Two weeks later, Draco received an owl from Ginny, giving him the time and date of her next midwitch appointment. Draco met her at the office. As Ginny and the midwitch went through the normal question and answer session about how she was feeling, if she'd had any pain, etc, etc, Draco began to wonder what he was doing there. Then something interesting happened.
Ginny had been sitting on the table, in the obligatory thin gown, when Draco saw her stomach ripple. "OH!" Ginny exclaimed, rubbing her belly.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, half rising from his chair looking concerned.
Both Ginny and the midwitch turned to stare at him. Laughing at the look on his face, the midwitch laughed. "No Mr. Malfoy, you've just seen your son or daughter move. Did a good flip by the looks of things."
"That happens…often?" he asked, looking at Ginny.
"Gods, yes." Ginny replied, rolling her eyes. "This one wants to be an acrobat when they grow up. Moves constantly."
Draco stared hard at her stomach, wanting to see it again.
Ginny gazed speculatively at him a moment and then said, "Draco? Would you care to feel it? I've found if I put my hand in one spot for a few moments, the baby will kick that spot. I guess it gets warm or something."
Draco looked up at her. "Could I? I mean, you wouldn't mind?"
Ginny smiled tentatively at him and beckoned him closer. Draco approached the table and raised his hand, but didn't quite know where to put it. Ginny took his hand and placed it firmly on her stomach. They waited a few moments, and Draco was about to give up and take his hand away when he felt it. A little nudge on his hand. Then it came again. By the gods! He thought.
"That-that was the baby?" he asked her. She nodded. "It felt quite strong."
"You should try feeling it from inside your stomach!" Ginny laughed. Then the baby did a roll across Ginny's womb and Draco's hand bounced along with it. A smile came across his face. This was HIS child. His child with Ginny. He looked up with light dancing in his eyes at the red haired woman. She smiled at him. All at once Draco forgot all the things that had happened in the last few months and wanted nothing more than to kiss the mother of his child. He would have too, had the midwitch not stuck her head back into the room to tell Ginny she could get dressed.
Ginny looked up at Draco and an awkward moment filled the room. Draco took his hand off Ginny's abdomen and backed away. Ginny sighed, and gathered up her clothes. As they were leaving the office, Draco caught up her left hand and looked at it then up at Ginny.
"Where's your wedding band?"
"I didn't marry Seamus, Draco. It wouldn't have been fair. "she said.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Because I didn't love him Draco. I was going to marry him, to give the baby a father, and to give you the chance to move on. All that changed. I couldn't saddle him with a wife that loved someone else and a child who would never call him father." She said, looking down.
"I see." He said. He released her hand and walked away quickly, leaving her standing there on the sidewalk.
As he walked, his mind was traveling a mile a minute. Ginny didn't marry Finnigan. Ginny had implied she loved him still. He had felt his baby move. He wanted his child, more than anything. But did he want Ginny anymore? He just didn't know.
Making a sudden decision, Draco turned on heel and walked back to where Ginny was standing. "I'm performing tonight."
"In the orchestra?" she asked.
"No, in a little club on Diagon Alley. My own stuff. Would you like to come?"
"Draco, how wonderful. Yes, I'd love to. Tell me the name, I'll be there." She said, smiling.
Draco gave her the relevant information and they parted. He wondered why he had done it all afternoon. The knot in his stomach seemed to grow as the hours wore on.
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Ginny walked into the little club that night and sat down at the table the man at the door instructed her to. A waitress brought her a glass of water and she settled in to people watch a bit till Draco's show started.
Draco and his band came on stage and started out with several cover songs. Then Draco said he wanted to play some of his original work for them. He played many songs that Ginny recognized as things he'd worked on in the past when they were together. Then he spoke softly into the microphone and said, "This one is one I just finished up. I'd like to give the credit for it to a princess I know.
