Boy - (A 'Blaire Zabini' sequel) || Draco Malfoy

16 - Fantastic Mr Fox

"'We will make,' said Mr Fox, 'a little underground village, with streets and houses on each side - separate houses for Badgers and Moles and Rabbits and Weasels and Foxes. And every day I will go shopping for you all. And every day we will eat like kings.'"

Draco paused, knowing this was the part when Jack liked to interrupt ("That's us, Daddy! The Weasels and Foxes!").

Which made him, he supposed, Fantastic Mr Fox.

But he didn't feel fantastic. Mr Fox got to stay underground with Mrs Fox and their children every night. Draco had to go home to a disappointed wife whom he lied to about being at work.

A wife who was getting bigger every day.

Draco would sometimes catch himself staring at Astoria's stomach, silently apologising to the child growing inside, looking quickly away again before she could accuse him of calling her fat or something.

Draco kissed the top of his son's head, a rush of love swelling his heart, silently thanking Blaire for allowing him this time with their boy.

Monday. His favourite day. It was his and Jack's day.

True to her word, Blaire stayed away. Stayed away so that he could have a relationship with his son with less of a guilty conscience. He loved her for that.

But he missed her incredibly much. He missed his best friend.

"Can Mummy play, too?" Jack asked when Draco had promised him he'd teach him how to play cards when he visited the following week. "Mummy likes cards, it's on her bracelet next to the treehouse."

Draco's heart gave a small twist. "We'll see," he said, not being able to look his son in the eye. "But I'm sure she wouldn't want to interrupt our boys day."

"I love playing with Mummy," Jack sighed, sounding almost wistful, "she lets me win things."

"Wow," Draco chuckled, fondly recalling the hours he and Blaire had spent playing game after game of cards, "you must be very special indeed then because when we were at school, your mum never let me win a single thing."

"Oh." Jack frowned, looking confused. "Didn't Mummy like you, then?"

"On the contrary," Draco said, his voice coming out hoarse as he paused to swallow down a painful lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat, "we were the best of friends."

******

"Another Gurdyroot infusion?

I tore my attention away from my bracelet which I had been tenderly stroking, blinking up at Luna who was looking at me expectantly.

"No, you're alright thanks," I said checking the clock on the wall behind her ear. "Jack should be in bed by now, I best be getting back."

"It seems such a shame that it has to be this way," Luna sighed dreamily. "You and Draco used to seem so happy together."

"He's married," I said, gritting my teeth, feeling as though I'd been over this at least a hundred times. "And he's here to spend time with his son; not me."

"But if he wasn't married?"

"He is, and he also has another child on the way," I said in an unnaturally light voice, trying my best not to sound bitter, "this is us putting the children first. The way it has to be."

"Happy parents have happy children," Luna shrugged. "I know if Daddy had ever turned around and said he was in love with a Hippogriff, I'd support him."

"Are you comparing me to a Hippogriff?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not at all," she smiled serenely, "Hippogriffs have far superior talons to yours."