Disclaimer: I got this fic in my easter basket. All characters either 1)
belong to the Easter bunny or 2) belong to someone else, which were then
stolen by the Easter bunny and given to me. I hope it wasn't anyone
important ;o)
~*~*~*~ (I didn't put a B4 because the scene changed, so it was unneeded)
.
CHAPTER FOUR: Squeamish Meatballs
Hermione walked up the stairs, heading back to Draco's room. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was empty. Horrid images started to flash though her mind; what if that man wasn't Draco? Had he kidnapped her baby? No... no, she'd been so sure... she felt her heart break... again. It'd barely had time to heal, and again it shattered. She turned and bolted for Eric's room, knocking on the door. Eric came not much later.
"Draco, I put up the charm... what do you wa-" he started, sounding annoyed, then noticed who stood before him. "Oh. Hello Aunt Mina. What's wrong?"
"Eric, do you know where Draco is?" she asked, keeping down the panic. Eric raised an eyebrow, then smirked.
"Which one?" Hermione sighed frantically.
"Eric, really, I don't have time for games." Eric's smirk disappeared at the distressed tone of his Aunt.
"In his room, Aunt Mina... with his Dad," he said softly and Hermione breathed a heavy sigh.
"Oh, alright Eric... thank you," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright, Aunt Mina?" Hermione swallowed dryly and nodded with a sad smile.
"Yes, sweetie, I'm fine," she assured and let her hand melt from Eric's shoulder, turning toward her son's room. Eric watched a moment, then returned once again to his music, closing the door.
Hermione pressed her ear to the thin wooden door and listened hard. She could hear it... faintly... laughing, talking... Slowly, she turned the doorknob, peeking in.
Draco and Jr. were on the floor... playing cards. Hermione felt her heart lighten considerably. Everything was fine. She watched them for a moment, not daring to breathe... they were smiling the exact same smile... sitting together like a living growth chart. Sitting next to each other, it was incredibly obvious how much they looked alike. Had Jr. been a few years older and Draco a few younger... they would be interchangeable. She could hold it in no longer; Hermione sighed in relief. A contented sigh to accompany her blissful smile. Both blonde boys turned to her.
"Mummy!" Jr. said, scrambling to get up from the floor and bolting over to her. "Look Mummy!" he said, holding out his hand of five cards. A two, a six, two threes, and a nine. Hermione crouched down.
"What are you playing, baby?" she asked and Jr. smiled widely.
"Daddy's teaching me how to play poker, Mummy." Hermione laughed.
"Is he now?" she asked, shooting Draco a look. He smiled and shrugged. Jr. nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep, yep. Come on, come play!" he pleaded, taking her hand and tugging. With a laugh, Hermione did as he asked, joining her two boys on the floor. She sat sideways, weight on her hand, due to her too-short-for-floor-games skirt. She moved close to Draco. He slowly moved an arm around her, and Hermione leaned in, watching as Jr. attempted to shuffle and deal the cards.
"So you've just taught our five-year-old son to gamble. Did Vegas teach you nothing?" she asked softly and Draco smiled at her.
"Taught me how to lose..." he said and hugged her close to him. Hermione pushed up and touched her lips to his, which Draco complimented. When they broke apart, Hermione smiled at him for a moment, then turned to their son. Jr. was sitting with his eyes closed and his fingers in his ears, the cards half shuffled on the floor. Hermione laughed. "What's he doing?" Draco asked her and she shrugged her shoulders.
"I have no idea. Draco?" The little boy cautiously pried open one eye.
"Are you done yet?" he asked and his parents laughed, sharing a look.
"Yes, baby." Hermione said and Jr. sighed, dropping his hands back to take care of the cards.
"Good," he said, then shivered. "Yuck..." Hermione and Draco smiled at their spawn.
"You'll think differently someday, Draco," Draco said, but Jr. shook his head.
"Uh-uh, no way... girls are yucky," he protested, making a face. Draco looked down at Hermione.
"Well, Mum's a girl. Is Mum yucky?" Hermione smiled and squeezed him. Jr. shook his head again.
"Mum's not a girl... she's... Mum."
"What about Emmy? Is Emmy yucky?" Hermione asked and Jr. blushed. Draco perked up.
"Who's Emmy?" Hermione smiled.
"Draco's girlfriend," she said and her son looked appalled.
"She is NOT my girlfriend!" Draco laughed.
"I want to know more about this Emmy..." he said, looking expectantly at Jr. He looked between his parents, then narrowed his eyes.
"Wait a minute... you're ganging up on me! That's not fair!" Hermione laughed.
"We're sorry, baby. That's what we're supposed to do." Draco nodded in agreement and Jr. grumbled, dealing the cards.
Hermione was stunned. It was like it'd always been this way... like they'd never missed out on anything... like Draco had always been there. She wanted to scream out all her building happiness... she wanted to laugh until it hurt... she wanted to kiss him again... if not only for Jr.'s reaction.
@--^-----
Another knock at the door. Eric was starting to get irritated. He threw open the slab.
"What!?" he said furiously and Harry took a small step back. "Oh, sorry Daddy... I thought you were Draco," he said quickly and Harry smiled.
