Will I

CHAPTER-9

Ginny rubbed her hands nervously, while trying to keep Dorje on her seat, silent.

She tried to remember the letter she got yesterday, wondering if she misinterpreted it.

Miss Weasley,

Kindly come to the 'Café Coffee' near The Leaky Cauldron tomorrow at five in the evening sharp.

Don't think this letter as a hoax. I know that you are an Auror, so don't try any tactics with me. Come alone, I could be of lot of help to you. Just come to the café and take the corner most table there. It's situated beside the door. I have an information on the Samuel case on which you wasted more than two months in India.

Don't try and tell Mr. Potter, your brothers or anyone you know of this, or they too may be in danger.

Yours sincerely,

Someone worthy of your attention.

The letter had such a portentous ring to it that Ginny felt compelled not to tell to anybody. She was, however, afraid to go alone (one of her many liabilities during her pregnancies). So she took Dorje with her, informing Hermione of her 'walk down the street' in a letter beside the phone.

But it was now half past five and Ginny's patience was stretched to its limit. She decided it was probably a joke and scooped up Dorje in her arms. She turned and saw something...or someone who surprised her so much that she had to sit down to regain her composure.

"HA HA! I surprised you didn't I?" he asked, laughing as he came into view.

Ginny's eyes blazed. "You scared the hell out of me! Is this the way to treat a pregnant woman?" she scolded him. "Sending her unnamed letters for her to come alone, and then scaring her like this?"

"But it was fun, admit it Ginny," he persisted. "Don't deny it! You liked the excitement, didn't you?"

Ginny knew she had been defeated. She grinned and stood up. "It's too good to see you Malfoy," she said and hugged him. Dorje growled softly. Draco raised his eyebrows inquisitively. Ginny laughed and motioned him to sit down, while ordering for two sandwiches, juice and a coffee.

"So, you're here," Ginny said slowly.

Draco rolled his eyes. "No, my ghost is here. I died long ago."

"Shut up!" Ginny scolded him playfully. "How come you're here, when you said you would never come back?"

Draco paused for a second as their sandwiches arrived and then said, "Well, I changed my mind."

Ginny asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

"Well, my bank transferred me here. So I think it would be better if I lived here, while still retaining my job, but away from the hustle and bustle of the magical world."

Ginny's mouth dropped. "You're shifting here?"

"Yes, madam."

"And Sarah? Is she also here?"

Draco paused for a second. "No, Ginny. Sarah decided our marriage couldn't go further. She says I remind her too much of our son, whom she wishes to forget. We'll be divorcing soon. She'll send me the papers through her lawyer. In fact, the reason I decided to come here is that I couldn't live there anymore," he finished.

Ginny took his hand. "I'm sorry it went this way," she said sincerely.

"Even I couldn't have helped it." He sighed. "I guess it was supposed to end like this."

"I'm happy you're here though. It will be better for the both of us. I badly need a friend here," Ginny confessed.

Malfoy looked at her. "Because of your pregnancy? Sarah told me about it."

Ginny nodded her head, not thinking where this would lead. Draco shifted his chair beside her. "Ginny, can I ask you a question?"

"You already have, but fire on!" Ginny was happy to see him and didn't know how to express it, even if their conversation was taking a turn she didn't want.

"You were never married to Harry, were you?" he asked, grasping her palm and tenderly drawing light patterns on it.

The world crashed down on Ginny. "How did you guess?"

Malfoy smiled. "What I didn't tell you was that I am in constant contact with this world through the Daily Prophet. I guessed that you two probably came to investigate me for the Samuel abduction case. I didn't know whether you and Harry were actually married or not. I seriously doubted it. But my doubts were confirmed the day I met you in the hotel."

"How?" Ginny asked, confused.

Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "You had no wedding band, ring, or anything on. You would have had one, especially when you were newly wed."

Ginny laughed at the critical mistake of Harry's plan. "I think you should come to the Auror Department. We seriously need more people like you."

