Best Of Five - (A 'Blaire Zabini' sequel) || Draco Malfoy

2 - Jack

"Come on Malfoy, we don't want to miss breakfast. Might be the last decent one I get for the next two months."

"Chill, Danny boy," Jack drawled, slamming the lid of his trunk shut. He didn't understand the big rush. It's not as though food were ever to run out in this place.

Giving his reflection a quick once over in the mirror, taking a moment to push his thick mane of dark curly locks back from his chiselled cheeks and square jaw, he slowly sauntered across the dormitory to where his friend was anxiously waiting in the doorway, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

Jack threw him a half-hearted smile and playfully cuffed him on the shoulder. He liked Daniel, he really did, he was one of his closest friends. But man, he needed to learn to chill a little.

"Any plans for summer?" Jack asked casually as they made their way down through the hallways of the castle, the delicious waft of bacon greeting them as they neared the Great Hall.

"The old man has finally agreed to buy me a car," Daniel answered, shaking back the blonde fringe from his eyes, "providing I get decent results in my end of year exams, that is."

"Sweet," Jack chuckled, "don't forget to swing by the arcade, I'm sure Mum'll be gutted if she misses out on a good old Muggle road trip."

Jack didn't miss the blush creeping to his friend's cheeks, and he chortled under his breath, shaking his head.

Everyone had the hots for his mum. Actually, everyone had the hots for his dad, too. They were both undoubtedly beautiful, very much carrying their looks into middle age. And the fact that they ran a Muggle arcade seemed to make everyone swoon even more (as apposed to them literally saving the world).

Jack personally didn't understand why they did it. They didn't need to work. And he could tell that the customers were getting to his mum by the things she wrote in her letters ('Spat on me simply because he didn't get the toy he wanted! The overgrown piece of shit.").

It was the only thing that he could never remain chill over - the thought of anyone treating her badly. It made him want to beat the absolute crap out of them. They had no idea what she had been through, what she had done for them all.

His mother was a queen and he would fight anyone who would dare challenge that fact.

And his father... well, he loved him, obviously. But there was something not quite right between them, something Jack couldn't quite put his finger on.

He thought of the Scottie dog which sat at the bottom of his trunk, nestled next to his Fantastic Mr Fox book which his father used to read to him back in the Underground days.

Jack's eyes automatically glanced to the window they were passing, which happened to overlook the Whomping Willow.

"Come on," he mumbled, trying to ignore the sudden tightening in his chest, "let's go and enjoy our penultimate 'last' meal of Hogwarts before we miss the train."

One year left of Hogwarts. He couldn't believe it had all gone so quick.

******

Six years previously - Jack's Sorting

"Malfoy, Jack!"