down next to her in the bed and she still clung to him as if she were clinging on for dear life. Her sobs had subsided now, but he still held her against him. She inhaled his scent; the scent that had become so known to her, yet so unusual.

She felt safe, protected. Even if he had yelled at her, she knew he didn't mean it. She had seen it when he had yelled and now he whispered to her the confirmation to her thoughts. She nodded against his chest and placed a kiss on it. She then curled up against him, tangling a leg with his and falling quickly asleep.

***

A month had gone by since the whole argument. Now Ginny walked around—or rather, waddled around—with her seven-month belly. Draco constantly worked in his office, where he would spend most of the day, sending people to buy stuff for the upcoming child with their money. They saw each other every day at breakfast and every night at dinner.

Then they would spend time in the library, or walking around the garden. Or they went out to eat some times. It was really comfortable. The argument had not been mentioned again, for both sakes.

Now, though, Ginny felt like hitting herself. She now caught herself sometimes looking longingly at Draco and sighing. Sometimes she would watch him sleep. Sometimes she would do a small gesture like push his hair out of his eyes and then smile when he did. She always had the urge to hold hands with him, and almost every time gave into it.

And little by little, step-by-step, while time passed and the days seemed barely minutes; she fell in love with him.

She had done the one thing she had promised herself she would not do, and this bothered her. She felt like she had betrayed herself and it hurt slightly. But at the same time she felt like she was the luckiest person in the world.

With her newfound discovery, she now could permit herself to do all the things that confused her before. She could have that physical contact with him without her mind having to ask itself why the hell she longed to be with him. How she seemed to literally count the hours until dinner so she could see him, and how she arranged herself for said dinner; her mind wouldn't have to ask why to those actions anymore.

Now came the hard part: telling him.

She had never asked him if what he had said that night was true: if he indeed loved her. As they never mentioned that night anymore, she hadn't seen it fit to do so. Besides, what would he think if she suddenly asked him that question? The only way she could find out was by telling him that she loved him. And that would be extremely hard, because she would have to swallow all her pride to do so.

His attitude towards her hadn't changed one bit. He would still come up behind her and kiss her shoulder. Sometimes she would be reading and he would begin to fondle her stomach, placing his head on it in hopes to hear the noise from the life inside. They hadn't, however, had sex in possibly that one month that had passed. It was just that she was never in the mood for doing so. And the times he asked her, he did it as if he were trying to convince himself that he needed it, but she knew he didn't really and he just asked to see if she wanted.

They were more than happy now to just cuddle with each other for hours at a time. Almost every time when they were falling asleep was the time for snuggling, nuzzling and cuddling.

Today was a rainy day, the sky was gray and it poured down a storm. Ginny liked this day very much. She felt little Ormand kick rather hard and she smiled down at her belly, patting it. She was sitting in the living room, on the window seat, looking out at the rain in silence. She had been pondering whether to tell Draco today or not.

Finally, after a few hours, she stood up very determined and walked the way to his office slowly. On the way, however, she put a hand against a wall, leaning on it and doubling up. It seemed little Ormand was more excited than usual; only now it hurt. He kicked twice again and she let out a short gasp of pain. "Oh, darling, stop it," she whispered. She exhaled as the movement stopped and started walking again.

She stood in front of the door as if eyeing it curiously and then opened it. He had been writing on a piece of parchment and he immediately looked up at her as she walked in. He dropped his eagle-quill and tilted his head at her. "Do you need anything, love?" he asked gently and a slight smirk on his mouth.

She walked towards the desk and began to twiddle her fingers; oh great now she had to get flustered. She cleared her throat and he waited for her to utter a word. She needed to tell him.

"I…"

She had to do it now, or else she would not do it.

"Um, I…"

Come on! She had to tell him now! It was easy, I love you, Draco, and that would be it. He wouldn't get angry… would he?

"I—I—I—I—" she paused for a minute and looked down at herself, feeling something rush between her legs. She looked up at him, panic all over her features, completely forgetting what she had come to say. "I'm in labor!"

Author's Note: Wee! Is that a cliffhanger? Is it? –grins and winks- Forgive me if it is. They're too addicting. I'm writing the 17th chapter as you read this, so I might have it up soon. Not today, but soon! Woo! ^_^ Yes, I'm happy. Please review! I like to read what you all say. I read every single review so they count.

Blue Rain