My Son

Chapter5:

A week had passed since the discussion in which Draco had confessed to his son that he was not his biological father. Gabriel did not take the news too badly. He had cried and he had sworn he loved Draco like his father. And that it would never change anything between them because it was Draco who had been there all his childhood and not that idiot who had sacrificed himself and who had missed everything in his life: his family life and his mission to save the world.

Draco had asked him not to be that harsh with Harry Potter. His life was far from rosy. Then Gabriel finally confessed to Draco that Hermione had made the right choice, that he had been happy with him, the one he had always called Papa.

They were both on the way to visit Hermione. In the corridor of the hospital, Gabriel held and squeezed his father's hand tightly in his own. He was tense and did not understand what was happening to him. He was going to see his mother.

When they entered the room, it was Draco who caught Hermione's eyes. She did not even seem to have noticed the presence of her son. She was still wearing her white dress. Today, however, she was elegantly combed, no doubt aided by a nurse, and began to wear makeup. Blue was spreading over her eyelids and protruding over her cheeks. Black packets adorned his eyelashes and forehead. A red lipstick encircled his mouth and protruded on his nose.

- I was hoping you would come, I made myself beautiful for you.

Gabriel tried to hold back his tears and saw that his father was doing the same.

They followed her inside and Gabriel put the bouquet of flowers he had prepared in a vase. He took his time. This woman always made him a little scared.

- You're gorgeous Hermione

Draco articulated this name as if to savor every syllable. Gabriel realized by looking at him that his father was sincere. He did not really know what linked this woman to his father, what adventures of youth there had been between them but he guessed that his father had loved this woman and that after all his years, he still loved her.

She responded to this compliment with a smile and rosy cheeks of pleasure. She looked like a girl to whom her father had just said she was a princess. Gabriel dared not say anything. She took the first step towards him. She put her hand on the cheek of this shy teenager who remained silent.

She gazed at those eyes, that look she had liked about another one but that about that teenager did not have the same meaning.

- I did not know that Harry Potter had a son.

Gabriel did not answer him. He could not bring himself to think that Draco was not his father. It was he who answered Hermione.

- Yes, you knew it.

- No, you're wrong, Ginny has no children.

Hermione's eagerness to respond to Draco testified to the appearance of old memories in Hermione's confused mind that she was trying to make her disappear in the same way that Gabriel had tried to refuse the title of son of Harry Potter.

- It's not Ginny's son, Hermione!

The look of her changed, she understood. The veil of madness that hid the truth from his arrival at St. Mungo's had just disappeared.

- It's my child

After this painful admission, she sat on her bed crying.

Gabriel approached her and took her in his arms. He whispered in his ear to calm down, not to cry, that everything would be fine. He held this fragile body against him, trying to remain calm and transmit this tranquility to this woman, who continued to shed tears in silence. The witch's desperation hurt him, because he felt he was in charge. They stayed a long time, like that, silent

When Hermione started talking again, her son was still hugging her, but it was her father who spoke to her. She stared into Draco's eyes and began telling them everything she remembered.

She spoke of his immense love for Ron but of their boredom, of their frequent quarrels. That night, maybe after a few drinks too much, she had let her feelings for Harry speak, where they had a wonderful night together. Her surprise and horror when she realized she was pregnant with Harry.

- I went to Drumstang to rest and hide this pregnancy from everyone. Then I learned about Harry's death.

Her tears came slowly down her cheeks.

- I chose to come back after the birth of my son. I had found a way to rid the world of the dark wizard. But for that, I had to sacrifice myself. I spent days developing my plan and I came to the conclusion that I had to separate from you darling.

As she spoke her gaze was again coming to land on Gabriel.

"I could not give it to Ron or even Ginny. They would have realized someday that this kid's father was Harry and I ... I could not do that to them.

She had decided to keep this child as far as possible from the members of the Order of the Phoenix. The first possibility she had considered was to entrust him to a muggle family. But it was too risky because if she ever failed in her mission, this child would be a muggle child, a mudblood in the minds of their opponents and he would be even more in danger.

- So I decided to entrust it to the enemy camp. If I had failed, this child would have grown up in a horrible world, but he would have lived. If I succeeded, the family to which I entrusted it would be imprisoned and their child would be entrusted to a host family who could have cared for him in a peaceful world.

She paused for a second to catch her breath.

- So, my husband and his sister would never have known what we had done and this child would have grown happy.

- So when you left me this child, you lied to me? I was just a backup plan and you really hoped I would go to jail?

Draco was disappointed by this revelation. Yet he had understood when he had met Ginny a few weeks before. He had hoped so much to be wrong, so wanted that it was not true. He was burning with anger and envy to ask Hermione what he had made him think he would let this child live, but he restrains himself because of Gabriel's presence.

- Excuse me Draco, I ...

She did not finish her sentence, but gave Draco a sad look. He was not yet ready to accept his excuses. He was so bad.

After a few minutes of tense silence, Gabriel ventured to speak.

- Mom

Gabriel had trouble pronouncing this word. He had never used it for Daphne because he was too young before Daphne's death and he thought he would never have the opportunity to use it.

- I'm glad you left me at home

Gabriel did not know anymore how to call Draco. He grabbed his hand.

- Daddy ... he took good care of me and if ... my mother had lived longer, I would have been a little boy with 2 awesome parents, very attentive and that I would have liked more than anything in the world.

Hermione did not want Gabriel to understand that she hated the man he called daddy. She got up and threw herself into Draco's arms to whisper loud enough for Gabriel to hear:

- Thank you Draco, for making my son, a man.

She then placed a shy kiss on Draco's cheek and headed for her son, whom she took in her arms. He let himself be, a little impressed. He had trouble getting the idea that this woman so fragile and crazy-looking is his mother.

- I'm glad you were happy with them.

Hermione was sincere. She had always wanted the happiness of her son. Draco looked at them with emotion, how many times had he had this dream? He, Hermione and Gabriel in the same room, forming a family. Of course, that was not quite the case, but they were there together and it was the most important.

- You have a lot of visits today!

Hermione let go of her son abruptly as she heard her friend's voice. Gabriel, when he tried not to look at this woman, because he had understood from the reaction of his mother, that it was Ginny Weasley and she should not see her eyes.

End of Chapter 5