A/N: The reason I haven't updated until today was because I found it hard to write. I know what's going to happen, but I can't decide exactly how... I'm so perfectionist – can't settle for just writing, it has to be really good and convincing. I do my best for the characters not to be OOC... Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and it takes time, you see.

So here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Against All Odds

Chapter Ten

The next morning, Daniel woke up with a plan. "Mom," he began as he walked into the kitchen. "Listen, I thought that today I'd..." Then he stopped as he saw his mother.

Hermione was sitting near the table, staring staright forward, with tears in her eyes. As Daniel walked in, she raised her head and looked at him, almost in fear.

"Mom, are you okay?" Daniel asked worriedly.

Hermione didn't answer at once. She swallowed hard before saying: "I didn't sleep all night."

"Why?" Daniel asked. He had had a great sleep that night...

"I was so worried," Hermione answered. "I didn't know what to think. I didn't know if you were alright..." She hugged him. "Are you okay, Daniel?"

"I'm okay, Mom," Daniel said, and meant it.

Hermione pulled back. "You're not angry with me?" she whispered. "For not telling you about your father?"

"No," Daniel replied truthfully. "I understand you. I'm just glad I know the truth now."

"Daniel, I'm so glad you're such a good boy," his mother sighed and hugged him again. "I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking I might've not told you the right way..."

"Mom, I'm fine, please don't worry," Daniel said. "I like Mr. Malfoy a lot, and I'm happy that he's my dad. I'm really glad that I finally found my dad. And I wanted to ask you something... Can I skip school today and go to meet him?"

"What?" Hermione asked, alarmed. "You can't miss school! You'll meet him in the evening, instead of staying with Ginny, you'll stay with him, I promise."

"But Mom, I can't wait," Daniel begged. "I've been waiting all night. I have to see him. I have to tell him I know. Please? You don't know how I feel – I want, for the first time in my life, to call him 'Dad' and hear him call me 'son', and I can't wait."

Hermione gazed at him. Then she sighed. "He's working now," she said, trying to find a way out of it.

"He'll find a way to get out and see me. I know he will," Daniel answered confidently. "Please, Mom!"

"All right," Hermione said after a long pause. "I'm going to get dressed now. Send him an owl, if you're so sure, and you can meet him."

"Thanks, Mom," Daniel said, hugging his mother and kissing her on the cheek, "you're the best."

----

It wasn't easy for Draco to skip a day at work, 'But who cares?' he thought. Daniel knew the truth now. He had to see him; had to make sure everything was all right between them.

Draco asked someone at work to cover for him for the day, and went immediately to Hermione and Daniel's. Christine tried to stop him ("Where are you going? You promised we'd spend a day together, you know!"), but Draco didn't even bother to answer before Apparating. He promised himself to make it up to her some other time – but now he really couldn't care less...

The door was opened. Daniel was standing in front of him, his blue eyes wide and sparkling, his blond hair messy; he was panting and gazing at him as if he were a miracle.

They stared at each other for about five seconds, before Daniel ran forward; and Draco opened his arms and hugged him tightly, pulling him closer as his eyes started to well up.

"You're here," Daniel whispered in his ear, hugging him back.

"Yes," said Draco, pulling away a little so he could look at his face. He smiled: "I couldn't wait any longer. Ever since I found out the truth, I've been waiting for this moment."

"I've been waiting for my whole life," Daniel confessed. "I've always dreamed about it. How my real dad would come here and hug me like this and say he loved me."

Draco looked at him elated.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"You called me 'Dad'," Draco drawled. "I've wanted so much to hear it."

"I'll always call you Dad from now on," Daniel promised. "Let's go in, okay?"

They held hands and walked inside. Daniel felt as if every part of his body was floating from happiness. He led Draco to the living room and sat down beside him.

"So, son, how come you're home today?" Draco asked.

"Mom let me skip it today to see you. I'm not staying there today anyway," Daniel explained. "Next year I'm going to Hogwarts, and what I know from Muggle school won't really help me."

"Don't say that, Dan," Draco said, "you never know. You don't know who you'll work with in the future; you might work in a job that requires some knowledge about Muggles. You know, even I, who work in the wizard's bank, sometimes need to know some stuff. Unfortunately, my parents never sent me to any school except for Hogwarts. Of course, had they sent me, I would've probably not been so happy. In the long run, I think it would've done me good. You'll see one day."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Daniel answered.

Draco smiled at him and held his hand again; sheer happiness washed over him, and for the first time in his life, he realized what was the feeling of fatherhood.

----

Hermione walked in that evening to find Draco and Daniel sitting and playing Exploding Snap.

