Henrietta Potter And The Slytherin Child - (A 'Henrietta Potter' sequel) || D.M

23 - She

Draco Malfoy almost choked on his cornflakes when he unfolded the Daily Prophet that morning to find Etta staring out at him from the front page. With him. Bloody Tripp.

The things that prick said about her, about their sex life. It sickened him to read, but he couldn't stop. The thought of him even touching her was hard enough for him to bear. But to have it laid out like this in front of him... it made his insides burn with jealousy.

And then he realised, Etta had been faced with this exact same thing thirteen years previously. She had been forced to accept the fact that he, Draco Malfoy, had not been hers alone. And he suddenly understood why she was finding it so difficult to let go of the pain that he had caused her all those years ago.

Draco hated himself.

But in the meantime, he was going to take it out on that bastard, Tripp. Draco wanted to make him pay for talking about Etta like that - and Albus. Their son. And when he was done teaching him a lesson, he would go and tell Etta that he would do anything to help with Albus, even if it meant Astoria finding out that he had fathered another child. He would do anything.

He owed her that at least.

*****

"Draco,"

As he sat behind her desk, adrenaline still pumping through his veins, Draco found his pulse quickening as it always did when she spoke his name. He took in the sight of her; her long dark hair pulled back in a messy knot, her cheeks flushed pink, those tantalising sparkling green eyes that never failed to arouse him whenever they met his, her luscious red lips which he would often dream about kissing.

She was perfect to him. She had always been, ever since he first saw her properly - when they were just fourteen years old - at that night of the Yule Ball.

And, after all this time, he was still crazy about her.

"You punched him." Her eyes pierced intently into his, and he felt that familiar twitch in his trousers.

"And, as I said," he seized without hesitation. "I would do it again. For you."

Giving a breathless laugh, Etta walked towards him and sat on the opposite side of the desk. It amused Draco to see her look so uncomfortable at being on the visiting side for a change. He knew she usually loved to lord over him from her big boss chair.

But today he was going to do the lording.

"I should thank you, I suppose," she mused, "I'd have half expected you to hate me for it, though, or at least tell me you told me so."

"Well I did tell you so," he smirked, earning himself a fierce glare. "But you didn't deserve that - what that prick said about you. And about Albus."

Draco was horrified to see Etta's face crumple, allowing the pain and fear she so often hid laid bare across her features for him to see.

"Draco, what if he reads it? Or the other students taunt him about it? Albus is going to be horrified! He'll never be able to look at me again!"

"I won't let that happen, Etta. I've already been in contact with Minerva and she has assured me that all incoming owls are being checked and that any sign of that paper will be removed before it can reach a single students hand."

The relief on her face made Draco want to leap over the desk and take her in his arms.

"You did that for me? Draco, I - I can't thank you enough,"

"I'd do anything for you, Etta."

As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted them. Because, of course, he had not done what he should have done all those years ago when he'd believed her words that she did not love him. He had not done as he should have done when they had found each other again and indulged in an affair instead of leaving his wife.