"Not the last time I checked." Eric smirked.
"Check again, and hurry." Harry laughed. "Did you want something, Daddy?" The dark haired man shook his shoulders.
"Just coming to check on you, kiddo. Everything alright?" Eric smiled widely.
"Yes, Dad, I'm fine." Harry didn't say anything more, just stood, smiling at his son. "Aunt Mina has a big huge surprise; she told me to tell you to go see her when you got home, and to bring Mummy." Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Really..." he said, sounding interested. "Alright, champ, I'll just have to do that." Eric made a face.
"Don't call me champ, Daddy. It sounds too much like 'chimp' or 'chump'." Harry laughed.
"Always your mother's son, you are," he said, shaking his head and ruffling Eric's hair.
"Dad..." he grumbled, attempting to comb it in place again with his fingers. Harry smiled.
"I better go get your mother; she'll want to 'investigate' as soon as possible." Eric rolled his eyes.
"Da-ad..." he said and sighed. "Oh, Aunt Mina's in Draco's room." Eric closed the door before Harry could say anything. He shook his head.
"Thanks!"
"Thanks for what?" Ginny asked, coming toward him. He smiled and turned to her, kissing her lightly.
"Mione requested to see us for some 'big huge surprise'." Ginny laughed.
"Ooo, this sounds good. Where is she?" Harry pointed to Draco's room and Ginny smiled evilly. "Oh. How convenient. Well, what are we waiting for?" Harry laughed and kissed her again. Then he stepped toward the door, knocking lightly and opening it.
"Mione? Eric said you wanted... to..." he started, but stopped dead when he saw that there was one extra blonde in the room. Ginny gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Hermione smiled nervously... that wasn't planned at all well. Draco Jr. was rocking back and forth, about ready to explode. He wanted to gush to his aunt and uncle... tell them everything he knew about the man beside his mum, but he'd promised to stay quiet.
"Harry," Draco said shortly, nodding toward him. Ginny shook her head.
"Oh my god... this is like straight out of a horror film or something," she said, dropping her hands, then shrugged. "Well, I've had my official death- strike of extreme irony," Ginny stated and walked into the room, joining the others on the floor. "So, Draco. What the h-ah, I mean, what happened?" she asked, barely catching herself from swearing in front of Jr. He eyed her curiously, but Harry, as if not enough already, was completely shock.
"Ginny! How can you be so calm about this?" he asked, obviously frazzled beyond belief. Ginny shrugged.
"Have you ever known me to overreact about ANYthing?" All three adults looked to her.
"Yes," they said simultaneously. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Excluding when I'm mad," she added and they laughed. "Anyway; back to my question?" Draco took a deep breath and began to tell his tale again, but Hermione stopped him.
"Wait... let's get your mother first," she suggested and Draco gave a nod. "And Eric, just to be fair," she said, then turned to Jr. "Draco, why don't you go help Nanna with dinner, hm?" Jr. pouted.
"But Mummy, it's Eric's turn!" Hermione shook her head.
"Well, Eric sat with you in the car, so now you have to help him with Nanna, okay? Go," she said and he wined.
"But, Muuum!"
"Draco," Hermione said warningly, giving him a look. Jr. sighed and stood from the floor, grumbling as he walked toward the door. Once gone, Draco turned to his future wife.
"He's amazing, Mia. I think he might be smarter than I am." She smiled.
"I know. God knows where he got that from," she said, squeezing him, and all three laughed.
"Oh, yes, Mione. It's a HUGE mystery," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. Hermione shrugged.
"But... Draco, seriously, what happened? Forgive me for being blunt, but how did you NOT die?" Harry asked. Draco shook his head, his smile only falling a fraction.
"I have absolutely no idea, Harry. All I know, is that that spell hit me. The next thing I remember, I woke up stranded... three months later," he said, then turned up to his former arch-enemy. "Something's been bugging me, Harry. Is that Eric," he started, pointing in the direction of Eric's room. "THE Eric?" Harry chuckled slightly and nodded. "Wow," Draco said, awed. "So he's not yours?"
"Oh, he's ours... but yes, we adopted him. Sad really; he looks more like you than he ever will me me... poor kid," Harry said, and they laughed. Hermione cuddled her head into Draco's chest.
"Have you met everyone, yet?" Ginny asked, just to strike up conversation. Draco shook his head.
"Not Mum," he sighed. "And not Eric..."
@--^-----
"Nanna!" Draco and Eric said in unison as they entered the empty kitchen. Draco's grandmother emerged from the pantry, carrying armfuls of food. Draco gasped.
"Nanna, what's wrong?" he asked, stepping toward her and taking some of the groceries. Eric, not wanting to be shown up, did the same. Narcissa laughed and wiped away a tear.
"Thank you, boys. I'm alright... onions," she said and then both nodded in understanding, identical looks of disgust on their faces.
"Mummy said we have to help make dinner, Nanna. What are we having?" Draco asked and Narcissa smiled.
