Disclaimer: Holy cow, It's my turn now, to say what's on my mind. I do
believe that all of these, small things are not quite mine. Fumble, dumble,
whiffle ball they're JK's words to rhyme. Now let's all scroll down the
line and read it double time!
B4 on MPES:
"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 asked-ed 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.
"I'd love to, Junior," he said and Jr. beamed, sitting straighter in his seat as he spotted their waitress coming near.
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TWELVE: Melody
After eating dinner, which Jr. did rather hurriedly, and over an hour of watching him play games and win tickets, the Malfoy's left the restaurant. Jr. seemed a little hesitant, but the toys he'd won made up for it. It was only about seven o'clock, and Hermione spontaneously decided on one last stop before they went home. The night was warm, the sun just barely set. It was perfect.
Jr. was looking a tad sleepy as she pulled into the parking lot which resided just feet from the beach of Crystal Lake, but was happy enough to get out and walk along the shore. He rolled up his pant-legs and took off his shoes, leaving them in the car. Hermione carried Jr. until they stood on the beach, as not to make him walk barefoot on gravel, then set her son down, letting him run through the sand. Draco took her hand and she smiled at him before together they chased their son toward the water.
Jr. stopped only a few feet in, the water not even cresting his knees. He simply trotted along, keeping an eye on his parents, who kept a closer eye on him. They walked for over an hour, talking and laughing. By eight thirty, Jr. was fast asleep in Draco's arms, feet crusted with sand and clothes soaking wet. Hermione held her fiancé's hand, smiling as they slowly continued their walk back toward the car. Draco looked to make sure Jr. really was sleeping.
"Hermione," he whispered.
"Hm?" she asked, turning toward him and he smiled.
"What's show-and-tell?" Hermione laughed.
"You're still thinking about that?" Draco gave a 'well-yeah-of-course' expression and she shook her head. "It's something the kids do in the earlier grades. Everyone in the class brings something into school to share with the rest, and they tell them about it. This is Junior's first time and Eric doesn't do it anymore. Last year, he brought in his worm collection. Someone stepped on his favorite one and he got so upset he let all the others go." Draco laughed.
"So I'm supposed to be his worm collection?" Hermione shrugged.
"You could think of it that way," she said, smiling and he sighed, frowning slightly.
"What am I supposed to tell them, though, love? I have no idea what muggle war is like..." he said sadly and Hermione looked sympathetically at him.
"It's pretty much the same, except they use guns instead of wands. They still have to wait, and sleep in trenches, and not eat properly. It's incredibly similar... just tell the kids whatever you told Junior... but you might want to leave out the part about Eric. Harry's told him repeatedly how much he hated being famous when he was growing up, and the fact that Eric was in a war might make some people talk... and he probably wouldn't like that." Draco nodded, understanding.
"Right... but won't his teacher think I'm lying? I mean, the muggles don't know there was a war at that time..." Hermione shook her head.
"There's always a muggle war somewhere. In fact, six years ago, there was a war in Cambodia ... and it ended less than a month after ours. Say you went there... England sent troops," she said and he nodded again.
"How do you know that?" Hermione sighed.
"Because I watched them report it on TV. I had no word from anyone regarding our war... so I watched that, imagining how much worse it must have been for you and the others..." she said and he smiled sadly, kissing her temple. Hermione leaned her head against his chest.
"Why did you have a TV? We never had a TV," Draco said and Hermione laughed.
"Because it put Junior to sleep," she said and he smiled. "He never cried, but he never slept either. I was worried, really... babies are supposed to sleep all the time, and he just never would. Then, I was visiting my mother, and we left him in the playpen in the living room to play. My dad came in and turned on the telly, and Draco lay right down and went to sleep. It was the only way I'd get him to for at least two years," she said and Draco smiled, letting go of her hand and sliding his arm around her waist.
"Was the war coverage THAT boring?" he asked and Hermione laughed, hugging his side for a moment as they walked.
~*~*~*~
Hermione took Jr. from the car seat as they arrived back home and brought him upstairs. Narcissa had wanted Draco to tell her all about what they'd done and he laughed, but complied, leaving his family to venture upstairs alone.
Not wanting to wake him, or put in the effort, Hermione charmed her son into some dry pajamas and cleaned the sand from his feet before placing him in bed with Melville. She kissed his forehead, then turned to leave, but Jr. called back to her.
"Mum?" he said softly and she smiled down at him. "I want Melody tonight, Mum," he said and Hermione's smile dropped slightly.
"Melody? My bear? Why, love?" she asked, bringing the requested animal to her son. He sighed.