"I also read about Harry's engagement to Harriet Jones."

Ginny couldn't say anything, so she just smiled painfully and nodded at the waitress who served their coffee and juice. She looked down and played with her spoon in the juice.

"How the hell are you tolerating all this Ginny? This is total BULLSHIT! How can you live like this?" he asked with passion so intense and heart warming that Ginny couldn't control her tears. She buried her face in his shoulders and cried obstinately.

Draco had guessed this would follow and was extremely sympathetic. He patted her head, as she fired away the whole story from the start: how it happened, how she had to come to India, what hell was her life now, about Harry's proposal and her subsequent rejection, and her constant attraction towards Harry, even when she knew he was engaged to Harriet.

Finally, with a monstrous effort Ginny controlled her tears and laughed nervously. "Oh, Draco I am so sorry I spoiled you entire shirt with my tears." She tried to laugh but cried even more. "I just can't help it! I cry so often in my pregnancy."

Draco controlled his laughter. "All ladies cry when they're pregnant," he said and wiped her tears with his fingers, "Especially when they have a shoulder of such a handsome man to cry on." Ginny laughed and swatted him on his shoulders and he continued on a serious note, "Do you want to marry someone in the future?" he asked her the most common question Ginny shook her head.

"I do, but not Harry or someone who will want to marry me just for his sympathy towards my child." Draco handed her a napkin and she wiped her nose.

Draco nodded in approval. "I agree. You should always try to find a man who calls you cute instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who stays awake in the night just to see you sleep, who cuddles you instead of kissing you. Always wait for the guy who kisses your forehead and wants to show the world what you mean to him, who holds your hands in front of your friends. Your ideal man will be the one who is continuously reminding you how much he loves you and how lucky he is to have you and the one who would turn to his friends and say, 'Hey, guys, this is my sweetheart'!" he finished.

Ginny whistled instinctively. "Wow that was heavy baby! Who told you this anyways?' she asked him.

Draco shrugged his shoulders but looked intensely at her. "Sarah once said this is what she believed of her dream man. But Ginny, I mean this for you. You don't deserve a man less than this. You are one of the most gorgeous, lovely, adorable, charming, and simple yet trendy women I have met and dated. You are a man with man, a child with child and a woman with woman. You know how to live your life to the fullest and I respect you for that. I am probably being stupid, but if you don't get someone who fulfills all these requirements, don't marry your entire life." Draco dramatically wiped the false tears on the brim of his eyes and Ginny had trouble not to choke on her coffee.

"Enough about me and my pathetic life. Now, where do you plan to live?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Well, my bank allotted me a flat-" he took a slip of paper and gave it her. "-here. This is the address. I am afraid I don't know muggle London. You'll have to guide me home," he said a little too cheerfully, sipping his coffee.

Ginny read the address and was so elated that she finally choked on her coffee and started laughing. Draco looked at her fearfully.

Ginny tried to control her laughter. "Don't worry. I laughed only because this address is the flat just adjacent to Ron's. You're shifting in the flat just beside where I'm living right now."

Draco snatched the paper from her looked at the address and then at her, as if to confirm himself. After a few seconds, he also snorted.

"Well, this is what we call fate," he said, standing up and offering her his hand.

"Surely," Ginny said as she took his hand and stood up, wincing slightly. Draco paid the bill and they left the café hand-in-hand, with Dorje in her other hand.

"Oooh my my! Surely you are Draco Malfoy, aren't you? The only son of the famous Death Eater, Lucious Malfoy, aren't you?" someone said gleefully behind them as soon as they exited from the door.

Malfoy and Ginny turned back in surprise. Surely he hasn't told anyone else so early! Ginny thought as she turned.

Whom they saw was even a bigger surprise. It was Cho, her Quick-Quotes quill already in her hand. She looked at Draco with obvious interest. "Finally! The most wanted son of a Death Eater has come back after such a long exile," she murmured excitedly. "What do you want to say about your return? Was the Ministry unfair with you?"