"I'm making Swedish meatballs, sugar. They're your daddy's favorite... or they were... oh, I can't believe your mother expects me to wait until dinner. I bet she wouldn't let me make her wait until dinner to see you if she hadn't in six years..." she grumbled, but her eyes were alive and happy. Draco turned to Eric and they shared a look. Eric cleared his throat.
"What do you want us to do, Nanna?" Eric asked and Narcissa looked to each of them.
"You're both helping me tonight? That's odd, isn't it?" Draco crossed his arms.
"Yes... Mummy said so."
"Oh, boo-hoo," Eric mocked and Draco scowled at him.
"You're only saying that because YOU woulda hada helped anyways..." Eric shrugged.
"Boys, boys. Draco, could you set the table for me? And Eric, you can make me a salad, sweet pea," she said, giving each boy a lipstick-y kiss on the cheek. Again, they wore those identical looks of disgust as they wiped the mark away. Narcissa smiled and shook her head, returning to her meatballs. Deciding the muggle way would never work, she pulled out her wand and began to thaw the meat. The little balls were spiced and sizzling in no time.
@--^-----
"I don't think I like squeamish meatballs, Nanna." Draco said, looking displeased as he peeked into the pan. Narcissa laughed.
"They're Swedish, Junior, and how do you know; you haven't even tried them yet!"
"They smell icky," he said and she laughed again.
"You can't always judge something by its smell, Draco. When you were a baby, you NEVER smelled very nice... but we still loved you anyway." A few feet away, Eric snickered. Narcissa smiled. "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, Eric. You took longer to potty-train than it takes a dead man to remember how to breathe." Now it was Draco who sniggered. "You were three before we even came close."
"Nan-na!" Narcissa smiled.
"I'm sorry baby. Oh, watch out, sugar... step back... that pan's hot," she said, gently pushing Draco from the stove. "Are you being careful with that knife, Eric? It's a sharp one."
"Yes, Nanna," he said, poking a nicked finger into his mouth.
"Good boy," she said and moved slightly to stir the sauce.
"Nanna! What do I do now?"
"You set the table already?" Draco nodded enthusiastically. "Did you remember to set an extra plate for your Daddy?" Draco nodded again, this time with a wide smile. "Okay, let's see... you can... bring in the salt, pepper, butter... all that, okay? Can you do that?" Again, Draco nodded. "Don't take too many at one time, love."
"Okay, Nanna," he agreed and picked up everything he could carry, bringing it into the dining room without managing to drop or spill anything. Narcissa shook her head at him and turned back to her sauce. It wasn't much later that she was confronted again.
"Done!" both boys said in unison, then glared at each other.
"What now, Nanna?" Eric asked, setting the salad on the counter. Narcissa bit her lip, then smiled.
"Two boys is too much help, I think. I don't want you two near the stove, so I don't think there's much more you can do. Why don't you go tell everyone dinner will be ready in twenty minutes, okay? And Draco, could you ask daddy to come see me, love?" The boys smiled.
"Okay Nanna!" Draco shouted and hugged her before bolting up the stairs. Eric stood still.
"What's the matter, baby?" Narcissa asked softly, placing a hand on his back. Eric shrugged.
"I don't know Nanna... it's just so weird. It was like Draco didn't even have a daddy... and now, all of a sudden, he does." Narcissa nodded, rubbing his back with one hand and stirring with the other.
"I know, Eric. I've been wishing for this day for years." Eric remained silent for a moment, then looked curiously up at her.
"What do I call him?" Narcissa paused.
"Uncle Draco, I suppose." Eric shook his head.
"Now THAT'S weird. The only Draco I know is the five-year-old git who lives next door to me," he said and Narcissa laughed.
"I know it's strange, Eric... but it's better this way. Junior will have a daddy, just like you. He'll have someone to make breakfast for on Father's day, someone to help him grow up, and do manly stuff with. And Aunt Mina won't be so sad anymore," she said softly and Eric nodded, looking to the floor.
"I know." Narcissa set down her spoon and looked down at him, running fingers through his hair.
"That's not all, is it? What's wrong, sweetie?" Eric didn't say anything for a moment and Narcissa crouched down to be eye-level. "Come on, love. You can tell me." Eric thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"No, it's stupid."
"Eric..." Narcissa coaxed, brushing some hair behind his ear. Eric sighed.
"It's just... Draco's better than me at everything. He's two years younger than me, and he's smarter. He always knows what to say, and what to do... and I can never think of anything. Everyone likes him better. There's Draco and the Potter boy. Draco and his friend. Or usually just Draco. The only thing I've ever had that he didn't was a daddy... and now that he has one, the balance is off. He's officially perfect, and I'm not." Narcissa was speechless for a moment. Eric never said anything like that... it was always... Draco, who thought so deeply.
"Oh, honey..." she said softly, not knowing how to comfort the poor boy. Eric's face hardened slightly and he shook his head.
"But that's not fair. Not to Draco. I want him to be happy... and Aunt Mina... and everybody... I'm just being selfish." Narcissa, speechless, pulled Eric close, hugging him tight.
"I'm sorry, Eric," she said and he waited a moment, hugging back, before pulling away.
