Disclaimer: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S, T, U, V, W, X,
Y, Z. Where's the J, K, R? It's all here, in this fic!
B4 on MPES:
"So, what do you want to do tonight? With Junior?" Hermione asked. "I promised him we'd do something together." Draco smiled brightly.
"You know more than I do... what do you think he'd like?" Hermione shrugged a shoulder, then straightened, her eyes bright and smiling growing.
"I have the most perfect idea..."
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER ELEVEN: A First Request
"Higher, Nana!" Narcissa laughed.
"Alright, alright... why do you want it so high?" she asked, tacking Jr.'s macaroni picture on the refrigerator while he directed her. Jr. smiled.
"Because Daddy is lots taller than me, and I wanna make sure he sees it," the little boy explained and Narcissa smiled.
"How's that?"
"That's good, Nanna. He'll see it there." Narcissa smiled, mussing his hair, then moved elsewhere in the kitchen, beginning her daily ritual of cooking and cleaning. "Nanna," Jr. said minutes later, and Narcissa turned to see him staring confusedly at a small white piece of paper.
"What, Draco?"
"I think this is for me... can you read it to me?" he asked, looking up at her with pleading eyes. Narcissa smiled and crouched down.
"Can't you read it, baby?" Jr. squinted at the page, but frowned and shook his head.
"The writing is all loopy," he said sadly, sounding defeated, and Narcissa frowned. She took the note gently from his hands and turned it to face her. She smiled.
"It's from your Mum, Draco. She just wants to tell you that she and Daddy might be late coming home, love," she said gently and Jr. looked up, surprised. He took the note back, studying it carefully.
"Are you SURE it's from Mummy?" Narcissa nodded, smiling, and pointed to the top of the page.
"To Junior," then she pointed to the bottom. "From Mum and Dad." Jr. continued to squint at the page.
"But... Mummy always writes the notes so I can read them... with big letters, and no loopys..." he said sadly and Narcissa smiled softly.
"She was probably in a hurry, love, that's all. They're going shopping." Jr. looked up.
"You mean Daddy's not gonna wear those icky clothes no more?" His grandmother laughed.
"It seems not," she said, smiling, and a grin crept across Jr.'s face.
"Then I forgive her. I would have been in a hurry too," he said and, again, Narcissa laughed, pulling him into a hug.
"As if you'd ever be mad at your mum for more than three seconds," she said and Jr. smiled, shaking his shoulders. Then, his grin widened and he squealed, turning and running toward the front door. Narcissa looked confused, but let him go, standing and looking after him, eyebrows knitted. Jr. ran into the driveway, leaving the door wide open, and Narcissa watched as he stood in the middle of the brick, not looking to be doing anything. She started toward the door, slightly confused and a little worried, and stepped outside just as Hermione's black Mercedes pulled into the driveway. Jr. jumped up and down, hopping toward his mother's door.
"Mummy!" he called and she laughed as she stepped out, crouching down and hugging him.
"Hey Junior," she said, laughing. "Why are you so happy to see me?" Draco, who had just gotten out of the car, smiled as he made his way toward the other side. Jr. shrugged, squeezing her tight, then let go and moved toward Draco.
"Daddy," he said, reaching his arms up and Draco smiled as he bent and hoisted his son onto his hip. Jr. wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, hugging him tight, and Draco smiled.
"Hey, kid," he said, returning his hug. Jr. pulled back.
"I gots to show you my picture, Daddy," he said, sounding in a hurry, and Draco laughed.
"Okay, Junior. How about we bring Mum?" he asked and Jr. nodded enthusiastically. Draco, smiling, turned to Hermione, holding out a hand at precisely the same time Jr. did. Hermione smiled, once again struck with that wonderful feeling she got when they acted alike. Just to be fair, she took both hands and stood, not needing them at all, but appreciating the gesture. Once standing, she pecked Draco on the lips, pulling away to see Jr. looking disgusted, sticking out his tongue. She laughed and kissed his cheek, which he promptly wiped off. Smiling widely, Hermione turned away from her boys, still holding Draco's hand, and walked toward Narcissa, who was looking both touched and shaken.
"Back so soon, children?" she asked, her voice a tad shaky. Hermione looked curiously at her, but smiled nonetheless.
"Are you alright, Narcissa?" She laughed nervously.
"Why, of course, dear. Do you want something to eat? I haven't even made the boys' snacks yet," she said, grinning and spun, hurrying to the kitchen. Hermione turned back to Draco and Junior, who both shrugged their shoulders, making her smile. She squeezed Draco's hand and pulled him toward the kitchen. Jr., meanwhile, was getting even more excited.
"There!" he said, pointing to the fridge, and both his parents looked to the buckled piece of paper, colored with watercolor paint and glued on macaroni. Hermione smiled.
"It's great, Junior. The best you've ever done," she said proudly, giving him another kiss on the cheek. Jr. smiled, wiping her kiss on his shoulder. Hermione laughed and, again, kissed Draco's lips, then turned to help Narcissa. Draco turned to his son.
"That's a very nice picture, Junior. How did you make it?" he asked, to strike up conversation, putting Jr. gently down on the breakfast bar. He smiled, swinging his legs, and began to explain, using hand gestures.
"Well, first you gots ta draw it with a pencil, then you glue on the macaroni noodles, and then you get to paint it. I did the dragon from my lunchbox, 'sept I made him red," he said and Draco smiled, nodding at each direction.
"That sounds like a lot of work," he said and Jr. grinned, then Draco smirked. "Did you play with Emmy today?" Jr. nodded enthusiastically.
"We played in the sandbox. Me and Emmy made a really cool sand castle there yesterday, but this kid in my class named Edward is a bully, and he knocked it down. It was better today; Edward didn't come to school," he said and Draco smiled, nodding.
"Do you like Emmy?" Again, Jr. nodded.
"She's really nice. Yesterday, Edward took her cookie, and I gave her mine, and today she tried to give me hers, but I didn't take it. That wouldn't make sense," he said and Draco's smile grew. He turned to look at Hermione, who was watching and listening while she cut up some carrots. She smiled back.
"So you play with her, and you share with her, and you like her... but she's not your girlfriend?" he asked suspiciously and Jr.'s smile dropped.