Draco gave his famous sneer, which Ginny enjoyed immensely only when it was not directed at her. He walked off on the empty footpath with her and Cho rushed and came in front of them. "Sod off, Chang. I don't want to say anything to you. I don't give an interview to people who try to take someone else's titles, just by imitating them," he said and Ginny snickered.

This drew her attention to Ginny and Cho looked at her with utmost fascination, especially her round stomach. "Oh! Looks like this is going on for a long time! Mr. Malfoy, how did you feel when you married Miss Weasley--I mean--Mrs. Malfoy? How does it feel now that you're going to become a father?" she rubbed her hands gleefully.

Draco, who had turned to go away, looked back at her, and laughed derisively. "To tell you the truth, I felt very wonderful when I married, but not to Miss Weasley here," he said as his hand slipped down to grasp Ginny's wrist. "I married Miss Korniss in India. Her name is at present Mrs. Sarah Malfoy." He drew out his wand moved so threateningly at Cho that she hurriedly took a few steps back in fright as she was alone. "And about Ginny's pregnancy, I'm warning you lady. If you utter even a single word about it in your paper, I might pull a Death Eater and nobody will be able to find even your bones," he said, sneering. Ginny was surprised to see the wand in Draco's hand. He pulled up his hood as he advanced towards Cho.

Cho laughed suddenly. "How can anyone expect anything else from you, Malfoy! Surely you must have remembered some of the techniques from your father. Then again, you were the reason your mother committed suicide, or rather, was killed," she back fired with such malice that Ginny wanted to cringe and Draco's whole body tensed.

"You won't ever learn, will you?" Ginny hissed at her suddenly.

Cho's smile vanished. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Draco's grip on her wrist tightened as he tried to move far from Cho but Ginny resisted. "Even since Cedric died and your disastrous affair with Harry ended, you've done nothing except destroy everyone else's lives. No one loves you because of this and still you don't understand. How thick your mind can get, Cho?" she said spitefully, appalled at Cho's superseded thinking.

Draco probably sensed danger and started pulling at her. "Come on Ginny, that's enough!" he said. Dorje mewed silently in approval.

But Ginny was so angry that she wanted to kill Cho the Muggle way as she didn't have her wand. To fuel her anger, Cho started saying all the disgusting things she could, while Ginny struggled to fight off Malfoy.

To calm Ginny down, Draco suddenly stunned Cho. Ginny looked at him surprised, while still struggling with him. Draco opened his mouth to say something but a streak of blue light hit Malfoy and he fell on the pavement, surprise written on every inch of his face.

"Gin! Are you all right?" Harry shouted, still standing from where he sent the Impediment curse on Draco. Ginny looked at Draco, sprawled on the floor with his face towards the ground, and had to try very hard to control her laughter.

Harry rushed over to her. "Are you hurt, Gin? Did he hurt you?" he asked, as he stood over Malfoy, his wand in position. Ginny shook her head.

The effect of the curse was now withering off and soon Malfoy stood up and stretched his hand towards Harry, who was busy talking to Ginny and didn't see him. "Harry--OUCH!" he started to say, but Harry punched him so hard without even seeing his face that Draco fell flat on the ground.

"Potter, you prat!" Malfoy shouted as he fell.

Harry stopped his second punch in mid-air. "Malfoy?" he asked incredously.

"Who else? What did in name of Merlin did you curse me for?" Draco muttered, standing up and wiping his nose.

"The scene from where I was standing didn't look good! I thought you were kidnapping Gin after I saw you stun that person over there," Harry muttered, blushing slightly.

Draco sniggered. "Well, I wasn't! In fact--"

"Hey, is this Cho?" Harry asked, pointing where she was lying, her black shiny hair visible beneath her cap.