You were wrong
You were right
You are gone
Tonight
You were free
So alive
You were wrong
You were right
You were down
You could see
You wore hearts for me
You were sharp
Sharp as knives
You were wrong
You were right
Shot down… said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
Woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet…
But I sure am getting there
Shotgun fire… anybody home
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright…
It's not easy tonight
You were bound
You were free
You wear black for me
You were dark
Dark as night
You were wrong
You were right
Shot down… said you never had the chance
Took a ride on a suicide romance
Could have sworn there was somebody home
To facilitate the great unknown
But woman, I ain't going to meet you anywhere
Don't know where I'm going yet…But I sure am getting there
Shotgun fire… anybody home
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright… It's not easy tonight
She's in.
Over my head…and it's not easy it's not easy tonight
Shotgun fire… anybody home
I got two dimes in the telephone
Alright… It's not easy tonight
You were free…
Now your not…
You were free
The band took a break then, and Ginny looked up, expecting Draco to come to her table and at least say hello. He was talking to a lovely blond woman that had come out of the crowd. Draco didn't even look her way. Ginny watched glumly as the pretty woman ran her hand down the front of Draco's shirt, fingers stopping to play with a button. She must have been insane to even imagine that Draco had been trying to extend a hand of reconciliation with his invite. It was probably just out of his overblown sense of propriety and he was probably not expecting her to actually show up.
Ginny was staring morosely down into her water glass when a familiar voice filled her ears. "Ginny, Lass, what are you doing here?"
Ginny looked up into the smiling face of Seamus Finnigan. "Seamus!" she said, smiling back.
Seamus leaned down and kissed Ginny's cheek. Though bitterly disappointed when Ginny had called off the wedding, he harbored no ill will. He had known in his heart from the very beginning that it likely would end this way. He noticed the forlorn look on Ginny's face. "What's wrong love?"
"Nothing really. I just thought- "Ginny said, looking back at the stage to see both Draco and the blond woman had disappeared. "Well, it doesn't matter what I though. Seamus, would you be wonderful enough to take me home?"
"Of course Gin. Don't you know that's who I am? The wonderful Seamus Finnigan?" he said, extending his arm to Ginny as she laughed.
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Draco was extremely annoyed. He'd been on his way to the table Ginny was at when Desdemona had waylaid him. Desdemona was a member of the orchestra and hadn't seemed to have gotten through her head that Draco wasn't interested in her attention.
"Draco" she purred prettily as she trailed a hand down his chest. "That was simply wonderful. Who is this princess? What color hair does she have? It isn't blond by any chance is it?"
Draco glanced over his shoulder to where Ginny sat. His level of frustration rose to see her smiling up at someone. Finnigan! Peeling Desdemona's hand from his chest he said, "Actually Des, her hair is red. Now, if you'll excuse me."
"Draco!" shouted a man from the side of the stage.
"Yes, Scott? What is it?" Draco sighed.
"We've a problem with the equipment."
"Can't you handle it?" Draco asked, scowling as he saw Finnigan kiss Ginny's cheek.
"I think you'd better come take a look."
"Very well, "Draco said, moving past the blond woman with one last glance in Ginny's direction.
When he'd solved the problem backstage, Draco hurried out to at least speak to Ginny before the second set started. He saw her table was empty and thought maybe she had gone to the bar for a drink or to the restroom. He waited by her table while he scanned the crowd. After five minutes he had to admit defeat. She was gone. And Finnigan wasn't in the bar anymore either.
So much for any ridiculous notions he'd entertained about reconciliations.
Three days later, Bill invited Draco to lunch. Draco seriously considered saying no but Bill and he had become good friends and he admired the man tremendously.
"So, I was pretty surprised you let Ginny go." Said Bill, munching on a steak.
"What was I supposed to do? She lied to me. Obviously she didn't want me or she'd have told me about the baby?" said Draco.
"Yes, but I meant that you let her go away." Said Bill.
Draco looked up in alarm. "Go away? Where?"
Bill looked astounded. "To Ireland with Seamus. Oh, mum tried to stop her, with the baby being so close and all, but she wouldn't hear of it. Draco, I thought you knew. She said she'd just come from seeing you and you weren't interested in what she did at all."
His chair fell over as Draco stood suddenly. "I'm sorry Bill; I'm going to have to cut this short."
"Where are you going?" called Bill as Draco hurried away.
"To find a run away witch." Draco said.