"It's okay Nanna, I'm alright," he said and took the salad from the counter, heading toward the dining room. Narcissa watched him go, then stood and went back to her bubbling sauce.
@--^----
Eric placed the salad on the dining room table, then turned, planning on going to the bathroom to get a band-aid for his finger. He looked up and stopped cold, eyes locked on those of the stranger in front of him. He looked uneasily at the boy. It was most definitely the same Eric. Draco smiled warmly.
"Hi," he said quietly and Eric swallowed.
"H-Hi Uncle Draco," he said and Draco raised his eyebrows, surprised. Eric took a breath, regaining himself, then stepped forward, toward his new uncle. "Daddy told me about..." he stopped, unable to find the right words. "And I wanted to say thank you, sir," he said, standing straight and professionally. Draco smiled. "And that I'm sorry." Now the older man looked confused.
"What?"
"For whatever reason you were gone so long, it was because of the last spell, right? And, that spell was meant for me, so it's my fault." Draco looked all in out shocked. He took a step forward and crouched down.
"No, Eric, it wasn't your fault at all. No one knew that was going to happen... and you were only two years old, you're not responsible for anything that happened, okay? Don't even think that," he assured him and Eric looked a little wide-eyed. He nodded slowly and Draco smiled. "Good. Now, do you know where Nanna is?" Eric swallowed again and nodded, pointing toward the kitchen. Draco smiled and stood. "Thanks, kid," he said, mussing Eric's hair slightly. The little boy didn't even shoo him away, as he would have anyone else. Then, Draco turned toward the kitchen. "Mum?" he said as he stepped in the doorway and a loud clatter was heard as Narcissa dropped her spoon.
"Draco!" she shrieked, tackling him. Draco laughed.
"Mu-um," he wined, sounding much like Jr., as Narcissa hugged him close and showered him with kisses.
"Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?!" she said, holding his face and Draco smiled.
"I've already promised that," he said and she looked at him for a moment before wrapping him in another tight hug. This time, Draco hugged her back. "I missed you, Mummy," he said and she held him tighter. It was a time before Draco pulled back. He laughed. "Don't cry, Mum," he scolded, wiping her tears away with his thumb. Narcissa smiled.
"Onions," she said and turned her head down.
"Right," Draco said, obviously not believing her. Narcissa laughed.
"Well, the boys believed me," she said, dabbing her eyes with her apron. She looked up at her smiling son for a moment, then turned. "Look, sweetie, I'm making Swedish meatballs," she said, taking a step back to save the sauce from boiling over. Draco smiled dreamily.
"I haven't eaten a good meal in years," he said, more to himself, and Narcissa frowned, turning to him again.
"What happened to you, baby?" Draco laughed, making her smile.
"This story's going to get old fast," he said. "I don't know, Mum. I just woke up... somewhere that wasn't here. I had a hard time finding my way home is all." Narcissa was quiet for a moment, then she stopped stirring again and looked to her son.
"Draco, this is rather hard for me. I am going to just pretend nothing ever happened, and you never left... otherwise, I just don't know..." Draco smiled and kissed her cheek.
"I love you, Mum."
"What about Hermione?" Narcissa asked, slightly worried, and Draco chuckled.
"Not like THAT, mother," he said and Narcissa punched him in the arm.
"You don't seem to have changed much," she said, smiling, then her worried expression came back. "I mean, how do you feel about her? Is everything alright?" Draco looked surprised.
"Of course I still love her, mother. I'll always love Hermione... I always knew she was somewhere, without me... I was more worried that she'd find someone else. She hasn't, has she?" Narcissa smiled. "She said not, but..."
"Of course not, Draco. I honestly think Hermione would have remained loyal to you for the rest or her life."
"I would have her," he said, somewhat sadly, but smiled as he finally let himself believe their words. Hermione loved him... that was all he could ask for.
"I know you would have," Narcissa said and hugged him again. Draco held his mother close, resting his chin lightly on her head. "I love you too, Draco." The tapping of rapid footsteps was suddenly heard, then stopped as fast as it had started. Draco turned toward the doorway to see Hermione, smiling warmly as she looked upon the kitchen's occupants.
"Hey," she said softly and Narcissa noticed her presence. She quickly pulled herself away from Draco.
"Hello, dear," she said, smiling and wiping the tears from her face. Hermione smiled.
"Hey, Mia," Draco said before he extended his arm, beckoning his fiancée. Hermione came without question, latching onto him.
"I told you, Narcissa," she said as she felt Draco's arm hold her to him. The older woman smiled.
"I know, Hermione... I know," she whispered. Draco smiled and kissed Hermione's hair lightly.