Before Ginny or Draco could say anything, Harry muttered "Enervate!" and Cho woke up. Dorje growled and bared her teeth at Cho.

"Oh Harry, darling! So good to see you!" she exclaimed and stood up. Ginny and Draco raised their eyebrows at each other. These two look pretty close, Draco mouthed to her and Ginny had an urge to curse Cho for even looking at Harry like that. Cho made no move to pursue her earlier subjects.

"Well, Harry how do you feel now that you are engaged to Miss Harriet Jones and probably booked in the view of general masses?" Cho asked him, dusting her jacket and picking up her Quick-Quotes quill from the ground.

Sensing Ginny stiffen on the mention of Harriet, Draco murmured, "We'd better go!" He shook hands with Harry in farewell and pulled Ginny away from them, which Ginny allowed him to do willingly. As they walked away a few steps, Ginny heard a throaty laughter and looked back. Cho was laughing at a particular joke Harry made and was way too close to him. Ginny stopped and looked at them, forcing Draco to do the same.

Cho motioned Harry down and Harry bent his head down to hear her say. She said something to which Harry agreed willingly and nodded his head. Suddenly, Cho kissed him on his lips seemed to want to go further, but Harry stopped her, motioning towards the people walking by. Cho turned, inter changing their positions so that now she had her back to Ginny and Ginny could see Harry. Harry said something to her and winked. Cho again threw her head back as she laughed and went with Harry, walking hand in hand.

This made Ginny so sick that she rushed over and retched in the nearest garbage bin on the footpath. Dorje growled in surprise. Draco thumped her on the back and gave her his napkin, saying nothing of the scene they had just witnessed.

Malfoy walked home with her, letting Ginny lead the way. Slowly, he opened the door with keys Ginny gave to him. Nobody was home yet, so he walked inside with her. He sat her on the nearest sofa and brought a glass of water for her. Ginny was staring at the ground, still hurt by what she had seen.

"Ignore it Ginny, you can't help it. You can't help it that Harry is too blind to see your beauty, falling for all those dumb ladies out there," Draco tried to console her. He paused for a second and kissed her on her cheek.

Ginny glared at him. "That's not what I'm thinking. I just can't understand why it still hurts to see him talking to another woman. I know I can't have him. But why, why can't I move further..." she looked away, blinking her tears away.

Draco sat beside her and took her hands, rubbing them soothingly. After a short silence he said, "Sometimes we can't help it. If you feel better about it, let me tell you this. I also had a terrible affection towards you. I missed you terribly when I went to India." He looked away slightly and whispered so that Ginny couldn't hear, "I guess I still do."

Ginny looked at him, shocked to the inner core at his confession. He continued, "But then I found Sarah by mistake, who was also running away and I married her." He looked at her. "You'll also find someone one day you know and this will fade. Just wait for the right one at the right time."

Ginny smiled but stopped as she remembered the scene she witnessed just now. "Draco, do you remember what Cho said?" she asked him suddenly.

"Why?"

Ginny tried to get the exact words, "Well she said something that 'you are engaged to Miss Harriet Jones and probably booked in the view of general masses'"

Draco pondered over it for a moment. "Well, it sounded strange to me also, but I couldn't find any specific meaning to it."

They both went into deep silence, trying to construe what Cho might have meant.

Suddenly Ginny remembered all the Daily Prophet articles relating to Harry's engagement and their meeting with Cho in India, and looked fearfully at Draco, as if confirm with him.

It seemed Draco also had a possible meaning as he also looked at her.

"Well I've got a theory..." both of them started together, but Draco motioned Ginny to go further.

"As far as I can understand from Cho's coverage on his engagement, she seems pretty delighted about it. It's strange when after all that, she flirts and kisses him so ostentatiously ..." she trailed and Draco finished her sentence.

"The only reason she should be happy is if all this is nothing but a cover to hide their own nasty love affair from the public by saying Harry married a nice, decent, social girl."