"No! Ew!" he said and Draco laughed. "That's gross. I don't wanna kiss no girls," Jr. said and Eric, who was just coming into the kitchen, no longer wearing his uniform, laughed.
"As if any would ask," he said, shaking his head and Jr. glared. Eric laughed again. "But hey, if they do... just send them to me, and I'll take care of it for ya," he suggested and Jr. smiled, not exactly sure what he was suggesting. Hermione laughed.
"I hear about you kissing any girls, buster, I tell your father," she said and Eric sighed, leaning against the counter next to Jr.
"Aunt Mina, you are such a tattle tale," he said and she laughed, shrugging her shoulders.
"That's what I'm here for," she said, dumping the carrots from the cutting board onto a plate. Draco looked at Narcissa, who simply smiled, looking dreamily toward the floor.
"Don't worry, Eric. Just don't kiss and tell, and you'll be fine," Draco said, smirking, and Eric smirked back, but Hermione sighed.
"Don't encourage him," she pleaded in exasperation, and Draco laughed.
"Sorry, Mia," he said softly and she smiled, shaking her head, and set the plate between the boys on the counter.
"Oh good. Girls and... carrots. My two most favorite-ist things," Jr. said, taking a carrot from the plate and nibbling on the end. Both Hermione and Draco laughed.
"Where did you learn such sarcasm, kiddo?" Draco asked, and Jr. shrugged distractedly, taking a larger bite.
"Narcissa, could I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione asked and Narcissa perked up, as if pulled from a trance.
"What? Oh, of course, dear." Hermione smiled.
"Draco, will you watch the boys for two seconds?" He grinned warmly, nodding. "Thanks," she continued, kissing his lips quickly and pulling Narcissa into the pantry.
"Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about too, Hermione," Narcissa said nervously, and Hermione frowned a little, noticing her uneasiness.
"Narcissa... what's wrong?" She laughed.
"Nothing, nothing, dear. Go on, go first," Narcissa insisted, smiling, but Hermione didn't look entirely convinced.
"Okay... well, I really just wanted to tell you that it'll be just you and the Potters tonight for dinner. I promised Junior we would do something together, just us and Draco," she said and Narcissa smiled, stepping forward and hugging her lightly.
"That's wonderful, Hermione." Hermione smiled and paused for a moment, then looked stern again.
"What is it you wanted to tell me?" Narcissa took a breath.
"It's about Junior," she said and Hermione frowned.
"What?" she asked again, and Narcissa crossed her arms.
"I'm not really sure how to say this... have you noticed... he seems to be very... perceptive, almost all of a sudden? He knew you were home before you even pulled into the driveway... and I hadn't heard a thing..." Hermione sighed, somewhat relived. She had been expecting something a little worse than that.
"Actually, yes. He did that yesterday, too... right after I introduced him to Draco. He heard your car... I can't even hear your car when I'm in it, and we were all the way upstairs... but he knew." Narcissa nodded. "And... he told me this morning, that..." Hermione continued, but stopped, choking on her words.
"What, honey?" Hermione held her breath.
"That it hurts him when I cry..." she said in a whisper, sounding as if it pained her to say. Narcissa smiled.
"Well of course, but..."
"No, Narcissa, I mean it really hurts him... like a physical pain... when I cry because I'm sad... evidently, he's been that way his whole life... and he never told me. All those nights I let myself cry... I was hurting my poor little baby... and I didn't even know," she said and Narcissa frowned again, pulling Hermione back into her arms.
"Are you sure?" Hermione nodded.
"It makes so many things make sense... the fact that he came to me every time I cried... every time, even when he wasn't home. Remember when he stayed with Jimmy that night, and he called me? I was crying, Narcissa... he asked if I was okay, and if I wanted him to come home. And last night, I had a silencing charm on our room, and I cried, and he came to me... I thought it'd been a coincidence... that he'd had a bad dream or... something," she said, and Narcissa held her close.
"This is serious, Hermione," she said and Hermione nodded.
"I know... what do you think I should do?" she asked, a tear sliding down her face, and Narcissa smiled, rubbing her back, then pulled away.
"I know someone who might be able to help... in fact, we have a spa date tomorrow. Mud bath; plenty of chit-chat time. I'll see if she knows what's going on, okay? Don't worry about it, love... I'm sure it's nothing too bad. If he's had this problem his entire life, there's a pretty good chance it's not serious." Hermione sniffled.
"I guess... but I don't want to hurt him anymore, Narcissa... it's not fair," she said and Narcissa smiled, running her fingers through Hermione's hair.
"I know how that feels, love."
~*~*~*~
Jr. stopped eating suddenly, and looked up at Draco.
"Daddy," he said and his father turned his eyes to him, grinning until he saw the look on Jr.'s face. "Mum..." he said softly and Draco turned his head to the pantry, but stayed where he was. A moment later, he turned back.
"What, Junior, how is she feeling?" Jr. closed his eyes, putting down his carrot stick.
"She feels sad... but not the same kind she usually feels... and guilty... like she's done something terrible, but didn't mean to... and she's really worried about something," he said slowly and Draco sighed, looking to the floor. Jr. opened his eyes and started to slide off the counter.
"No, Draco, don't go. Nanna's with her... she'll be alright. I know what's wrong, she's okay, I promise. Just let her be this time, okay? Believe me, going will just make it worse," Draco said, sounding said, and Jr. minded, staying seated and picking up his carrot stick again. He looked at it blankly for a moment, then put it back down. With a small sigh, he closed his eyes again and pushed his brain, trying his best to hear something beyond the kitchen. What came were mere mumbles.
"...might be able to help... spa date tomorrow. Mud bath; plenty of chit- chat... had this problem his entire life... not serious..."
"...don't want to hurt him anymore... not fair...fair...fair..." Then, the mumbling stopped, and everything was silent, save the loud crunch coming from Eric's mouth as he chewed his carrot stick. Jr. was breathing a little hard, but otherwise felt fine. He sat still for a moment while Draco looked slightly worriedly at him, trying to catch his breath. In no time, Hermione came back into the kitchen, smiling and trailed by Narcissa. Jr. looked up and smiled, although he knew she still felt uneasy. In fact, when they made eye contact, the feeling doubled.
