My Godfather

Chapter XLIX: Winter Break

Draco wasn't sure how long he had been lying on the couch, sniffling into the cushions. He wasn't full out sobbing but there were definitely a few tear stains on the sofa.

He heard the floo roar and stiffened. His mother wasn't supposed to be back home so soon. He turned his face further into the cushions and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

He didn't want to talk to her right now.

Regulus stepped out of the floo at Malfoy Manor and saw Draco lying on the couch with his face buried against the backrest.

Was the kid asleep?

"Draco?"

The boy shot up, obviously surprised by Regulus' voice. He had probably been expecting his mother to come home.

Regulus saw the tear tracks on his cheeks and felt like a huge arse. He swallowed thickly and spoke.

"I just wanted to talk a bit. You got a minute?"

"I thought you said you were busy." The words slipped out before Draco could stop himself.

His father would have definitely punished him for it.

He turned his face away from Regulus and scrubbed at his face, trying to get rid of any evidence that he'd been crying.

The man winced at the boy's bitter tone. He deserved that. And so much worse.

He went and sat down on the coffee table next to the couch. "I actually do have a bit of spare time on hand now," he said.

"How nice."

"I wanted to talk to you about something." Regulus hoped he sounded stronger than he felt. When he had started out teaching Draco, he had expected this to be a mentor-mentee relationship.

He most certainly hadn't expected to get attached to the boy who so strongly reminded him of his childhood self.

Draco was torn. On one hand, he wanted to cut the attitude and just go back to being miserable and on the other hand, he wanted to know what Regulus had to say. The man sounded so solemn.

Had he come to tell him that he would permanently discontinue mentoring Draco? A large lump formed in his throat at the thought.

"Could you perhaps look at me?"

He couldn't. Draco didn't want to face his mentor. He didn't want anymore bad news. That morning's harsh dismissal had stung more than he cared to admit.

He heard Regulus sigh before the man got up and Draco felt miserable. Great. All he had wanted all these days was for Regulus to stop ignoring him.

He heard receding footsteps and waited for the floo to roar.

But a minute later, the footsteps were back and Regulus took his spot on the coffee table once more.

"I've got some ice cream here with me. It looks like a new flavour."

Draco turned around immediately, surprised. He saw Regulus holding a tub full of ice cream and two spoons.

This wasn't what he had expected. He had fully expected Regulus to leave him to wallow in peace.

The man opened the tub and dug a spoon in and held it out to Draco.

In spite of himself, Draco let out a short laugh even as he accepted the spoon. "Really? Bribing me with ice cream?"

Regulus quirked a small smile.

Regulus watched the boy dig into the ice cream. Draco looked much younger, curled up on the couch with a tub full of ice cream in his hands, his normally slicked blond hair was messy and fell on his eyes.