A/N: I thought this was kinda cute. Dinner next chapter... then some surprises that I hope you'll like :o)
Reviews I feel need answering:
Sweet Sorrow: I only call Draco Jr. Draco when Big Draco isn't there... like in this chapter, when he's in the kitchen with Eric and Nanna, Big Draco is upstairs, so I call him Draco. If Draco is there, then he's Jr.... but Big Draco is always Draco. When people are talking, sometimes they call Jr. Draco, but it's usually easy to tell who they're talking to. I know it's confusing sometimes, but I wasn't planning on makin this fic more than one chapter... but we see how well THAT turned out. ;o)
~*~*~*~ (I didn't put a B4 because the scene changed, so it was unneeded)
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CHAPTER FOUR: Squeamish Meatballs
Hermione walked up the stairs, heading back to Draco's room. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was empty. Horrid images started to flash though her mind; what if that man wasn't Draco? Had he kidnapped her baby? No... no, she'd been so sure... she felt her heart break... again. It'd barely had time to heal, and again it shattered. She turned and bolted for Eric's room, knocking on the door. Eric came not much later.
"Draco, I put up the charm... what do you wa-" he started, sounding annoyed, then noticed who stood before him. "Oh. Hello Aunt Mina. What's wrong?"
"Eric, do you know where Draco is?" she asked, keeping down the panic. Eric raised an eyebrow, then smirked.
"Which one?" Hermione sighed frantically.
"Eric, really, I don't have time for games." Eric's smirk disappeared at the distressed tone of his Aunt.
"In his room, Aunt Mina... with his Dad," he said softly and Hermione breathed a heavy sigh.
"Oh, alright Eric... thank you," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright, Aunt Mina?" Hermione swallowed dryly and nodded with a sad smile.
"Yes, sweetie, I'm fine," she assured and let her hand melt from Eric's shoulder, turning toward her son's room. Eric watched a moment, then returned once again to his music, closing the door.
Hermione pressed her ear to the thin wooden door and listened hard. She could hear it... faintly... laughing, talking... Slowly, she turned the doorknob, peeking in.
Draco and Jr. were on the floor... playing cards. Hermione felt her heart lighten considerably. Everything was fine. She watched them for a moment, not daring to breathe... they were smiling the exact same smile... sitting together like a living growth chart. Sitting next to each other, it was incredibly obvious how much they looked alike. Had Jr. been a few years older and Draco a few younger... they would be interchangeable. She could hold it in no longer; Hermione sighed in relief. A contented sigh to accompany her blissful smile. Both blonde boys turned to her.
"Mummy!" Jr. said, scrambling to get up from the floor and bolting over to her. "Look Mummy!" he said, holding out his hand of five cards. A two, a six, two threes, and a nine. Hermione crouched down.
"What are you playing, baby?" she asked and Jr. smiled widely.
"Daddy's teaching me how to play poker, Mummy." Hermione laughed.
"Is he now?" she asked, shooting Draco a look. He smiled and shrugged. Jr. nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep, yep. Come on, come play!" he pleaded, taking her hand and tugging. With a laugh, Hermione did as he asked, joining her two boys on the floor. She sat sideways, weight on her hand, due to her too-short-for-floor-games skirt. She moved close to Draco. He slowly moved an arm around her, and Hermione leaned in, watching as Jr. attempted to shuffle and deal the cards.
"So you've just taught our five-year-old son to gamble. Did Vegas teach you nothing?" she asked softly and Draco smiled at her.
"Taught me how to lose..." he said and hugged her close to him. Hermione pushed up and touched her lips to his, which Draco complimented. When they broke apart, Hermione smiled at him for a moment, then turned to their son. Jr. was sitting with his eyes closed and his fingers in his ears, the cards half shuffled on the floor. Hermione laughed. "What's he doing?" Draco asked her and she shrugged her shoulders.
"I have no idea. Draco?" The little boy cautiously pried open one eye.
"Are you done yet?" he asked and his parents laughed, sharing a look.
"Yes, baby." Hermione said and Jr. sighed, dropping his hands back to take care of the cards.
"Good," he said, then shivered. "Yuck..." Hermione and Draco smiled at their spawn.
"You'll think differently someday, Draco," Draco said, but Jr. shook his head.
"Uh-uh, no way... girls are yucky," he protested, making a face. Draco looked down at Hermione.
"Well, Mum's a girl. Is Mum yucky?" Hermione smiled and squeezed him. Jr. shook his head again.
"Mum's not a girl... she's... Mum."
"What about Emmy? Is Emmy yucky?" Hermione asked and Jr. blushed. Draco perked up.
"Who's Emmy?" Hermione smiled.
"Draco's girlfriend," she said and her son looked appalled.
"She is NOT my girlfriend!" Draco laughed.
"I want to know more about this Emmy..." he said, looking expectantly at Jr. He looked between his parents, then narrowed his eyes.
"Wait a minute... you're ganging up on me! That's not fair!" Hermione laughed.
"We're sorry, baby. That's what we're supposed to do." Draco nodded in agreement and Jr. grumbled, dealing the cards.
Hermione was stunned. It was like it'd always been this way... like they'd never missed out on anything... like Draco had always been there. She wanted to scream out all her building happiness... she wanted to laugh until it hurt... she wanted to kiss him again... if not only for Jr.'s reaction.
@--^-----
Another knock at the door. Eric was starting to get irritated. He threw open the slab.
"What!?" he said furiously and Harry took a small step back. "Oh, sorry Daddy... I thought you were Draco," he said quickly and Harry smiled.
"Not the last time I checked." Eric smirked.