"Are you done, love?" she asked and Jr. nodded, still smiling. Hermione grinned and the feeling seemed to slip away, into the back of her mind. Jr.'s smile became more genuine. "Good. Go change, Junior. We're leaving in fifteen minutes," she suggested, picking him up and placing him on the floor. Jr., true to the small attention span of a five-year-old boy, forgot about Hermione's feelings and grinned excitedly.
"Where are we going, Mummy?" he asked and she laughed.
"You'll see. It's a surprise."
"Is Daddy coming too?" Both Jr.'s parents smiled.
"Of course Daddy is coming. Go on, go change," she insisted and Jr. turned around, running into the entry room, but stopped half way to the staircases, back tracking.
"Do I gots ta wear a collar shirt?" he asked, poking his head back into the kitchen and Hermione laughed, moving closer to Draco, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"No, Draco. In fact, wear something you wouldn't mind getting dirty," she said and he grinned, running to change into the most comfortable clothes he could find. Once the door to his room slammed shut, Hermione smiled, closing her eyes and turning her head toward Draco. He held her close, kissing her hair.
"Are you alright, love?" he asked softly and Hermione looked up.
"I'm fine... why?" Draco shook his head, smiling as he kissed her softly.
"Nothing..." he said, and Hermione smiled, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against his chest. Draco turned to Eric, who was chewing silently, watching the scene. Draco shook his head and put a finger to his lips and Eric nodded, understanding completely.
~*~*~*~
"Draco, what are you doing?" Eric asked as he knocked once and opened the door. Jr. was behind it, hopping on one foot as he tried to pull a pair of faded, ripped, and baggy jeans over his hunter green boxer shorts.
"Getting dressed, Eric. Duh," he said, zipping his jeans and digging through his drawer for an appropriate shirt. Eric sighed, sitting on his bed.
"I gotta tell you something, Draco. I don't think your mum and dad want you to know, but I think it will make things easier for them," he said and Jr. stopped searching, turning to Eric with an excited expression.
"Do you know where they're taking me?" he asked, but Eric shook his head, smiling sadly.
"No. It's about something else... your feelings, Draco." Jr.'s smile dropped.
"My... feelings?" Eric nodded. "What?"
"You know how you told your mum?" Jr. nodded. "Well, she kind of feels guilty that she's making you hurt because she's sad," he said and Jr. blinked.
"You mean, that's why she was sad when she was talking about Nanna? Because she's hurting me?" Eric nodded. "But it's not her fault..."
"I know, Draco. It's not yours either. It's just something that happened. I think, it would be better if you didn't go see her when she cries from now on... it'll just remind her that it hurts you. Tell your Daddy instead, and let him help her. He's probably better at it than you are, anyway... do you see what I mean?" Jr. nodded.
"But I gots to tell her it's not her fault," he insisted and Eric sighed again, looking to the floor.
"If you think so, go ahead... but I still think you should just let Uncle Draco know when she's feeling sad." Jr. nodded.
"Yeah... you're prob-abb-bully right. Thanks, Eric... I'm glad I know that now," he said and Eric smiled a little, standing.
"I would want to know, in your shoes, is all." Jr. smiled. "Have some fun for me, will ya?" Jr. nodded.
"Sure Eric," he said and his cousin left the room, returning to his own. With a small sigh, Jr. re-began his search for a comfy shirt.
~*~*~*~
"Are we there yet?" Jr. asked from the back seat of the car and Hermione groaned.
"No, Draco. Please, let's not start this again, hm?"
"Are we ALMOST there yet?" he continued and Draco laughed. Hermione smiled, sending him a look.
"Actually, yes, we are. Now, please, Junior; stop asking, okay?" With a wide smile, Jr. leaned back in his seat, looking out the window and hoping to catch a glimpse of where they could possibly be going.
The car pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of an unfamiliar building. Jr. furrowed his brows; he had no idea where they were. There was a word in big letters on the sign, but he couldn't read it. As hard as he tried, he couldn't sound those letters into a word.
"Mummy, where are we?" he asked, a tad sadly, and Hermione smiled and turned around.
"Let's go see, hm?" she asked and Jr.'s grin returned as he tried to unbuckle his car seat. Hermione shook her head, turning to Draco, who wore a wide smile, but said nothing. Hermione leaned toward him, introducing a firm kiss. Jr. didn't even notice; he was too busy attempting to unbuckle himself... without much luck. Hermione paused as they broke apart, opening her eyes and smiling, then spun to hurriedly get out of the car.
She shuffled around to the other side, opening Jr.'s door and assisting him in freeing the child from his restraint. Draco had barely had time to get out of the car before she got there, and he shook his head to himself.
The three walked into the big brown building, Jr. in Hermione's arms, resting on her hip. He looked around in awe, still trying to establish where they were. Hermione looked up at Draco, who smiled and placed a hand on the small of her back.
Jr. didn't say a word as they wound through the building. He was lost in his own thoughts. He knew his mother was excited, so it must be good. Then, they stopped in front of a big brown door with a sign on it. Jr. didn't even bother trying to read; it would ruin the surprise.
"Ready?" Hermione asked him softly, and Jr. nodded. His mother looked up at Draco again and he reached to open the door. Jr.'s eyes widened and he gasped at what he saw behind it.
There was an entire room filled with dogs. Big dogs, and little dogs... all caged in lockers along the wall. When the door opened, almost every dog stood up, wagging its tail as it saw the new family. Smiling, Hermione kissed Jr.'s cheek and set him on the ground. He hugged her before running off, excitedly looking at all the dogs, taking a step back to see the ones on top.
"Whoa... look at this one!" he called excitedly as he crouched in front of a big bull dog with wrinkled skin, looking not to be amused. Taking Draco's hand, Hermione followed her son, sharing opinions with him as they looked through the cages. The guard by the door smiled at them, then turned back to his newspaper. "Can we get one, Mummy?" Jr. asked, looking up at her with pleading eyes, and Hermione smiled sadly.
"Not today, Junior. We're just looking. If you want to keep one, you'll have to ask Nanna, not me," she said and he frowned a little, but his smile returned as he moved to the next cage. Then, he looked up again.
