Run

Chapter 5: When The Time's Right.

Hermione cried hysterically when Cormac told her the news about Draco Malfoy. She sobbed into his shoulder.

"He wasn-wasn't, su-supposed to know!" She cried.

Cormac kissed her forehead and dried her tear.

" 'Mione look at me." Cormac said.

Hermione looked into his hazel eyes.

"Next year we'll send him to Durmstrang. It's just as good a school, and it's closer to Vienna anyway." Cormac unwillingly said.

Hermione shook her head. "We can't pull him out of Hogwarts."

"You could always meet with Draco and Astoria, he wants to apologise and he promised he wouldn't tell Thomas. Malfoy knows he's our son!"

Hermione nodded. "I'll do it, but please come with me."

Cormac kissed her. "Of course."

A week later Draco was sleeping on the couch after telling Astoria about Thomas.

He couldn't help but think about Thomas. The more he saw him and the more he got to know him the more he wished he had been apart of his childhood.

He hadn't been a part of his son's childhood! It disgusted him.

Thomas was a good boy, smart, athletic, friendly, brave, witty and ambitious.  Everything Draco wanted to be as a teenager.

Thomas often stayed behind class to talk to his professor, he had made a new friend.

He sat by the lake with Mick and Mack Finnigan, James Potter and Roxanne Weasley and Juliette Longbottom when   Professor Malfoy and Professor Longbottom sprinted across the grounds towards them.

'How odd.'  Thomas thought.

Draco and Neville had just been told why they had to fetch Thomas. As they ran across the school grounds towards the Gryffindor pupils Draco had to stop himself from slowing down. There they were running towards their children, Neville running towards his daughter, Draco running towards his son.

"Thomas!" Draco shouted.

Thomas stood up and ran towards them.

"What?" Thomas asked.

"Come on Thomas, you're going home." Neville said grabbing his arm and running with Draco on their heels.

"What do you mean I'm going home!?" Thomas demanded, furiously.

Draco had to admit he saw a bit of himself in Thomas at that moment.

"Your father owled..." Draco stopped running, Thomas and Neville stopped as well. Draco pulled Thomas over to a near bench. "...a few days ago your sister got sick."

Thomas instantly turned green. "Sick? Again?" He asked quietly.

Draco looked at his son. "Again? She's been sick before?" He asked.

Thomas nodded. "Two years ago. She nearly died."

Draco and Neville looked at each other.

"What was wrong with her?" Neville asked.

"Something to do with her magic coming in." Thomas said fighting tears.

"Magic coming in? Magic doesn't come in until a child's between five and eight." Draco stated.

Neville nodded. "Some, but very few, children are different. The earlier a child is the more dangerous it can be."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"That plant." Thomas whispered to himself.

"Plant?" Draco asked.

"Yeah it was this rare plant that saved her last time. The healers tried magic but you know magic fighting magic can be dangerous." Thomas said quietly.

"What plant?" Neville asked, being the herbologist that he was.

"Don't know you'd have to ask my Mum." Thomas answered.

His Mum. Draco thought about Hermione probably crying over her and McClaggens little girl.

"It's part of the reason why we move a lot. Mum and Dad sponsor ways to find new cures." Thomas informed them, a single tear falling down his pale cheek.

Draco gulped. Although he barely knew his son the thought of any one of his children crying made his heart break.

"Ok Thomas, I'm going with you to drop you off at your parents house in Austria. Headmistress McGonagall is more than understanding about the situation. She's willing to send a tutor over for you, to keep up with your schoolwork until you decide to come back." Draco said with a hand in Thomas's shoulder.

Thomas nodded. "Thanks." He whispered.

"Go on up to your dorm and get your trunk. Professor Malfoy will stay outside." Neville told the young boy, being Gryffindors head of house.

Thomas ran off to his dorm.

Draco stood up, Neville pushed him down and sat next to him.

Neville gave him a knowing look. Draco started to panic.

"You know, you and Thomas, you're very alike in behaviours, language, looks!" Neville said beating around the bush.

"Really? I don't see it." Draco said a little too quickly, standing up and started walking up to the school.

"You don't? How long has it been since you've seen Hermione?" Neville asked.

Draco internally cursed. Neville was onto the secret.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. Twelve, thirteen years?"

Neville raised an eyebrow. "Twelve years, huh. How old is Thomas?"

"Eleven." Draco answered.

"And you would know because..?" Neville continued.

"I've asked him. I give him more advanced work. He'a got a talent for potions." Draco said simply.

Neville stopped walking, Draco didn't.

"A talent he got from his father!" Neville said accusingly.

Draco stopped and turned back. He knew that Neville knew. He walked over to him.

"You can't tell anyone!" Draco hissed. "I've only just found out myself. And by no means can you or anyone else EVER tell Thomas!"

Neville huffed. "Thomas deserves to know, Malfoy."

Draco turned. "He'll find out, I'll tell him when he's a bit older. I want to get to know him before he finds out and disowns me."

"He won't." Neville protested.

"He hates his father. He's told me himself." Draco spat.

Neville was about to protest.

"Look. He's just started Hogwarts. His baby sister is dying. His parents just moved to Vienna, Austria. Cormac McClaggen has been his father since he was a young child. Finding out about me is way too much for an eleven year old to handle." Draco stated.

Neville nodded. "Any idea when you're going to tell him?"

"When the time's right." Draco answered simply.