"Check again, and hurry." Harry laughed. "Did you want something, Daddy?" The dark haired man shook his shoulders.
"Just coming to check on you, kiddo. Everything alright?" Eric smiled widely.
"Yes, Dad, I'm fine." Harry didn't say anything more, just stood, smiling at his son. "Aunt Mina has a big huge surprise; she told me to tell you to go see her when you got home, and to bring Mummy." Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Really..." he said, sounding interested. "Alright, champ, I'll just have to do that." Eric made a face.
"Don't call me champ, Daddy. It sounds too much like 'chimp' or 'chump'." Harry laughed.
"Always your mother's son, you are," he said, shaking his head and ruffling Eric's hair.
"Dad..." he grumbled, attempting to comb it in place again with his fingers. Harry smiled.
"I better go get your mother; she'll want to 'investigate' as soon as possible." Eric rolled his eyes.
"Da-ad..." he said and sighed. "Oh, Aunt Mina's in Draco's room." Eric closed the door before Harry could say anything. He shook his head.
"Thanks!"
"Thanks for what?" Ginny asked, coming toward him. He smiled and turned to her, kissing her lightly.
"Mione requested to see us for some 'big huge surprise'." Ginny laughed.
"Ooo, this sounds good. Where is she?" Harry pointed to Draco's room and Ginny smiled evilly. "Oh. How convenient. Well, what are we waiting for?" Harry laughed and kissed her again. Then he stepped toward the door, knocking lightly and opening it.
"Mione? Eric said you wanted... to..." he started, but stopped dead when he saw that there was one extra blonde in the room. Ginny gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Hermione smiled nervously... that wasn't planned at all well. Draco Jr. was rocking back and forth, about ready to explode. He wanted to gush to his aunt and uncle... tell them everything he knew about the man beside his mum, but he'd promised to stay quiet.
"Harry," Draco said shortly, nodding toward him. Ginny shook her head.
"Oh my god... this is like straight out of a horror film or something," she said, dropping her hands, then shrugged. "Well, I've had my official death- strike of extreme irony," Ginny stated and walked into the room, joining the others on the floor. "So, Draco. What the h-ah, I mean, what happened?" she asked, barely catching herself from swearing in front of Jr. He eyed her curiously, but Harry, as if not enough already, was completely shock.
"Ginny! How can you be so calm about this?" he asked, obviously frazzled beyond belief. Ginny shrugged.
"Have you ever known me to overreact about ANYthing?" All three adults looked to her.
"Yes," they said simultaneously. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Excluding when I'm mad," she added and they laughed. "Anyway; back to my question?" Draco took a deep breath and began to tell his tale again, but Hermione stopped him.
"Wait... let's get your mother first," she suggested and Draco gave a nod. "And Eric, just to be fair," she said, then turned to Jr. "Draco, why don't you go help Nanna with dinner, hm?" Jr. pouted.
"But Mummy, it's Eric's turn!" Hermione shook her head.
"Well, Eric sat with you in the car, so now you have to help him with Nanna, okay? Go," she said and he wined.
"But, Muuum!"
"Draco," Hermione said warningly, giving him a look. Jr. sighed and stood from the floor, grumbling as he walked toward the door. Once gone, Draco turned to his future wife.
"He's amazing, Mia. I think he might be smarter than I am." She smiled.
"I know. God knows where he got that from," she said, squeezing him, and all three laughed.
"Oh, yes, Mione. It's a HUGE mystery," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. Hermione shrugged.
"But... Draco, seriously, what happened? Forgive me for being blunt, but how did you NOT die?" Harry asked. Draco shook his head, his smile only falling a fraction.
"I have absolutely no idea, Harry. All I know, is that that spell hit me. The next thing I remember, I woke up stranded... three months later," he said, then turned up to his former arch-enemy. "Something's been bugging me, Harry. Is that Eric," he started, pointing in the direction of Eric's room. "THE Eric?" Harry chuckled slightly and nodded. "Wow," Draco said, awed. "So he's not yours?"
"Oh, he's ours... but yes, we adopted him. Sad really; he looks more like you than he ever will me me... poor kid," Harry said, and they laughed. Hermione cuddled her head into Draco's chest.
"Have you met everyone, yet?" Ginny asked, just to strike up conversation. Draco shook his head.
"Not Mum," he sighed. "And not Eric..."
@--^-----
"Nanna!" Draco and Eric said in unison as they entered the empty kitchen. Draco's grandmother emerged from the pantry, carrying armfuls of food. Draco gasped.
"Nanna, what's wrong?" he asked, stepping toward her and taking some of the groceries. Eric, not wanting to be shown up, did the same. Narcissa laughed and wiped away a tear.
"Thank you, boys. I'm alright... onions," she said and then both nodded in understanding, identical looks of disgust on their faces.
"Mummy said we have to help make dinner, Nanna. What are we having?" Draco asked and Narcissa smiled.
"I'm making Swedish meatballs, sugar. They're your daddy's favorite... or they were... oh, I can't believe your mother expects me to wait until dinner. I bet she wouldn't let me make her wait until dinner to see you if she hadn't in six years..." she grumbled, but her eyes were alive and happy. Draco turned to Eric and they shared a look. Eric cleared his throat.
