I'll let you know now, this story has no actual plot. It's a one-shot and could never be more because there's nothing actually to it. But I like the song, it fits, and I enjoyed writing it. Even if it isn't the best I've written. Enjoy yourselves. (First fic working with Boy!Blaise.)
Front Porch Looking In
The regal blonde stood from his seat in the dark corner of the pub. After letting out a yawn, he spoke to his companions. "I've got to head out, guys."
The larger two of the three recumbent men looked at each other and let out hearty guffaws. "Why is that, Drake?" one asked, "The little Gryff give you a curfew?"
"Imagine that!" The other large man laughed, "A Malfoy with a curfew!"
The fourth man, stick thin with black hair, turning gray at the temples, smirked. "Sit back down, Malfoy. The night's young yet. That old ball and chain won't miss you for another few hours." Draco sighed and dropped back into his seat. There was no winning against the ex-Slytherins. Blaise spoke again. "Speaking of ball and chains, how many of you have been sleeping with my woman?"
Among the four men it was a question of jest. Draco was the first to answer it. "The wench came on to me three times last month. Only twice so far this month, but it's only the eighth."
Vincent Crabbe grunted. "Twice in my house, once in your kitchen."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "The least you could do is not screw her in my own home. Now I have to go and buy a new house."
"Like you wouldn't have done it anyway." Draco took drink from his mug and glanced at his watch. "Look, it's been swell guys, but the swelling's gone down." He tried to stand again, but was pulled down by his old schoolmates.
"Complain about your wife." It was more than just a suggestion coming from Gregory Goyle's mouth. It was an order.
Draco sighed. "She's disgustingly beautiful. She loves me so much it's smothering. The kids are," he wasn't allowed to finish his sentence.
"Demons!" shouted Goyle.
"Monsters!" Crabbe chimed in.
"Money grubbing pre-pubescent thieves," the eldest muttered, draining his pint of the all liquid.
Draco shook his head in the dark corner. He was planning on saying "perfect." Goyle had begun talking and the blonde tuned back into what he was complaining about.
"-and she was complaining that I wasn't spending enough time with her! Can you believe that?" He slammed his drink on the table for effect, sending stale beer cascading over the dirty glass of the mug. "Like I don't spend enough time with her already! Where am I almost every other night? Who do I spend one weekend a month with?" The thick skinned man grunted. "And it's not like I get anything out of it!"
"Don't you have some kids?" Draco checked his watch again. How much longer before he could slip away?
"Three of 'em. Filthy little buggers. And Sues says I'm supposed to be proud that the middle one just got sorted into Hufflepuff! Hufflepuff!"
Blaise let out a snorting laugh. "Greg, wasn't Susan in Hufflepuff?"
"It don't matter! The middle one's a boy! The oldest- Desdemona- she got into Slytherin. But Ferris had to go and be put in Hufflepuff!"
Vinnie shook his head. "How embarrassing."
"And what about your monsters?" Goyle asked Draco, "Where are they?"
"Hewitt's in Ravenclaw. It'll be a while yet till Melody's old enough to go. We're considering sending her to Beauxbatons anyway. And Flynn isn't even two yet." He sighed and stood, for a third time. "Guys, I've got to go. Early meeting, you know."
They all nodded and, grumbling, stood from their seats. "I've got the bill," muttered Crabbe, pulling out a bag jangling with golden coins. They each nodded to each other and with a pop, disappeared.
~*~
Draco rubbed his eyes and focused back on the game. The game was getting far too long. He needed to find the snitch. Glancing around, he took in the sights below him. The green grass of Ireland stretched out below him for miles. The sky above his head was a clear blue with clouds scattered about. Perfect quiddich weather. He sighed.
"Ginny must be missing me," he muttered to himself. "Hopefully as much as I'm missing her." Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glint of gold. Within seconds the blonde was shooting after it, a dark girl following right behind him.
He caught the snitch. As if there was any doubt in anybody's mind that he wouldn't. He stood stoically for the compulsory photos, and he smiled when he lifted the heavy trophy above his shoulders. He was the best, and he knew it. He was the best, and everybody knew it.
~*~
The pub was far too loud for his tastes. His teammates, celebrating their victory over The Chudley Cannons, had decorated the bar in bright yellow and a seemingly even brighter black. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, remembering why he never enjoyed cheering for the Wasps when he was younger.
He cautiously made his way to the center of the commotion, and to his captain. "Ajani," Draco shouted, trying to get the dark man's attention. "Ajani, I'm going to apperate home."
The African man turned to his seeker. "What?" Draco repeated his statement, having to scream it into the captain's ear. Ajani seemed perplexed. "But Drake," he shouted back, pulling the two of them into a quieter corner, "Drake, we've still got practice in the morning."
"Ajani, I haven't seen my wife or my kids in two weeks. Give me a day. Give me a night. I won you this game, and you know it. Give me just one night."
The captain glanced out at the party, now in full swing, and then back at his star player. "Fine," he muttered, "But I want you back at the practice pitch by noon tomorrow!"
Draco disappeared.
~*~
Ginny screamed and ran after her daughter. "Melody!" she wailed, "Melody, get back here! Let me at least help you!" Suddenly she felt something tugging at her leg. Looking down, she smiled.
"Mommy!" The redhead sighed and picked up her youngest child. "Cookie!"
She laughed. "It's not cookie time, it's bed time." The baby began to tear up at the mention of bed. "But first we have to catch your sister!" Ginny laughed at her son's attempt at the word "sissy," which came out sounding more like "icky."