"Hey, Mom," said Daniel, raising his eyes from the game. "Look, I'm kicking Dad's butt!"

"He sure is polite," Draco said and grinned, "but he's right, he is winning."

"I seem to remember you were the school champion in Exploding Snap, weren't you, Draco?" Hermione commented, hanging her cloak.

"Yes, but I've lost the spirit since then," Draco replied. "Daniel's beating me with no effort whatsoever." He looked proud.

Hermione sat down and watched. Daniel was really good – she assumed he had been playing a lot with Ryan. Draco was okay, for someone who hadn't been playing for over ten years.

Hermione realized and her heart constricted in her chest. Daniel looked happy. She didn't remember ever seeing him that happy before. Tears started to form in her eyes – she was so glad to see him like that, as if his life were finally complete.

Daniel's eyes moved from his father to his mother. He was happy, indeed, but something was still missing... And as he thought, Draco's voice echoed in his ears: "...she's my fiancee... we're getting married in about six months."

Then he knew. In his classmates' families, the mothers and fathers were married and lived together. Not all of them, of course – there were some children whose parents were divorced, but Daniel didn't think that was the case. His own parents had never gotten divorced – because they had also never gotten married. Daniel knew what divorce meant – it was about two married people who didn't love each other anymore and didn't want to be married. But that was not the case of his parents. His father had left his mother not because he stopped loving her, but because he had gotten a job in America. He had not wanted to leave her – he had begged her to come with him and she refused, because she did not want to leave England.

So they hadn't broken up because they had stopped loving each other. They had broken up because of technical reasons. And if so – if so –

Daniel's hoped rose inside him, but he immediately remembered his father was now engaged to another woman and was soon to get married to her. There was no way he still loved his mother. Or was there?

He raised his eyes and looked again from one parents to another. They were talking and laughing.

There's no point, Daniel thought. I'm too young to know if two people love each other, unless they're kissing or something.

But still, a small voice inside him insisted. The way his mom was looking at his dad – wasn't it the way you look at someone you love? Daniel didn't know. He guessed the only way to find out was to ask one of them about this, but the only question was – would they tell him the truth?

----

He had to ask. Later that evening, when Draco finally said goodbye and Disapparated, Daniel turned to his mother. "Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, sweetheart," she replied.

"When you and Dad broke up," Daniel began, "did you still love him?"

His mother gazed at him for a moment before answering. "Yes," she answered in a low voice. "I loved your dad very much, and I suffered because of him for a long time afterwards."

"And did he love you too?"

"Yes. He told me that he hadn't gone out with any woman until four years later. You know, Daniel, I think it was easier for me to overcome, because I had something else to distract me – you, my new baby. But your dad had nobody in America. He didn't know anyone and he had nothing to distract him, so I think he suffered more than I did."

"But he went out with women," Daniel claimed. "You've never gone out with anyone after he left. Right?"

"Right," Hermione answered heavily. "I was afraid to. I'd read a lot of stories about women who had a child, and after the father had died or left, they fell in love with someone else, who became the child's father. I didn't want that to happen to you. I thought you had only one father, and since he was gone, it was better not to replace him."

"But why?" Daniel asked. "I mean, you would have probably been happier if you had tried dating someone, wouldn't you? Haven't you been lonely?"

"I could have never been lonely with you around, honey," Hermione responded and hugged him lovingly.

"But I don't understand," Daniel insisted. "A son is one thing, and a man whom you're dating is something completely different. Haven't you ever wanted to date?"

"Well, I sometimes did. But I've already told you why I didn't."

"Mom," Daniel said, looking straight into Hermione's eyes, "do you still love Dad?"

Hermione stared for a moment with her mouth slightly open. Then she pulled herself together and said with a slight smile: "Does it really matter?"

"It does to me."

"Why?"

"I think you know why."

This child is behaving like a grown-up, Hermione thought desperately.

"Daniel," she finally said, "I think that's been enough questions for one day."

"But, Mom – "

"Daniel, I'm serious, I don't want to talk about it. Now go brush your teeth, it's almost 11 o'clock. It's past your bedtimes." She kissed him on the top of the head and left the room quickly.

Daniel stayed on the couch and thought... When someone says he 'does not want to talk about it', doesn't it obviously mean 'yes'?...

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A/N: By the way, when Hermione tells Daniel why she has never dated anyone after Draco left, don't take it as if I agree with what she says or anything. I honestly think women should NOT do what Hermione did, and if the father is gone, they can definitely go out and even get married, and there's nothing wrong about it. Please review!