"What do you want us to do, Nanna?" Eric asked and Narcissa looked to each of them.
"You're both helping me tonight? That's odd, isn't it?" Draco crossed his arms.
"Yes... Mummy said so."
"Oh, boo-hoo," Eric mocked and Draco scowled at him.
"You're only saying that because YOU woulda hada helped anyways..." Eric shrugged.
"Boys, boys. Draco, could you set the table for me? And Eric, you can make me a salad, sweet pea," she said, giving each boy a lipstick-y kiss on the cheek. Again, they wore those identical looks of disgust as they wiped the mark away. Narcissa smiled and shook her head, returning to her meatballs. Deciding the muggle way would never work, she pulled out her wand and began to thaw the meat. The little balls were spiced and sizzling in no time.
@--^-----
"I don't think I like squeamish meatballs, Nanna." Draco said, looking displeased as he peeked into the pan. Narcissa laughed.
"They're Swedish, Junior, and how do you know; you haven't even tried them yet!"
"They smell icky," he said and she laughed again.
"You can't always judge something by its smell, Draco. When you were a baby, you NEVER smelled very nice... but we still loved you anyway." A few feet away, Eric snickered. Narcissa smiled. "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, Eric. You took longer to potty-train than it takes a dead man to remember how to breathe." Now it was Draco who sniggered. "You were three before we even came close."
"Nan-na!" Narcissa smiled.
"I'm sorry baby. Oh, watch out, sugar... step back... that pan's hot," she said, gently pushing Draco from the stove. "Are you being careful with that knife, Eric? It's a sharp one."
"Yes, Nanna," he said, poking a nicked finger into his mouth.
"Good boy," she said and moved slightly to stir the sauce.
"Nanna! What do I do now?"
"You set the table already?" Draco nodded enthusiastically. "Did you remember to set an extra plate for your Daddy?" Draco nodded again, this time with a wide smile. "Okay, let's see... you can... bring in the salt, pepper, butter... all that, okay? Can you do that?" Again, Draco nodded. "Don't take too many at one time, love."
"Okay, Nanna," he agreed and picked up everything he could carry, bringing it into the dining room without managing to drop or spill anything. Narcissa shook her head at him and turned back to her sauce. It wasn't much later that she was confronted again.
"Done!" both boys said in unison, then glared at each other.
"What now, Nanna?" Eric asked, setting the salad on the counter. Narcissa bit her lip, then smiled.
"Two boys is too much help, I think. I don't want you two near the stove, so I don't think there's much more you can do. Why don't you go tell everyone dinner will be ready in twenty minutes, okay? And Draco, could you ask daddy to come see me, love?" The boys smiled.
"Okay Nanna!" Draco shouted and hugged her before bolting up the stairs. Eric stood still.
"What's the matter, baby?" Narcissa asked softly, placing a hand on his back. Eric shrugged.
"I don't know Nanna... it's just so weird. It was like Draco didn't even have a daddy... and now, all of a sudden, he does." Narcissa nodded, rubbing his back with one hand and stirring with the other.
"I know, Eric. I've been wishing for this day for years." Eric remained silent for a moment, then looked curiously up at her.
"What do I call him?" Narcissa paused.
"Uncle Draco, I suppose." Eric shook his head.
"Now THAT'S weird. The only Draco I know is the five-year-old git who lives next door to me," he said and Narcissa laughed.
"I know it's strange, Eric... but it's better this way. Junior will have a daddy, just like you. He'll have someone to make breakfast for on Father's day, someone to help him grow up, and do manly stuff with. And Aunt Mina won't be so sad anymore," she said softly and Eric nodded, looking to the floor.
"I know." Narcissa set down her spoon and looked down at him, running fingers through his hair.
"That's not all, is it? What's wrong, sweetie?" Eric didn't say anything for a moment and Narcissa crouched down to be eye-level. "Come on, love. You can tell me." Eric thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"No, it's stupid."
"Eric..." Narcissa coaxed, brushing some hair behind his ear. Eric sighed.
"It's just... Draco's better than me at everything. He's two years younger than me, and he's smarter. He always knows what to say, and what to do... and I can never think of anything. Everyone likes him better. There's Draco and the Potter boy. Draco and his friend. Or usually just Draco. The only thing I've ever had that he didn't was a daddy... and now that he has one, the balance is off. He's officially perfect, and I'm not." Narcissa was speechless for a moment. Eric never said anything like that... it was always... Draco, who thought so deeply.
"Oh, honey..." she said softly, not knowing how to comfort the poor boy. Eric's face hardened slightly and he shook his head.
"But that's not fair. Not to Draco. I want him to be happy... and Aunt Mina... and everybody... I'm just being selfish." Narcissa, speechless, pulled Eric close, hugging him tight.
"I'm sorry, Eric," she said and he waited a moment, hugging back, before pulling away.
"It's okay Nanna, I'm alright," he said and took the salad from the counter, heading toward the dining room. Narcissa watched him go, then stood and went back to her bubbling sauce.
@--^----
Eric placed the salad on the dining room table, then turned, planning on going to the bathroom to get a band-aid for his finger. He looked up and stopped cold, eyes locked on those of the stranger in front of him. He looked uneasily at the boy. It was most definitely the same Eric. Draco smiled warmly.
"Hi," he said quietly and Eric swallowed.
"H-Hi Uncle Draco," he said and Draco raised his eyebrows, surprised. Eric took a breath, regaining himself, then stepped forward, toward his new uncle. "Daddy told me about..." he stopped, unable to find the right words. "And I wanted to say thank you, sir," he said, standing straight and professionally. Draco smiled. "And that I'm sorry." Now the older man looked confused.
"What?"
"For whatever reason you were gone so long, it was because of the last spell, right? And, that spell was meant for me, so it's my fault." Draco looked all in out shocked. He took a step forward and crouched down.
"No, Eric, it wasn't your fault at all. No one knew that was going to happen... and you were only two years old, you're not responsible for anything that happened, okay? Don't even think that," he assured him and Eric looked a little wide-eyed. He nodded slowly and Draco smiled. "Good. Now, do you know where Nanna is?" Eric swallowed again and nodded, pointing toward the kitchen. Draco smiled and stood. "Thanks, kid," he said, mussing Eric's hair slightly. The little boy didn't even shoo him away, as he would have anyone else. Then, Draco turned toward the kitchen. "Mum?" he said as he stepped in the doorway and a loud clatter was heard as Narcissa dropped her spoon.
"Draco!" she shrieked, tackling him. Draco laughed.
"Mu-um," he wined, sounding much like Jr., as Narcissa hugged him close and showered him with kisses.
"Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?!" she said, holding his face and Draco smiled.
"I've already promised that," he said and she looked at him for a moment before wrapping him in another tight hug. This time, Draco hugged her back. "I missed you, Mummy," he said and she held him tighter. It was a time before Draco pulled back. He laughed. "Don't cry, Mum," he scolded, wiping her tears away with his thumb. Narcissa smiled.
"Onions," she said and turned her head down.
"Right," Draco said, obviously not believing her. Narcissa laughed.
"Well, the boys believed me," she said, dabbing her eyes with her apron. She looked up at her smiling son for a moment, then turned. "Look, sweetie, I'm making Swedish meatballs," she said, taking a step back to save the sauce from boiling over. Draco smiled dreamily.
"I haven't eaten a good meal in years," he said, more to himself, and Narcissa frowned, turning to him again.
"What happened to you, baby?" Draco laughed, making her smile.
"This story's going to get old fast," he said. "I don't know, Mum. I just woke up... somewhere that wasn't here. I had a hard time finding my way home is all." Narcissa was quiet for a moment, then she stopped stirring again and looked to her son.
"Draco, this is rather hard for me. I am going to just pretend nothing ever happened, and you never left... otherwise, I just don't know..." Draco smiled and kissed her cheek.
"I love you, Mum."
"What about Hermione?" Narcissa asked, slightly worried, and Draco chuckled.
"Not like THAT, mother," he said and Narcissa punched him in the arm.
"You don't seem to have changed much," she said, smiling, then her worried expression came back. "I mean, how do you feel about her? Is everything alright?" Draco looked surprised.
"Of course I still love her, mother. I'll always love Hermione... I always knew she was somewhere, without me... I was more worried that she'd find someone else. She hasn't, has she?" Narcissa smiled. "She said not, but..."
"Of course not, Draco. I honestly think Hermione would have remained loyal to you for the rest or her life."
"I would have her," he said, somewhat sadly, but smiled as he finally let himself believe their words. Hermione loved him... that was all he could ask for.
"I know you would have," Narcissa said and hugged him again. Draco held his mother close, resting his chin lightly on her head. "I love you too, Draco." The tapping of rapid footsteps was suddenly heard, then stopped as fast as it had started. Draco turned toward the doorway to see Hermione, smiling warmly as she looked upon the kitchen's occupants.
"Hey," she said softly and Narcissa noticed her presence. She quickly pulled herself away from Draco.
"Hello, dear," she said, smiling and wiping the tears from her face. Hermione smiled.
"Hey, Mia," Draco said before he extended his arm, beckoning his fiancée. Hermione came without question, latching onto him.
"I told you, Narcissa," she said as she felt Draco's arm hold her to him. The older woman smiled.
"I know, Hermione... I know," she whispered. Draco smiled and kissed Hermione's hair lightly.
A/N: I thought this was kinda cute. Dinner next chapter... then some surprises that I hope you'll like :o)
Reviews I feel need answering:
Sweet Sorrow: I only call Draco Jr. Draco when Big Draco isn't there... like in this chapter, when he's in the kitchen with Eric and Nanna, Big Draco is upstairs, so I call him Draco. If Draco is there, then he's Jr.... but Big Draco is always Draco. When people are talking, sometimes they call Jr. Draco, but it's usually easy to tell who they're talking to. I know it's confusing sometimes, but I wasn't planning on makin this fic more than one chapter... but we see how well THAT turned out. ;o)