"Melody!" She called out again. "Melody, at least let me look at you!"
A tiny blonde girl who couldn't have been more than seven years old appeared across the room from Ginny. "I'm waiting for Daddy," she told her mother. "I want to look pretty for Daddy."
The redhead, still a bit pudgy from her last birth, sighed and set her baby on the couch. "Honey," she explained slowly, "Daddy isn't coming home tonight, I told you that."
The blonde was adamant. "Yes he is, Mommy. I saw it."
~*~
Draco apperated onto his front porch. With a smile, he dropped his duffel onto the pale yellow swing. Glancing across his front yard he took in the amazing sight. The sun was setting below the horizon and he could just make out neighboring homes, porch lights being lit and bedroom lights being dimmed. It was bedtime for children, and relaxation time for parents, all across England.
With a shrug, he turned away from the spectacular view. Directly in front of him was a large picture window. Through it he could see most of a richly furnished living room.
Through the room ran a blonde girl, her face sprinkled with dark freckles. Draco let out a light laugh as following right behind her came a curvy redhead, a cream colored nightdress clutched in her hand. Behind her followed yet another redhead, much younger this time, trying to keep up, but failing horribly.
~*~
Ginny had never been much of a runner. She knew then that Melody must have gotten her speed from her father. After half an hour of chasing the small girl, she finally caught her. Tucking her firmly under her arm, she trudged into her living room. "Melody," she told her, "You are going to get ready for bed."
Noticing her son, once again, tugging on her leg, she picked him up. "Daddy!" He smiled, pointing out the window.
"No Honey," she set him on the part of her lap not filled with her daughter, "Daddy's not home tonight."
"Yes, Mommy!" Her daughter pulled on the closest part of her mother- her hair. "Look Mommy! Daddy's home!" Ginny followed her daughter's finger to the window.
"Daddy's home!" she whispered, more to herself then to anyone else. Lifting her children into her arms she rushed to the front door, meeting her husband there.
~*~
Draco smirked at his children. Flynn was the first to notice his presence, followed shortly by Melody. Ginny though. Ginny was what mattered the most to him. At the door he hugged his family, giving each of his children a kiss on the forehead and his wife a kiss on the cheek.
"Melody," he breathed, "You look stunning." The tiny girl slipped out of her mother's arms and twirled in a circle.
"I dressed myself this morning, Daddy. I knew you were coming." Draco smiled at the girl's robes. They were on completely backwards.
"She wouldn't let me fix them all day," Ginny sighed, setting down the child left in her arms. He immediately started tugging on the hem of her skirt again. She lifted him, once again, back into her arms. The boy pointed at his mouth and Ginny nodded. The older redhead turned to Draco. "Flynn has mastered something that he would like you to know."
The young redhead beamed. "I love Daddy!" He held out his arms and Draco took him from his mother.
~*~
Ginny handed Draco a glass of iced tea and settled herself next to him on the porch swing. The blonde sighed and put his arm around her, running his hand up and down the length of her arm. For a moment they sat in silence.
"How was Ireland?" Ginny asked, closing her eyes and breathing in Draco's scent.
"Green," he shrugged, "We beat the Cannons."
She smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I know," she laughed, "I was listening on the WWN. You know this won't make Ron like you any more."
"Ron can go to hell." He kissed the top of her head. "I've got the best part of the Weasley family right here anyway."
Ginny laughed. "How was Russia?"
"Cold." He began to rock the swing.
"I was told Russia's pitch has a beautiful view of Moscow. Is it true?"
The blonde shrugged. "I've seen better."
"Where?" The redhead took a sip of his drink and placed it back in his hand.
Draco considered the question for a moment. Where was the most beautiful view from? "Here." He answered simply. "The best view I've ever seen is from my front porch."
"Well, the stars are beautiful, but I never thought you were one for things like that," Ginny mused, more to herself than to him.
He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. "From my front porch looking in, Ginny."
Fin.
"Front Porch Looking In" (By Lonestar)
The only ground I ever owned was sticking to my shoes
Now I look at my front porch and this panoramic view
I can sit and watch the fields fill up
With rays of glowing sun
Or watch the moon lay on the fences
Like that's where it was hung
My blessings are in front of me
It's not about the land
I'll never beat the view
From my front porch looking in
There's a carrot top who can barely walk
With a sippy cup of milk
A little blue eyed blonde with shoes on wrong
'Cause she likes to dress herself
And the most beautiful girl holding both of them
And the view I love the most
Is my front porch looking in,
I've traveled here and everywhere
Following my job
I've seen the paintings from the air
Brushed by the hand of God
The mountains and the canyons reach from sea to shining sea
But I can't wait to get back home
To the one he made for me
It's anywhere I'll ever go and everywhere I've been
Nothing takes my breath away
Like my front porch looking in
There's a carrot top who can barely walk
With a sippy cup of milk
A little blue eyed blonde with shoes on wrong
'Cause she likes to dress herself
And the most beautiful girl holding both of them
Yeah the view I love the most
Is my front porch looking in
I see what beautiful is about
When I'm looking in
Not when I'm looking out
There's a carrot top who can barely walk
With a sippy cup of milk
A little blue eyed blonde with shoes on wrong
'Cause she likes to dress herself
And the most beautiful girl holding both of them
Yeah the view I love the most
Oh, the view I love the most
Is my front porch looking in
Oh, there's a carrot top who can barely walk
(From my front porch looking in)
A little blue eyed blonde with shoes on wrong, yeah
And the most beautiful girl
(Beautiful girl
From my front porch looking in)
Holding both of them Oh, yeah