"I gots to talk to you about something, Mum. Are you sad because it hurts me when you cry?" he asked gently and Hermione's mouth opened. She didn't know what to say. If she said yes, he might feel guilty about her guilt, but if she said no, he might take it the wrong way. "I know you are, Mum. But it's okay. You gots to believe me... it doesn't hurt that much, Mum. And I'm glad it's there... it's there so I can help you, and I want to," he said and Hermione took a deep breath, then leaned down to hug her son, kissing his forehead gently.
"I love you, Draco," she said and he smiled, hugging her back.
"I love you too, Mummy. But I gots to tell you one more thing," he said and she pulled back from him, looking curious.
"What, love?" she asked gently, stroking his hair.
"It's not your fault Mummy," he said seriously, making Hermione smile. He looked so much like Draco when he was trying to be determined. She nodded, sniffling slightly.
"I know, baby. I'm sorry," she said, kissing him again. "I'll see you in the morning, love. It's past your bedtime; go to sleep," she said and Jr. smiled, sighing, and nodded.
~*~*~*~
For the next week, everything went as usual in the Malfoy/Potter domicile. Harry and Ginny still went to work, Hermione still woke and readied the boys, then took them to school, and Narcissa still packed lunches and went to the city. The only difference was that Draco would get up with Hermione and cook the boys' breakfast, then accompany them to school, and keep her company at home while they were alone. Almost everyday, they would go for walks, sit and talk, or find something outside the house to do: anything together.
Narcissa had granted Jr. permission to allow Jimmy and Emmy to come over that weekend, as everyone was pretty sure she would, and Jr. asked his male friend the next day at school. Unfortunately, Jimmy's mother had said no, and Jr. didn't want just Emmy to come. He could only imagine what his parents would do then... he didn't bother to ask her.
Hermione wrote at least two-dozen owls, telling everyone of Draco's return. Ron, her parents, and Dumbledore were her primary pen-pals, but she also sent letters to all the other Weasleys, most of whom were as much brothers to her Ron was. Molly and Arthur Weasley also received immediate notification and replied within a day, Molly ranting about how happy she was and that they should visit as soon as possible, and to bring the boys. Most of the other Weasleys also replied with enthusiasm... except Ron. His letter was short and to the point, saying nothing about wanting to meet Draco, only that it would be nice for Jr. to have a proper father, and Hermione a closer friend. This saddened Hermione to a degree, but she kept it from Draco. Even after all that had happened to them, Ron didn't particularly care for Draco. He'd attended his funeral, but didn't cry... or speak, for that matter. He was there solely for her benefit, and Hermione knew such, but wouldn't tell Draco. If he'd taken Corin, the shopkeeper's, rejection so harshly, there was no telling what Ron's lack of enthusiasm would do to him.
Dumbledore didn't reply through mail; he called them. On the phone. Hermione had practically screamed when she answered it, babbling about how nice it was to hear from him while she ran to alert Draco to their 'visitor'. Dumbledore had called during the day, while Jr. and Eric were at school and everyone else was gone. Hermione was fixing lunch while Draco studied for his upcoming appearance at school. He was taking the show and tell invitation extremely seriously; wanting to make sure he knew everything he could about the war, just in case Mr. Burns, Jr.'s teacher, decided to interrogate him. Unfortunately, Dumbledore could only talk for a few minutes, and requested they visit Hogwarts that winter, and possibly bring the children. He suggested they wait until the boys were out for Christmas break, which was nearly a week longer than that of Hogwarts. They would give them a tour, let them meet the students... get them excited about one day attending school there. Unhesitant, Hermione and Draco agreed, cheerfully bidding goodbye.
~*~*~*~
The alarm clock sounded its annoyingly high pitch wake up call and Hermione sighed, reaching to the bedside table to turn it off. She started to get out of bed, but there were two arms wrapped around her waist, preventing it.
"Draco... I gotta get up," she said softly, turning to face him with closed eyes. Draco smiled and kissed her softly.
"No you don't, Mia. Go back to sleep; I'll take the boys today," he suggested and she smiled.
"Mm... that sounds good," she mumbled and Draco chuckled.
"I have to be Junior's project today, love. I won't be back for a while," he said and she frowned slightly, opening her eyes to meet his. The grin on Draco's face made her lips change course. She sighed slightly and nodded, kissing him softly.
"Okay... have fun," she said and Draco laughed, pressing his lips to hers one last time before pulling quickly away and getting out of bed.
"I just don't want to mess up," he said and she sighed, rolling over and clutching the blankets.
"You won't."
"I love you Mia," he said and she grinned.
"I love you too."
~
"Draco," Draco called as he entered his son's room to see him still asleep. He smiled and approached him, sitting on the edge of the bed and shaking Jr.'s shoulder. "Junior, wake up." Jr. groaned a little, then shot up, eyes wide. He blinked twice, focusing and seeing his father grinning at his bedside. Jr. matched the expression.
"It's show and tell day, Daddy," he said and Draco nodded.
"I know. Wake up Eric and come down for breakfast, okay?" Jr. nodded and Draco smiled. "Good," he said and ruffled his son's already messy hair, then stood and left the room, going down for breakfast.
Narcissa was already up, packing lunches at the speed of light. Draco laughed as he entered.
"Alright, Mum?" he asked and she looked up at him, then sighed a little, smiling.
"Yes, love. I'm running a little late, is all," she said, continuing to move quickly. Draco raised an eyebrow.
"No you're not, Mum. You shouldn't even be awake yet," he said and she stopped, looking past him to make sure no one was coming.
"Where's Hermione?" she asked and Draco shifted his feet.
"I told her she could sleep in today. Why?" he asked and Narcissa sighed a little.
"Well, I told her last week that I had a friend who could help us figure out why Junior is so... perceptive? And she canceled our mud bath at the last minute, so I never got a chance to talk to her. I didn't tell Hermione... I think she forgot, really... but I have an appointment with my friend this morning, and I'm late..." she explained, continuing to pack the lunches. "Done."
"What do you mean help us?" Draco asked suspiciously and Narcissa looked up at him.
"You can't tell me you haven't noticed? I mean... I know you haven't known Junior for long, but... it's obvious there's something different about him," she said softly and Draco actually looked angry.
"What are you saying, Mother?" he demanded, quite harshly, and Narcissa opened her mouth, at a loss for words.
"No, honey, I didn't mean it like that, it's just..." she started, but Draco shook his head, ignoring her and starting to make breakfast for the boys. Narcissa sighed, knowing from experience that his temper was one thing Draco had gotten from his father... and that it was best to just stay away when he was angry. She left the kitchen, head hung, and started toward her bathroom to shower, but a high voice stopped her.
"Nanna!" Jr. said as he ran down the stairs. Narcissa smiled and turned to him.
"What, baby?" she asked and Jr. grinned.
"I wanted to ask you if, since they couldn't come last weekend, maybe Jimmy and Emmy could come over on Saturday?" he asked and she smiled.
"That's just fine, Draco," she said and he grinned, giving her a quick hug.
"Thank you, Nanna," he said and ran toward the kitchen, taking his usual spot at the breakfast bar to wait for his father to serve him. Draco smiled at his son as he took his seat at the counter. This was one of those times when Draco doubted his ability to be a good parent. He was angry, and there was his son, innocent as could be, oblivious to everything. Could he manage to not yell at him, simply because he was agitated? He hoped to god he could. If Draco yelled, even a little, he'd never forgive himself. Lucius had always yelled...
"Good morning, Junior," he said, pouring some batter onto the warming skillet, churning out the first of what would be a long line of pancakes. Jr. smiled.
"Good morning, Daddy. Where's Mum?"
"She's sleeping in today, kiddo." Jr.'s smile dropped.
"Sleeping in? Is she okay?" he asked and Draco laughed, nodding.
"I told her to, Draco. I have to go to school with you today no matter what, so it didn't make much sense for her to get up if she doesn't have to, right?" Jr. smiled.
"Yeah, that makes sense," he said, then turned to Eric as he took the seat beside him. "Good morning, Eric," he said cheerfully, but his cousin simply mumbled incoherently.
~*~*~*~
"Ready, Daddy?" Jr. asked as they stepped toward the doors of the school. Draco had dropped Eric off first, then accompanied Jr. to his kindergarten classroom. He smiled down at Jr. and held out his hand, which his son promptly took, dragging his father into the building. "There's the cafeteria, and there's the gym.... my class is down there," he said, pointing all around, and Draco smiled. When Jr. started to pull him in the direction of his class, Draco held tight, making Jr. stop and turn around, looking confused.
"Junior, do you know where the office is?" he asked and his son smiled widely, nodding and pointing behind his father. Draco turned around to see a large glass wall with what could be recognized as one big office behind it. On the thick wooden door was a small plaque, which read 'Main Office.' Draco laughed. "Right. Well, that's our first stop." Jr. grinned and led his father toward the office door.
As they entered, a plump old woman with red hair, gray at the roots, and horn-rimmed glasses looked up, smiling politely. Draco laughed to himself. She looked like a cross between Molly Weasley, and Madame Pince, the Hogwarts librarian.
"Hello. May I help you?" she asked and Draco grinned, approaching the tall counter. Jr. was no where near tall enough to see above it, even when he stood on tip toes, so he backed up, trying to see the owner of the polite female voice.
"Yes. My name is Draco Malfoy, I was told I needed a..."
"Visitor's pass? Of course, Mr. Malfoy. Just a moment," said the old woman, who then stood and sped off through another door. Draco looked down at Jr., only to find that he wasn't there. His smile dropped and he looked quickly around, relieved to see his son only feet away, still backing up and trying to see over the counter.
"Draco, watch out for that..." he warned, just as Jr. fell backward into a potted plant. Draco was kneeling before him in a second. "Are you alright?" he asked, lifting his son out of the giant pot, which, thankfully, held no real dirt and did not tip over. Jr. grinned, attempting to fix his hair.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he said, then brushed the invisible dirt from his bum. Draco smiled, shaking his head, and stood, lifting Jr. up onto his hip. He turned back to the counter just as the secretary returned with a "Hello, my name is _________" sticker and a laminated card, labeled 'Visitor' on a plastic chain.
"Just sign in here, sir," she said, pointing to a sheet taped to the counter as she filled in the sticker blank with 'Mr. Malfoy.' "It's 7:48, sir," she added and he smiled, signing in and marking down the date and time. Jr. watched with curious eyes; his father's writing was even smaller and more intricate than his mother's. It was a good thing he didn't write notes. "All set, then," the lady said, smiling and handing him his sticker and pass as Draco finished.
"Thank you, Ma'am," he said and the lady smiled warmly.
"Just remember to sign back out before leaving, Mr. Malfoy." He gave a nod.
"Will do," Draco said, then turned and left the office, setting Jr. back down on the floor and taking his hand again. "Alright, Junior. Lead the way," he said, slipping the pass around his neck and placing the sticker on his chest. Jr. grinned and started pulling his father down the hall.
He stopped them in front of a door identical to that of the office, but with a plaque reading '143'. Without a word, he opened the door and entered the nearly empty room, pulling Draco to the 'cubby corner' where all the students placed their belongings. Draco smiled, looking around at the room. He'd never been in anything quite like it. Lucius had certainly never sent him to public school, and his first year at Hogwarts was at 11.
The room was brightly decorated with various colorful artworks and toys, a poster of the alphabet hanging above the long chalkboard. A sink resided in one corner of the room, surrounded by big white cabinets, and a bathroom was located next to the cubbies.
There were only a few children, most of which were playing with the wide variety of toys which occupied almost half the room. The other half was of tables, sitting six each. One, thin little girl in a plaid jumper sat on a big chair in the corner reading a book. Draco smiled. She almost reminded him of Hermione... well, the old Hermione. Once Jr. finished putting his things away, he got Draco's attention by pulling on his pant-leg. Draco smiled and looked down.
"Come on, Daddy, I want you to meet my friends," he said, pulling Draco toward the group of playing children. "Hey you guys!" he shouted, and everyone turned to him, including the girl on the other side of the room. "This is Wes, Aryan, Sadie, Jeffy, and Carver," he said pointing to each of the playing children. Sadie was the only girl, but she seemed more like she belonged with those boys; she was dressed in her uniform, but wore black jeans and had a fake nose-ring, hand twisted from a paperclip. She took off her backwards cap when she noticed that there was an adult in the room. "Guys, this is my dad. He's my show and tell project," Jr. said, grinning proudly, and one of the boys... Aryan... raised an eyebrow.
"You brought your Daddy for show and tell? What kind of a project is that?" he asked, making Jr. frown for a moment, but he shrugged and let it slide, grinning again.
"You'll see," he said and the five friends exchanged looks. They shrugged practically in unison and looked up at Jr.'s father.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Malfoy," Sadie said, smiling politely, and the boys nodded, even Aryan. Draco smiled down at them and the children began to once again play with their Lego's. Jr. pulled Draco in a different direction, to the other side of the room and one of the tables.
"I sit here, Daddy," he said, pointing to a spot where a paper nametag, decorated with jungle animals, proudly bore 'Draco' in big red letters. Draco smiled, nodding, then looked again at the girl in the corner. She had been watching them, but looked back down to her book when she noticed him looking.
"Draco," Draco said and Jr. looked up. He turned to his son. "Who's that girl in the corner?" he asked and Jr. furrowed his eyebrows.
"What girl in the... oh!" he said, looking to the corner chair and grinning as he saw the girl. Without another word, Jr. pulled Draco toward her. "Emmy! I didn't even see you," he said happily, and Draco grinned. So this was the infamous Emmy? No wonder his son had taken such a liking to her. Emmy looked up.
"Hi Draco," she said, smiling, a slight blush in her cheeks. Jr. didn't even seem to notice.
"Emmy, this is my Daddy," he said, pointing to Draco and Emmy looked up, keeping her polite smile. She quickly marked and closed her book, then stood, holding out her hand to the man much taller than she.
"Emmy Watson; writer and editor of the school newspaper. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy," she said in an impressively professional tone and Draco grinned, taking her hand and shaking it lightly.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Emmy. I've heard a lot about you," he said and Jr. looked horrified, elbowing him in the thigh. Draco laughed and Emmy blushed, dropping his hand. "You have a kindergarten newspaper?" he asked, slightly surprised and both children nodded.
"Since Friday," Jr. said. "Emmy's the only one who writes in it," he said and Emmy blushed again, straightening her arms down her sides, looking very much like the five-year-old she was.
"That's very impressive," Draco said, smiling and Jr. grinned, nodding his agreement.
"Draco!" called a deep and happy voice from behind them and both Dracos turned to see a chubby man with a black suit and dark skin holding a brown leather briefcase. Jr. grinned and, once again, grabbed Draco's hand.
"Hello Mr. Burns!" Jr. called, pulling his father toward the man, who chuckled heartily. "Look, I brought my Daddy!" he said and Draco smiled to himself. Jr. sure did love introducing him. Mr. Burns nodded.
"I can see that, Draco. How are you this morning, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco smiled.
"Quite well, Mr. Burns. And yourself?" he asked and the teacher smiled.
"Just fine. Draco, I do believe Jimmy is waiting for you outside," Mr. Burns said and Jr.'s eyes widened. He turned to his father, looking hesitant about leaving him, and Draco laughed.
"I'm fine, Junior; go," he said and Jr. grinned, running toward the door to the classroom. Mr. Burns chuckled and shook his head.
"That boy sure is something," he said and Draco smiled proudly, nodding. "Quite popular, too."
"So it seems," Draco said, looking over to the group building a large Lego castle, then to Emmy, who was once again reading. "Mr. Burns, Draco does do well in school?" Mr. Burns smiled and nodded. "His mother says as much, but she could meet the pope and insist on giving him Draco's autograph." The older man chuckled.
"Oh, yes, very much so. One of the smartest in the class, really. I'd say second only to Emmy Watson," he said, pointing to the girl in the corner again, and Draco smiled.
"That sounds familiar," he said, more to himself than Mr. Burns.
"Beg pardon?"
"I've been recently introduced to Miss Emmy Watson," he said, smiling. "She reminds me of my... Draco's mother," he said, frowning slightly at yet another reminder of his lack of spouse. Then, he smiled again. "I was always second best to her in school." Mr. Burns smiled warmly.
"And I dare say your boy's taken a liking to Miss Watson. She's only been here a week, and they couldn't be closer friends," he said, and Draco smiled. Now that was controversial to himself and Hermione... but he wouldn't go into that.
"I've only been here a week, and I could say the same," he said, smiling, and Mr. Burns looked curiously at him.
"It must be strange..." he said, and Draco nodded.
"Immensely... but I couldn't be happier," he agreed and the teacher again smiled.
"Jimmy, come ON!" came a voice from behind them and both men turned around.
"Hold ON, Draco... I gots ta tie my shoe, or I'm gonna fall down again," called a second voice.
"Jimmy!"
"Okay, okay, I'm comin'..." Moments later, Jr. bustled into the room, followed closely by a short, lanky, boy with sandy brown hair and a generous amount of freckles. They stopped in front of Draco.
"Jimmy, this is my Daddy," Jr. said once again and Draco laughed. "This is Jimmy."
"Wow, Mr. Malfoy... you're REALLY tall," Jimmy said, looking up at Draco, who laughed, joined by Mr. Burns. "What?" Jimmy asked and they both shook their heads. Mr. Burns looked at his watch.
"Alright!" he called, stepping toward the group on the floor. "Clean these up, kids, class starts in five minutes," he said and, after a chorus of moans and groans, the five Lego lovers demolished their buildings. Mr. Burns then walked out the classroom door.
"Come on, Daddy. Mr. Burns is gonna start teachin a-soon as he gets everybody from outside. You can sit by me," Jr. said, leading Draco back to the table with his name on it. Luckily, Jr. was on the end. He retrieved a hard porcelain chair from an empty spot at another table and placed it at the head of the table for his father.
"Thanks, Junior," Draco said and Jr. looked up at him, smiling widely and sitting in his spot. Draco followed suit, and so did Jimmy, sitting across from Jr. Draco ran his eyes around the table, checking nametags to see who he'd met that would be sitting with them. Next to Jimmy was someone named Coley, then Edward. Oh, Edward... he'd heard about that boy more than once. Across from the well-known bully was Sadie, the girl from the Lego club. And, between Jr. and Sadie was... Draco smiled: Emmy. He turned his eyes up to where he'd last seen the brown haired girl, only to see that she was approaching the table, but her nose was still stuck in her book. With a closer look, Draco noted that the book was extremely advanced for a girl of five years old... As she sat down, Emmy placed her bookmark back in the tomb and clutched it to her chest, smiling at Jr., who smiled back. Draco waited for the right time, not wanting to interrupt their 'moment.'
"Emmy," he said, and the little girl looked up to him, slightly startled, her ponytail of straight brown hair swinging slightly. "What book are you reading?" She grinned, but Jr. groaned.
"Don't ask Emmy 'bout books, Daddy... she'll never shut up," he said and Draco laughed, but Emmy scowled, slapping his arm. Jr. pretended that it had really hurt, rubbing it with his other hand. The girl just rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to Draco.
"It's called The Secret Garden Mr. Malfoy. It belongs to my Mum... they don't have books like this in the library, although I don't know why," she said and Draco grinned.
"That seems like a pretty tough book, don't you think?" he asked, but she shook her head, ponytail swaying.
"My Mum likes to read... she taught me. I know every word in this book... but it's the hardest one I've ever read; that's for sure," she said and Draco smiled. Then, he looked curious.
"What's it about?"
"No, Daddy!" Jr. pleaded.
"Please, Mr. Malfoy..." Jimmy added, both boys wearing an identical look of horror. Emmy glared at both of them, and Draco laughed. Fortunately for the boys, Mr. Burns entered the room moments later, flocked by a group of kindergarteners.
"Alright, class. Take your seats," he said and the children obeyed. Then, Mr. Burns looked around the room for a moment, stopping his eyes on Draco and laughing. "Mr. Malfoy, you don't have to sit with the children," he said and Draco smiled.
"No, no... I'm alright. Pretend I'm one of them, Mr. Burns," he said and Mr. Burns shook his shoulders.
"Alright, class... it seems we have a new student for the day. This is Mr. Malfoy," he said and every student turned to the tall blonde man sitting in a chair six inches from the floor.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy," the class greeted in unison.
A/N: Not really a whole lot to say, except that I'm sorry it's taking so long to post new chapters. I've just been plain exhausted the last few days, and what with marching season starting up and finals and regents practice... I'm swamped. I did promise you one, though, so here it is; enjoy.
PRF:
Ezmerelda: I don't think the story's going to be as good as you think it is. That's not a crucial a part of the fic as you might think.
Tracey: Why does everyone hate Ron? He was my favorite character until I discovered a taste for bad boys.... :oD NO DAMN DOG!
LadyLoca231: Lol... right...
Chrissy: I sure did! And you r/r mine! Thanx!
TriGemini: Yeah, that will be explained at some point. Right now, though, is not the time, nor the place.
CatalinaRose: Lol. Should I be flattered that you stayed up late reading? Lol. I am. I do that all the time... and then I read a little in the morning and then I go to school and all I can think is... what's going to happen? Lol. That's great that you think that way about my fic. Kudos.
Couch-potato01: Who? Me? Gee... :o[ hehe
Eve-Riddle: Will do, thank you. That rhymes... hehe.
Delila-Malfoy: I think it's cute when they do stuff at the same time; hehe.
Angelgirl1: I hope this one is classified under 'nice stories' ;o)
Krissy: I would never doubt to finish a story!
Silver Dragon Goddess: I think something is wrong with my computer, cause sometimes I proofread and I could have sworn I fixed something once before, but it's still wrong... maybe THAT'S what happened. Lol. I liked the part about the carrots too.
Seanbs-gurl: Lol. I'm sure you'll find out, if you keep reading. Thanx for adding me to your hope I'm still there... I know how those things work... once a story isn't updated for a while, you delete it to make room for another story... shame to see me bitten by the dust.
Neo-Aphrodite: I reviewed! I reviewed, I swear! Thanx for reading, too... apriciated!
Erilyn Rose: lol, your welcome, sheesh. Lol, first a father now a show and tell project.... oh, boy... It sure does (Jr. hearing their conversation) You'll see soon.
AngelGurl06: Oh, I'm so sorry... I know stuff like parents dieing when their kids are at an early age happens to people, but it doesn't happen a lot, so I didn't really expect anyone with an actual experience to be reading. I'm sorry if I've... I don't know, offended you, or brought back old feelings you'd rather not have felt again, or anything... I honestly didn't think anyone who'd actually lost their father would read this
Bitch with a sword: Tell Rap Boy that he can kiss my flaming arse! Lol. COOL PEN NAME! Lol. Thanx! I'm honored to be one of the first on your favs list.
Dragonfly: I guess his 'ESP thing' is kinda creepy, but I think it's kinda cool, myself. Adds a more magical touch to the story. Yeah, Silver Dragon Goddess is my favorite reviewer, so we have a common bond, I suppose, lol.
Princess: Yes, everyone seems to think the s&t thing is pretty cool.
Piper-h-99: Okay!
Mykah Leigh Malfoy: D.J. That's good... maybe I can use that somehow... hehe. I'm glad you took the time to read my story, and the time to review. That's what this business is all about! Hehe.
Selania Slytherin: I don't mean to be a prat, but I'm one of the 'teacher/student... ew' activists. I've read my share of Hermione/Snapes.... but I'd just rather have Draco.
CassieXanthe: Yeah, I know that now... lol. 'whine'... who knew?
JoeBob1379: We'll see what happens with the teacher next chapter, won't we? I assure you we will...
Crystalline Lily: Hey! Eric plays video games! Lol. Seriously, though, think about this... if your parents are Harry Potter or Hermione Granger... are you going to grow up to be a couch potato? NO! Lol. Jr. simply inherited Hermione's insight. My tiny kids are smart ones... they're like... you ever seen that show about Scooby Doo and the gang, except they're little kids? I can't remember what it's called, like Pup Detectives, or something, but they solve cases and stuff, and they're like six, so there! Lol. I'm allowed to exaggerate... do you think EMMY is exaggerated? Lol. She's a smart one.
Helen: Thanx, lol, I try. No, I'm not from Sweden or anywhere cool like that... I know where Sweden is, if that counts for anything, lol. No no... in reality, I am an American girl. New Yorker to be specific. My dad's favorite dish is Swedish Meatballs and I wrote that chapter on his birthday, in which we had them for dinner... and I thought of the squeamish thing and I just couldn't help myself.
Jessica: Not as soon as you'd like, Im sure, but not a month!
Tom*Feltons*Babe: Lol. Emotional overload. Please step out of the vehicle. Lol. GRIN.
Arime setta: Lol, no he's not going to kill them... lol. And in case you haven't noticed, this story doesn't have a whole lot to do with Fred, so... lol, and what do you have against George, anyway?
Trish87: TODAY is the next chapie, lol. Update? Must you ASK? Can't you TRUST me to update without your persistant reminders? Lol. This one time this girl named Trish was in my Spanish class and I didn't know and I was sitting in front of her, and I was talking to this other guy about how like my entire social studies class was like failing, and I mentioned her name and she was right there and I didn't know. Omg I was so embarrassed. I tried to play it off like I was just joking, and I knew she was behind me... you know the whole smirking thing in which they're supposed to laugh and say 'good one!' lol. Didn't work that way. Haven't talked to her since.
B4 on MPES:
"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 asked-ed 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.
"I'd love to, Junior," he said and Jr. beamed, sitting straighter in his seat as he spotted their waitress coming near.
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TWELVE: Melody
After eating dinner, which Jr. did rather hurriedly, and over an hour of watching him play games and win tickets, the Malfoy's left the restaurant. Jr. seemed a little hesitant, but the toys he'd won made up for it. It was only about seven o'clock, and Hermione spontaneously decided on one last stop before they went home. The night was warm, the sun just barely set. It was perfect.
Jr. was looking a tad sleepy as she pulled into the parking lot which resided just feet from the beach of Crystal Lake, but was happy enough to get out and walk along the shore. He rolled up his pant-legs and took off his shoes, leaving them in the car. Hermione carried Jr. until they stood on the beach, as not to make him walk barefoot on gravel, then set her son down, letting him run through the sand. Draco took her hand and she smiled at him before together they chased their son toward the water.
Jr. stopped only a few feet in, the water not even cresting his knees. He simply trotted along, keeping an eye on his parents, who kept a closer eye on him. They walked for over an hour, talking and laughing. By eight thirty, Jr. was fast asleep in Draco's arms, feet crusted with sand and clothes soaking wet. Hermione held her fiancé's hand, smiling as they slowly continued their walk back toward the car. Draco looked to make sure Jr. really was sleeping.
"Hermione," he whispered.
"Hm?" she asked, turning toward him and he smiled.
"What's show-and-tell?" Hermione laughed.
"You're still thinking about that?" Draco gave a 'well-yeah-of-course' expression and she shook her head. "It's something the kids do in the earlier grades. Everyone in the class brings something into school to share with the rest, and they tell them about it. This is Junior's first time and Eric doesn't do it anymore. Last year, he brought in his worm collection. Someone stepped on his favorite one and he got so upset he let all the others go." Draco laughed.
"So I'm supposed to be his worm collection?" Hermione shrugged.
"You could think of it that way," she said, smiling and he sighed, frowning slightly.
"What am I supposed to tell them, though, love? I have no idea what muggle war is like..." he said sadly and Hermione looked sympathetically at him.
"It's pretty much the same, except they use guns instead of wands. They still have to wait, and sleep in trenches, and not eat properly. It's incredibly similar... just tell the kids whatever you told Junior... but you might want to leave out the part about Eric. Harry's told him repeatedly how much he hated being famous when he was growing up, and the fact that Eric was in a war might make some people talk... and he probably wouldn't like that." Draco nodded, understanding.
"Right... but won't his teacher think I'm lying? I mean, the muggles don't know there was a war at that time..." Hermione shook her head.
"There's always a muggle war somewhere. In fact, six years ago, there was a war in Cambodia ... and it ended less than a month after ours. Say you went there... England sent troops," she said and he nodded again.
"How do you know that?" Hermione sighed.
"Because I watched them report it on TV. I had no word from anyone regarding our war... so I watched that, imagining how much worse it must have been for you and the others..." she said and he smiled sadly, kissing her temple. Hermione leaned her head against his chest.
"Why did you have a TV? We never had a TV," Draco said and Hermione laughed.
"Because it put Junior to sleep," she said and he smiled. "He never cried, but he never slept either. I was worried, really... babies are supposed to sleep all the time, and he just never would. Then, I was visiting my mother, and we left him in the playpen in the living room to play. My dad came in and turned on the telly, and Draco lay right down and went to sleep. It was the only way I'd get him to for at least two years," she said and Draco smiled, letting go of her hand and sliding his arm around her waist.
"Was the war coverage THAT boring?" he asked and Hermione laughed, hugging his side for a moment as they walked.
~*~*~*~
Hermione took Jr. from the car seat as they arrived back home and brought him upstairs. Narcissa had wanted Draco to tell her all about what they'd done and he laughed, but complied, leaving his family to venture upstairs alone.
Not wanting to wake him, or put in the effort, Hermione charmed her son into some dry pajamas and cleaned the sand from his feet before placing him in bed with Melville. She kissed his forehead, then turned to leave, but Jr. called back to her.
"Mum?" he said softly and she smiled down at him. "I want Melody tonight, Mum," he said and Hermione's smile dropped slightly.
"Melody? My bear? Why, love?" she asked, bringing the requested animal to her son. He sighed.
"I gots to talk to you about something, Mum. Are you sad because it hurts me when you cry?" he asked gently and Hermione's mouth opened. She didn't know what to say. If she said yes, he might feel guilty about her guilt, but if she said no, he might take it the wrong way. "I know you are, Mum. But it's okay. You gots to believe me... it doesn't hurt that much, Mum. And I'm glad it's there... it's there so I can help you, and I want to," he said and Hermione took a deep breath, then leaned down to hug her son, kissing his forehead gently.
"I love you, Draco," she said and he smiled, hugging her back.
"I love you too, Mummy. But I gots to tell you one more thing," he said and she pulled back from him, looking curious.
"What, love?" she asked gently, stroking his hair.
"It's not your fault Mummy," he said seriously, making Hermione smile. He looked so much like Draco when he was trying to be determined. She nodded, sniffling slightly.
"I know, baby. I'm sorry," she said, kissing him again. "I'll see you in the morning, love. It's past your bedtime; go to sleep," she said and Jr. smiled, sighing, and nodded.
~*~*~*~
For the next week, everything went as usual in the Malfoy/Potter domicile. Harry and Ginny still went to work, Hermione still woke and readied the boys, then took them to school, and Narcissa still packed lunches and went to the city. The only difference was that Draco would get up with Hermione and cook the boys' breakfast, then accompany them to school, and keep her company at home while they were alone. Almost everyday, they would go for walks, sit and talk, or find something outside the house to do: anything together.
Narcissa had granted Jr. permission to allow Jimmy and Emmy to come over that weekend, as everyone was pretty sure she would, and Jr. asked his male friend the next day at school. Unfortunately, Jimmy's mother had said no, and Jr. didn't want just Emmy to come. He could only imagine what his parents would do then... he didn't bother to ask her.
Hermione wrote at least two-dozen owls, telling everyone of Draco's return. Ron, her parents, and Dumbledore were her primary pen-pals, but she also sent letters to all the other Weasleys, most of whom were as much brothers to her Ron was. Molly and Arthur Weasley also received immediate notification and replied within a day, Molly ranting about how happy she was and that they should visit as soon as possible, and to bring the boys. Most of the other Weasleys also replied with enthusiasm... except Ron. His letter was short and to the point, saying nothing about wanting to meet Draco, only that it would be nice for Jr. to have a proper father, and Hermione a closer friend. This saddened Hermione to a degree, but she kept it from Draco. Even after all that had happened to them, Ron didn't particularly care for Draco. He'd attended his funeral, but didn't cry... or speak, for that matter. He was there solely for her benefit, and Hermione knew such, but wouldn't tell Draco. If he'd taken Corin, the shopkeeper's, rejection so harshly, there was no telling what Ron's lack of enthusiasm would do to him.
Dumbledore didn't reply through mail; he called them. On the phone. