A/N: Oh I love reading reviews!!! And it's great to know that you're
enjoying my story.

mrs-kelsey-felton (and everyone else who was wondering): Yes, I have MSN
Messenger and I'm even online a lot. You're all welcome to add me at:
roniho1hotmail.com , I would love to chat with each and every one of you
because I love you all! :-D

relena333: Good question. I can't really answer it though...
And now – enough talking. Back to the story.

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Against All Odds
Chapter Seven

"Yes, Mom, I have been keeping in touch with Mr. Malfoy." Daniel leaned
back onto the couch and folded his arms. Just as he had decided, he was not
going to lie about his actions. He had nothing to be ashamed of – he hadn't
done anything wrong.

"Even though I had explicitly forbidden you to do that?" Hermione asked,
her eyes flaming.

"Yes," Daniel answered, "because I thought you were wrong."

"So why didn't you come and tell me that?" Hermione demanded. "You could have argued, you could have tried to explain, tried to convince me instead of lying!"

"I knew you wouldn't agree."

"And you were right, I wouldn't have agreed. Didn't you think I might have
an excellent reason why you shouldn't keep in touch with Mr. Malfoy? Didn't
you think I hadn't forbidden you to do something you wanted so much due to an actual reason?"

"Which was?" Daniel asked.

Hermione frowned. "Don't be rude, Daniel. The reason I have forbidden you
to see Mr. Malfoy is my secret; I believe you're still too young to know
it. When you're older, I'll tell you. In the meantime, you have to promise
me you will never see him again. Do you promise, Daniel?"

Daniel thought about it for a moment. He remembered what he had promised
himself: if his mother had a good reason, he would stop seeing Draco and
apologize to her. However, he reminded himself, she still hadn't told him
her reason. What if she didn't really have one? How could he give up his
relationship with Draco for a reason he didn't even know? And with that
thought, he got to his feet: "Listen, Mom, I can't promise you that. If you
want me to stop seeing Mr. Malfoy, you will have to tell me the reason
right now. But as for now, I don't see a reason myself, because I like him
very much and the time we spend together is the best time of my life, and
I'm not going to give it up without knowing why."

While saying that, he almost regretted everything. He saw his mother's face
twitch – her lips trembled and her eyes filled with tears. "And the fact
that your own mother is asking you to do it isn't a good enough reason for
you?" she asked, looking so hurt, it made Daniel feel very guilty. Daniel bit his lip. "Look, Mom," he said desperately, "I guess you're
right, but can you please tell me why I shouldn't see him? Has he done
something awful to you? Is he not the person I see in him? Please tell me,
it's important to me..." Even before he finished, Hermione burst out crying. Daniel flinched – he
hadn't seen his mother crying many times before, and it was tearing him
from the inside. After all, he loved her so much... He quickly went over to
her and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered, "I'm sorry." "I think you should trust me, Daniel," Hermione sobbed, "b-because I'm your mother! If I tell you that I think you're too young to know, w-why can't
you trust me about it? How many times have I let you down?" "Not once," Daniel said truthfully. "I'm sorry, Mom. You're right." Hermione raised her big, brown eyes to meet his blue ones. Daniel took a deep breath. It was killing him to say that, but he knew he
had to, for his mother. He couldn't see her cry – he would do anything for
her. She had done so much for him for ten years – how could he not promise
her the only thing she wanted to know? "It's okay, Mom," he whispered, though it was hurting him terribly to say
it, "you don't have to worry. I won't see Mr. Malfoy again... I promise."
Hermione smiled, and it comforted Daniel a little. "Thank you, Daniel," she
said and hugged him tightly, "I love you. Thank you." "I love you too, Mom," Daniel answered.

----

Dear Mr. Malfoy,
I'm very sorry to tell you this. I want you to know that I hate writing it
to you, but I can't see you again. You can't come here, and I can't come to
see you ever again.
I know you must be as least as disappointed as I am, but I really have no
choice. I'm doing it for my mother. I promised her that, and I can't betray
her. She has been raising me all alone for ten years, and I have to do what
she asks me to. It's really killing me to do it, but I must. I hope you
understand, and I want you to remember that I am going to miss you very
much.
Love
Daniel Granger

Draco read that letter and felt his own heart tearing... What – he would
never see Daniel again? Never again see his face, hear his stories, laugh
with him, advise him what to do when he is in trouble? Would he be able to face it? I love him as if he were my own son, Draco thought, and the thought was
burning him from the inside. The minute I saw him, I loved him, and I knew
he loved me the same way. I really thought we could work it out, even
behind Hermione's back, but now... I love him as if he were my own son. The words echoed in Draco's mind. I love him as if he were my own son. And suddenly he jumped off the couch, his heart racing, his face sweating.
What have I just said? He asked himself. That I love him as if he were my
own son? But then, he loves me as if I were his real – father. It was so simple, his heart stopped beating, then raced again. "When the hell did I go to America?!" Draco shouted out loud. Daniel was
born on April 29th. How long was it after he himself had left England? He
couldn't remember the date he had gone. He ran to his room. "Where – the hell – is it?" he yelled in frustration, throwing all the
papers off his desk and starting to search inside the drawers. He was
making a horrible mess, but he didn't give a damn about it. "Where is it?!" It was much harder to find then he had thought, but eventually he found it.
"YES!" he yelled, taking the paper out of his bottom drawer. There it was.
The records of his work in Gringotts – every employee got a record once a
year, which contained everything he had done in Gringotts during that year.
Here was the record of the year he had gone to America. WELL? His eyes searched the page, and he started panting. It was written there,
very clearly: the day he had arrived in America was October 2nd, the year
before Daniel was born. About seven months before the birth. So she really didn't have time to find someone else, Draco realized. He
hadn't been wrong. Hermione hadn't slept with someone on the first date, or
got drunk in some unknown party. And if she hadn't cheated on him – and he
knew Hermione, he knew she would never have done it to him – there was only one possible explanation. Draco sank into the couch. He was Daniel's father.

----

Daniel couldn't guess Draco was thinking about him too, but as he lay on
his bed and cried, he knew there was nothing he wanted to do more than
seeing Draco again.

But it was over. He would NEVER see him again. He had promised, and Daniel always kept his promises – that was the first thing his mother had taught him: always keep your promises. And he was going to keep it. He only wished it weren't so damn hard! "Damn it!" he sobbed. He didn't want to cry; he wasn't a baby anymore, he
was ten years old, and in his opinion, old and mature enough to act like a
man. He was sure Draco never cried. However, he had to be strong – Draco probably also kept his promises. He
seemed like a man who would do that. The thought of Draco already caused
him to miss him so much, he started crying all over again. Only time could make him forget, he thought. It would take time... but he
would forget. Or at least, he hoped he would.

----

A/N: Don't worry, he wouldn't! I'm sorry it was short, but I have to go
now. At least it was quick, right? Please review.