"Do you think she'll let me?" he asked and Draco laughed.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Junior. I wanted a dog when I was little, and I still don't have one," Draco said and Jr. frowned again, turning back to the poodle behind the cage. With a sad smile, Draco crouched down next to him. "But I think she likes you better than me." Jr. smiled.
"Emmy would like this one. She has poodles on her backpack... she doesn't have her shoulder bag yet," Jr. said, smiling, then made a face. "Her pink backpack." Hermione laughed and Jr. looked up at her. "Mummy, can Jimmy and Emmy come over this weekend?" he asked, then smiled, looking at Draco. "I want them to meet Daddy." Hermione smiled.
"Once again, Junior, you'll have to ask Nanna, but I doubt she'll have a problem with that," she said and he grinned.
~*~*~*~
After looking at just about every dog at the pound, Jr. reluctantly let his parents drag him back out to the car. Again, he looked up at the sign, trying to read the big red letters.
"Mummy, what's Speck-a?" he asked, and she laughed.
"What?" Jr. pointed to the sign and Hermione smiled as she read it. "It says S.P.C.A. Junior. It stands for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They take pets away from bad owners," she said and Jr. nodded, his mouth a little 'o' of understanding.
"So all those doggies belonged to bad peoples?" he asked in wonder and Hermione nodded.
"They're waiting for a better home." He nodded again, looking back ahead.
"I'm glad these people are here to help them," he said and Hermione smiled, squeezing his hand. Draco had been smiling involuntarily from his spot on Hermione's other side, grasping the hand that didn't hold Jr.'s. She looked up at him and shared his gaze, but it was only a moment before Jr. slipped and she turned her eyes back to him, holding his hand tight to keep him upright. She was about to ask if he was alright, but he merely giggled, brushing off the knee that hit the ground.
~*~*~*~
Next, the new Malfoy family ventured to Jr.'s favorite restaurant. One in which you can eat if you want, then play games until you can't carry all your prize tickets anymore. As soon as they walked in the door, he bolted for the game section, only to be stopped by Hermione's arm around her waist. He giggled as she pulled him back toward them.
"Mum!"
"You're going to eat first, Mr., or I'll never get you to come back. You'll have plenty of time to play afterward," she said and he sighed, moving to stand next to Draco and crossing his arms, pouting. Just to mock him, Draco mimicked his look, and Hermione laughed. "Oh, it's creepy when you do that," she said, stepping toward him and Draco smiled, dropping his arms. Jr. looked, if possible, more annoyed. He did, however, comply and follow his parents to a little booth, sitting next to Draco. "What do you want, Junior?" Hermione asked, looking down at the menu. Jr. smirked.
"Cheerios," he said and she looked up, unable to hold back a small smile.
"Junior..." she warned and he shrugged his shoulders, picking up a crayon from the cup and starting to color his paper placemat.
"I don't care, Mummy," he said and she sighed, shaking her head and turning to Draco, who was smiling and watching Jr. color.
Even after they'd ordered, it seemed like forever to Jr. before their dinner arrived. He had colored his placemat in five minutes, and was now gazing blankly at the playing children, anticipation and jealousy making him frown. Draco looked pleadingly at Hermione, giving a nod in Jr.'s direction, but she shook her head, and he didn't argue.
"Daddy," Jr. said, then turned to face him. "Will you be my show and tell project?" Draco laughed.
"Your what?" Jr. smiled, glad to have something to keep his mind off the playing children.
"Mr. Burns, that's my teacher, said that everyone has to bring something in for show and tell next week, and we get graded on how good it is. I want you to be my project. I askeded him and he said it was ok, as long as you tell about the war," he said and Draco's smile dropped. He looked at Hermione, noting that she looked just as surprised as he did.
"What exactly did you tell Mr. Burns, Draco?" she asked him and Jr. turned to her.
"I didn't tell him about the curses and stuff, Mummy. I'm smarter than that," he said and she smiled.
"I know you are, baby," she agreed and Jr. smiled.
"I telled him that I wanted to bring my daddy for show and tell, and I told him yesterday before you pickeded me up that I didn't know my daddy... so then I had to tell him all about you coming back from fighting bad men. He said you could be my project if you told the class about what happened to you," he explained, looking at his father, and Draco turned his eyes to Hermione, searching for help. She looked a tad unsure, but nodded nonetheless, and Draco smiled.
"I'd love to, Junior," he said and Jr. beamed, sitting straighter in his seat as he spotted their waitress coming near.
PRF:
Angelgurl06: Of course!
Couch-potato01: Lol, if you say so!
Princess*: Thanx. I didn't think you didn't like it, lol. If you did, I'm sure you would have made it clear.
Delila-Malfoy: Thanx. And I'll try!
Purpleballerynna: Thanx. I like feelings. Everyone has lots of feelings in my stories, lol. Junior is a special kid, by cracky
Silver Dragon Goddess: Computers suck... that's a fact. Lol. And don't worry; I proofread this one ;o)
Flutegirl: I've seen people with way more reviews than me...lol. Even all put together! Me neither! Summer is rockin!
Tracey: I haven't even TOLD Ron yet, have I? I'll have to put that in somewhere... lol.
Angelgirl1: Thanx!
Sucker 4 a Scot: Thanx. I like post-Hogwarts stories, as long as it's like, them living real life... I hate the ones that are just like their kids going to Hogwarts... so stupid. I could never REALLY kill Draco. I'd be crushed.
Erilyn Rose: Corin sucks! Yeah; I thought that question made it more believeable... but wasn't a FIGHT. I can't make them FIGHT just yet...
Chrissy: Cool, lol... I'll have to get that poster ;o)
Krissy: Lol, yep, they do!
Ezmerelda: You bet he is! I'll see; he might get his arse kicked in.... ;oD
Slim-Shady's-modeling-baby: I know! I read it! Great job!
Tiny Dancer: Is that like, that song by Elton john or whoever: Blue jean baby... L.A. lady... married a music man.... lol. I like that song. Of course I'm continuing!
Seanbs-girl: Lol, I'm glad you like it... and all questions will be answered in due time, don't worry ;o)
TriGemini: Thanx! I'm glad you like it!
B4 on MPES:
"So, what do you want to do tonight? With Junior?" Hermione asked. "I promised him we'd do something together." Draco smiled brightly.
"You know more than I do... what do you think he'd like?" Hermione shrugged a shoulder, then straightened, her eyes bright and smiling growing.
"I have the most perfect idea..."
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER ELEVEN: A First Request
"Higher, Nana!" Narcissa laughed.
"Alright, alright... why do you want it so high?" she asked, tacking Jr.'s macaroni picture on the refrigerator while he directed her. Jr. smiled.
"Because Daddy is lots taller than me, and I wanna make sure he sees it," the little boy explained and Narcissa smiled.
"How's that?"
"That's good, Nanna. He'll see it there." Narcissa smiled, mussing his hair, then moved elsewhere in the kitchen, beginning her daily ritual of cooking and cleaning. "Nanna," Jr. said minutes later, and Narcissa turned to see him staring confusedly at a small white piece of paper.
"What, Draco?"
"I think this is for me... can you read it to me?" he asked, looking up at her with pleading eyes. Narcissa smiled and crouched down.
"Can't you read it, baby?" Jr. squinted at the page, but frowned and shook his head.
"The writing is all loopy," he said sadly, sounding defeated, and Narcissa frowned. She took the note gently from his hands and turned it to face her. She smiled.
"It's from your Mum, Draco. She just wants to tell you that she and Daddy might be late coming home, love," she said gently and Jr. looked up, surprised. He took the note back, studying it carefully.
"Are you SURE it's from Mummy?" Narcissa nodded, smiling, and pointed to the top of the page.
"To Junior," then she pointed to the bottom. "From Mum and Dad." Jr. continued to squint at the page.
"But... Mummy always writes the notes so I can read them... with big letters, and no loopys..." he said sadly and Narcissa smiled softly.
"She was probably in a hurry, love, that's all. They're going shopping." Jr. looked up.
"You mean Daddy's not gonna wear those icky clothes no more?" His grandmother laughed.
"It seems not," she said, smiling, and a grin crept across Jr.'s face.
"Then I forgive her. I would have been in a hurry too," he said and, again, Narcissa laughed, pulling him into a hug.
"As if you'd ever be mad at your mum for more than three seconds," she said and Jr. smiled, shaking his shoulders. Then, his grin widened and he squealed, turning and running toward the front door. Narcissa looked confused, but let him go, standing and looking after him, eyebrows knitted. Jr. ran into the driveway, leaving the door wide open, and Narcissa watched as he stood in the middle of the brick, not looking to be doing anything. She started toward the door, slightly confused and a little worried, and stepped outside just as Hermione's black Mercedes pulled into the driveway. Jr. jumped up and down, hopping toward his mother's door.
"Mummy!" he called and she laughed as she stepped out, crouching down and hugging him.
"Hey Junior," she said, laughing. "Why are you so happy to see me?" Draco, who had just gotten out of the car, smiled as he made his way toward the other side. Jr. shrugged, squeezing her tight, then let go and moved toward Draco.
"Daddy," he said, reaching his arms up and Draco smiled as he bent and hoisted his son onto his hip. Jr. wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, hugging him tight, and Draco smiled.
"Hey, kid," he said, returning his hug. Jr. pulled back.
"I gots to show you my picture, Daddy," he said, sounding in a hurry, and Draco laughed.
"Okay, Junior. How about we bring Mum?" he asked and Jr. nodded enthusiastically. Draco, smiling, turned to Hermione, holding out a hand at precisely the same time Jr. did. Hermione smiled, once again struck with that wonderful feeling she got when they acted alike. Just to be fair, she took both hands and stood, not needing them at all, but appreciating the gesture. Once standing, she pecked Draco on the lips, pulling away to see Jr. looking disgusted, sticking out his tongue. She laughed and kissed his cheek, which he promptly wiped off. Smiling widely, Hermione turned away from her boys, still holding Draco's hand, and walked toward Narcissa, who was looking both touched and shaken.
"Back so soon, children?" she asked, her voice a tad shaky. Hermione looked curiously at her, but smiled nonetheless.
"Are you alright, Narcissa?" She laughed nervously.
"Why, of course, dear. Do you want something to eat? I haven't even made the boys' snacks yet," she said, grinning and spun, hurrying to the kitchen. Hermione turned back to Draco and Junior, who both shrugged their shoulders, making her smile. She squeezed Draco's hand and pulled him toward the kitchen. Jr., meanwhile, was getting even more excited.
"There!" he said, pointing to the fridge, and both his parents looked to the buckled piece of paper, colored with watercolor paint and glued on macaroni. Hermione smiled.
"It's great, Junior. The best you've ever done," she said proudly, giving him another kiss on the cheek. Jr. smiled, wiping her kiss on his shoulder. Hermione laughed and, again, kissed Draco's lips, then turned to help Narcissa. Draco turned to his son.
"That's a very nice picture, Junior. How did you make it?" he asked, to strike up conversation, putting Jr. gently down on the breakfast bar. He smiled, swinging his legs, and began to explain, using hand gestures.
"Well, first you gots ta draw it with a pencil, then you glue on the macaroni noodles, and then you get to paint it. I did the dragon from my lunchbox, 'sept I made him red," he said and Draco smiled, nodding at each direction.
"That sounds like a lot of work," he said and Jr. grinned, then Draco smirked. "Did you play with Emmy today?" Jr. nodded enthusiastically.
"We played in the sandbox. Me and Emmy made a really cool sand castle there yesterday, but this kid in my class named Edward is a bully, and he knocked it down. It was better today; Edward didn't come to school," he said and Draco smiled, nodding.
"Do you like Emmy?" Again, Jr. nodded.
"She's really nice. Yesterday, Edward took her cookie, and I gave her mine, and today she tried to give me hers, but I didn't take it. That wouldn't make sense," he said and Draco's smile grew. He turned to look at Hermione, who was watching and listening while she cut up some carrots. She smiled back.
"So you play with her, and you share with her, and you like her... but she's not your girlfriend?" he asked suspiciously and Jr.'s smile dropped.
"No! Ew!" he said and Draco laughed. "That's gross. I don't wanna kiss no girls," Jr. said and Eric, who was just coming into the kitchen, no longer wearing his uniform, laughed.
"As if any would ask," he said, shaking his head and Jr. glared. Eric laughed again. "But hey, if they do... just send them to me, and I'll take care of it for ya," he suggested and Jr. smiled, not exactly sure what he was suggesting. Hermione laughed.
"I hear about you kissing any girls, buster, I tell your father," she said and Eric sighed, leaning against the counter next to Jr.
"Aunt Mina, you are such a tattle tale," he said and she laughed, shrugging her shoulders.
"That's what I'm here for," she said, dumping the carrots from the cutting board onto a plate. Draco looked at Narcissa, who simply smiled, looking dreamily toward the floor.
"Don't worry, Eric. Just don't kiss and tell, and you'll be fine," Draco said, smirking, and Eric smirked back, but Hermione sighed.
"Don't encourage him," she pleaded in exasperation, and Draco laughed.
"Sorry, Mia," he said softly and she smiled, shaking her head, and set the plate between the boys on the counter.
"Oh good. Girls and... carrots. My two most favorite-ist things," Jr. said, taking a carrot from the plate and nibbling on the end. Both Hermione and Draco laughed.
"Where did you learn such sarcasm, kiddo?" Draco asked, and Jr. shrugged distractedly, taking a larger bite.
"Narcissa, could I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione asked and Narcissa perked up, as if pulled from a trance.
"What? Oh, of course, dear." Hermione smiled.
"Draco, will you watch the boys for two seconds?" He grinned warmly, nodding. "Thanks," she continued, kissing his lips quickly and pulling Narcissa into the pantry.
"Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about too, Hermione," Narcissa said nervously, and Hermione frowned a little, noticing her uneasiness.
"Narcissa... what's wrong?" She laughed.
"Nothing, nothing, dear. Go on, go first," Narcissa insisted, smiling, but Hermione didn't look entirely convinced.
"Okay... well, I really just wanted to tell you that it'll be just you and the Potters tonight for dinner. I promised Junior we would do something together, just us and Draco," she said and Narcissa smiled, stepping forward and hugging her lightly.
"That's wonderful, Hermione." Hermione smiled and paused for a moment, then looked stern again.
"What is it you wanted to tell me?" Narcissa took a breath.
"It's about Junior," she said and Hermione frowned.
"What?" she asked again, and Narcissa crossed her arms.
"I'm not really sure how to say this... have you noticed... he seems to be very... perceptive, almost all of a sudden? He knew you were home before you even pulled into the driveway... and I hadn't heard a thing..." Hermione sighed, somewhat relived. She had been expecting something a little worse than that.
"Actually, yes. He did that yesterday, too... right after I introduced him to Draco. He heard your car... I can't even hear your car when I'm in it, and we were all the way upstairs... but he knew." Narcissa nodded. "And... he told me this morning, that..." Hermione continued, but stopped, choking on her words.
"What, honey?" Hermione held her breath.
"That it hurts him when I cry..." she said in a whisper, sounding as if it pained her to say. Narcissa smiled.
"Well of course, but..."
"No, Narcissa, I mean it really hurts him... like a physical pain... when I cry because I'm sad... evidently, he's been that way his whole life... and he never told me. All those nights I let myself cry... I was hurting my poor little baby... and I didn't even know," she said and Narcissa frowned again, pulling Hermione back into her arms.
"Are you sure?" Hermione nodded.
"It makes so many things make sense... the fact that he came to me every time I cried... every time, even when he wasn't home. Remember when he stayed with Jimmy that night, and he called me? I was crying, Narcissa... he asked if I was okay, and if I wanted him to come home. And last night, I had a silencing charm on our room, and I cried, and he came to me... I thought it'd been a coincidence... that he'd had a bad dream or... something," she said, and Narcissa held her close.
"This is serious, Hermione," she said and Hermione nodded.
"I know... what do you think I should do?" she asked, a tear sliding down her face, and Narcissa smiled, rubbing her back, then pulled away.
"I know someone who might be able to help... in fact, we have a spa date tomorrow. Mud bath; plenty of chit-chat time. I'll see if she knows what's going on, okay? Don't worry about it, love... I'm sure it's nothing too bad. If he's had this problem his entire life, there's a pretty good chance it's not serious." Hermione sniffled.
"I guess... but I don't want to hurt him anymore, Narcissa... it's not fair," she said and Narcissa smiled, running her fingers through Hermione's hair.
"I know how that feels, love."
~*~*~*~
Jr. stopped eating suddenly, and looked up at Draco.
"Daddy," he said and his father turned his eyes to him, grinning until he saw the look on Jr.'s face. "Mum..." he said softly and Draco turned his head to the pantry, but stayed where he was. A moment later, he turned back.
"What, Junior, how is she feeling?" Jr. closed his eyes, putting down his carrot stick.
"She feels sad... but not the same kind she usually feels... and guilty... like she's done something terrible, but didn't mean to... and she's really worried about something," he said slowly and Draco sighed, looking to the floor. Jr. opened his eyes and started to slide off the counter.
"No, Draco, don't go. Nanna's with her... she'll be alright. I know what's wrong, she's okay, I promise. Just let her be this time, okay? Believe me, going will just make it worse," Draco said, sounding said, and Jr. minded, staying seated and picking up his carrot stick again. He looked at it blankly for a moment, then put it back down. With a small sigh, he closed his eyes again and pushed his brain, trying his best to hear something beyond the kitchen. What came were mere mumbles.
"...might be able to help... spa date tomorrow. Mud bath; plenty of chit- chat... had this problem his entire life... not serious..."
"...don't want to hurt him anymore... not fair...fair...fair..." Then, the mumbling stopped, and everything was silent, save the loud crunch coming from Eric's mouth as he chewed his carrot stick. Jr. was breathing a little hard, but otherwise felt fine. He sat still for a moment while Draco looked slightly worriedly at him, trying to catch his breath. In no time, Hermione came back into the kitchen, smiling and trailed by Narcissa. Jr. looked up and smiled, although he knew she still felt uneasy. In fact, when they made eye contact, the feeling doubled.
"Are you done, love?" she asked and Jr. nodded, still smiling. Hermione grinned and the feeling seemed to slip away, into the back of her mind. Jr.'s smile became more genuine. "Good. Go change, Junior. We're leaving in fifteen minutes," she suggested, picking him up and placing him on the floor. Jr., true to the small attention span of a five-year-old boy, forgot about Hermione's feelings and grinned excitedly.
"Where are we going, Mummy?" he asked and she laughed.
"You'll see. It's a surprise."
"Is Daddy coming too?" Both Jr.'s parents smiled.
"Of course Daddy is coming. Go on, go change," she insisted and Jr. turned around, running into the entry room, but stopped half way to the staircases, back tracking.
"Do I gots ta wear a collar shirt?" he asked, poking his head back into the kitchen and Hermione laughed, moving closer to Draco, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"No, Draco. In fact, wear something you wouldn't mind getting dirty," she said and he grinned, running to change into the most comfortable clothes he could find. Once the door to his room slammed shut, Hermione smiled, closing her eyes and turning her head toward Draco. He held her close, kissing her hair.
"Are you alright, love?" he asked softly and Hermione looked up.
"I'm fine... why?" Draco shook his head, smiling as he kissed her softly.
"Nothing..." he said, and Hermione smiled, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against his chest. Draco turned to Eric, who was chewing silently, watching the scene. Draco shook his head and put a finger to his lips and Eric nodded, understanding completely.
~*~*~*~
"Draco, what are you doing?" Eric asked as he knocked once and opened the door. Jr. was behind it, hopping on one foot as he tried to pull a pair of faded, ripped, and baggy jeans over his hunter green boxer shorts.
"Getting dressed, Eric. Duh," he said, zipping his jeans and digging through his drawer for an appropriate shirt. Eric sighed, sitting on his bed.
"I gotta tell you something, Draco. I don't think your mum and dad want you to know, but I think it will make things easier for them," he said and Jr. stopped searching, turning to Eric with an excited expression.
"Do you know where they're taking me?" he asked, but Eric shook his head, smiling sadly.
"No. It's about something else... your feelings, Draco." Jr.'s smile dropped.
"My... feelings?" Eric nodded. "What?"
"You know how you told your mum?" Jr. nodded. "Well, she kind of feels guilty that she's making you hurt because she's sad," he said and Jr. blinked.
"You mean, that's why she was sad when she was talking about Nanna? Because she's hurting me?" Eric nodded. "But it's not her fault..."
"I know, Draco. It's not yours either. It's just something that happened. I think, it would be better if you didn't go see her when she cries from now on... it'll just remind her that it hurts you. Tell your Daddy instead, and let him help her. He's probably better at it than you are, anyway... do you see what I mean?" Jr. nodded.
"But I gots to tell her it's not her fault," he insisted and Eric sighed again, looking to the floor.
"If you think so, go ahead... but I still think you should just let Uncle Draco know when she's feeling sad." Jr. nodded.
"Yeah... you're prob-abb-bully right. Thanks, Eric... I'm glad I know that now," he said and Eric smiled a little, standing.
"I would want to know, in your shoes, is all." Jr. smiled. "Have some fun for me, will ya?" Jr. nodded.
"Sure Eric," he said and his cousin left the room, returning to his own. With a small sigh, Jr. re-began his search for a comfy shirt.
~*~*~*~
"Are we there yet?" Jr. asked from the back seat of the car and Hermione groaned.
"No, Draco. Please, let's not start this again, hm?"
"Are we ALMOST there yet?" he continued and Draco laughed. Hermione smiled, sending him a look.
"Actually, yes, we are. Now, please, Junior; stop asking, okay?" With a wide smile, Jr. leaned back in his seat, looking out the window and hoping to catch a glimpse of where they could possibly be going.
The car pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of an unfamiliar building. Jr. furrowed his brows; he had no idea where they were. There was a word in big letters on the sign, but he couldn't read it. As hard as he tried, he couldn't sound those letters into a word.
"Mummy, where are we?" he asked, a tad sadly, and Hermione smiled and turned around.
"Let's go see, hm?" she asked and Jr.'s grin returned as he tried to unbuckle his car seat. Hermione shook her head, turning to Draco, who wore a wide smile, but said nothing. Hermione leaned toward him, introducing a firm kiss. Jr. didn't even notice; he was too busy attempting to unbuckle himself... without much luck. Hermione paused as they broke apart, opening her eyes and smiling, then spun to hurriedly get out of the car.
She shuffled around to the other side, opening Jr.'s door and assisting him in freeing the child from his restraint. Draco had barely had time to get out of the car before she got there, and he shook his head to himself.
The three walked into the big brown building, Jr. in Hermione's arms, resting on her hip. He looked around in awe, still trying to establish where they were. Hermione looked up at Draco, who smiled and placed a hand on the small of her back.
Jr. didn't say a word as they wound through the building. He was lost in his own thoughts. He knew his mother was excited, so it must be good. Then, they stopped in front of a big brown door with a sign on it. Jr. didn't even bother trying to read; it would ruin the surprise.
"Ready?" Hermione asked him softly, and Jr. nodded. His mother looked up at Draco again and he reached to open the door. Jr.'s eyes widened and he gasped at what he saw behind it.
There was an entire room filled with dogs. Big dogs, and little dogs... all caged in lockers along the wall. When the door opened, almost every dog stood up, wagging its tail as it saw the new family. Smiling, Hermione kissed Jr.'s cheek and set him on the ground. He hugged her before running off, excitedly looking at all the dogs, taking a step back to see the ones on top.
"Whoa... look at this one!" he called excitedly as he crouched in front of a big bull dog with wrinkled skin, looking not to be amused. Taking Draco's hand, Hermione followed her son, sharing opinions with him as they looked through the cages. The guard by the door smiled at them, then turned back to his newspaper. "Can we get one, Mummy?" Jr. asked, looking up at her with pleading eyes, and Hermione smiled sadly.
"Not today, Junior. We're just looking. If you want to keep one, you'll have to ask Nanna, not me," she said and he frowned a little, but his smile returned as he moved to the next cage. Then, he looked up again.
"Do you think she'll let me?" he asked and Draco laughed.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Junior. I wanted a dog when I was little, and I still don't have one," Draco said and Jr. frowned again, turning back to the poodle behind the cage. With a sad smile, Draco crouched down next to him. "But I think she likes you better than me." Jr. smiled.
"Emmy would like this one. She has poodles on her backpack... she doesn't have her shoulder bag yet," Jr. said, smiling, then made a face. "Her pink backpack." Hermione laughed and Jr. looked up at her. "Mummy, can Jimmy and Emmy come over this weekend?" he asked, then smiled, looking at Draco. "I want them to meet Daddy." Hermione smiled.
"Once again, Junior, you'll have to ask Nanna, but I doubt she'll have a problem with that," she said and he grinned.
~*~*~*~
After looking at just about every dog at the pound, Jr. reluctantly let his parents drag him back out to the car. Again, he looked up at the sign, trying to read the big red letters.
"Mummy, what's Speck-a?" he asked, and she laughed.
"What?" Jr. pointed to the sign and Hermione smiled as she read it. "It says S.P.C.A. Junior. It stands for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. They take pets away from bad owners," she said and Jr. nodded, his mouth a little 'o' of understanding.
"So all those doggies belonged to bad peoples?" he asked in wonder and Hermione nodded.
"They're waiting for a better home." He nodded again, looking back ahead.
"I'm glad these people are here to help them," he said and Hermione smiled, squeezing his hand. Draco had been smiling involuntarily from his spot on Hermione's other side, grasping the hand that didn't hold Jr.'s. She looked up at him and shared his gaze, but it was only a moment before Jr. slipped and she turned her eyes back to him, holding his hand tight to keep him upright. She was about to ask if he was alright, but he merely giggled, brushing off the knee that hit the ground.
~*~*~*~
Next, the new Malfoy family ventured to Jr.'s favorite restaurant. One in which you can eat if you want, then play games until you can't carry all your prize tickets anymore. As soon as they walked in the door, he bolted for the game section, only to be stopped by Hermione's arm around her waist. He giggled as she pulled him back toward them.
"Mum!"
"You're going to eat first, Mr., or I'll never get you to come back. You'll have plenty of time to play afterward," she said and he sighed, moving to stand next to Draco and crossing his arms, pouting. Just to mock him, Draco mimicked his look, and Hermione laughed. "Oh, it's creepy when you do that," she said, stepping toward him and Draco smiled, dropping his arms. Jr. looked, if possible, more annoyed. He did, however, comply and follow his parents to a little booth, sitting next to Draco. "What do you want, Junior?" Hermione asked, looking down at the menu. Jr. smirked.
"Cheerios," he said and she looked up, unable to hold back a small smile.
"Junior..." she warned and he shrugged his shoulders, picking up a crayon from the cup and starting to color his paper placemat.
"I don't care, Mummy," he said and she sighed, shaking her head and turning to Draco, who was smiling and watching Jr. color.
Even after they'd ordered, it seemed like forever to Jr. before their dinner arrived. He had colored his placemat in five minutes, and was now gazing blankly at the playing children, anticipation and jealousy making him frown. Draco looked pleadingly at Hermione, giving a nod in Jr.'s direction, but she shook her head, and he didn't argue.
"Daddy," Jr. said, then turned to face him. "Will you be my show and tell project?" Draco laughed.
"Your what?" Jr. smiled, glad to have something to keep his mind off the playing children.
"Mr. Burns, that's my teacher, said that everyone has to bring something in for show and tell next week, and we get graded on how good it is. I want you to be my project. I askeded him and he said it was ok, as long as you tell about the war," he said and Draco's smile dropped. He looked at Hermione, noting that she looked just as surprised as he did.
"What exactly did you tell Mr. Burns, Draco?" she asked him and Jr. turned to her.
"I didn't tell him about the curses and stuff, Mummy. I'm smarter than that," he said and she smiled.
"I know you are, baby," she agreed and Jr. smiled.
"I telled him that I wanted to bring my daddy for show and tell, and I told him yesterday before you pickeded me up that I didn't know my daddy... so then I had to tell him all about you coming back from fighting bad men. He said you could be my project if you told the class about what happened to you," he explained, looking at his father, and Draco turned his eyes to Hermione, searching for help. She looked a tad unsure, but nodded nonetheless, and Draco smiled.
"I'd love to, Junior," he said and Jr. beamed, sitting straighter in his seat as he spotted their waitress coming near.
PRF:
Angelgurl06: Of course!
Couch-potato01: Lol, if you say so!
Princess*: Thanx. I didn't think you didn't like it, lol. If you did, I'm sure you would have made it clear.
Delila-Malfoy: Thanx. And I'll try!
Purpleballerynna: Thanx. I like feelings. Everyone has lots of feelings in my stories, lol. Junior is a special kid, by cracky
Silver Dragon Goddess: Computers suck... that's a fact. Lol. And don't worry; I proofread this one ;o)
Flutegirl: I've seen people with way more reviews than me...lol. Even all put together! Me neither! Summer is rockin!
Tracey: I haven't even TOLD Ron yet, have I? I'll have to put that in somewhere... lol.
Angelgirl1: Thanx!
Sucker 4 a Scot: Thanx. I like post-Hogwarts stories, as long as it's like, them living real life... I hate the ones that are just like their kids going to Hogwarts... so stupid. I could never REALLY kill Draco. I'd be crushed.
Erilyn Rose: Corin sucks! Yeah; I thought that question made it more believeable... but wasn't a FIGHT. I can't make them FIGHT just yet...
Chrissy: Cool, lol... I'll have to get that poster ;o)
Krissy: Lol, yep, they do!
Ezmerelda: You bet he is! I'll see; he might get his arse kicked in.... ;oD
Slim-Shady's-modeling-baby: I know! I read it! Great job!
Tiny Dancer: Is that like, that song by Elton john or whoever: Blue jean baby... L.A. lady... married a music man.... lol. I like that song. Of course I'm continuing!
Seanbs-girl: Lol, I'm glad you like it... and all questions will be answered in due time, don't worry ;o)
TriGemini: Thanx! I'm glad you like it!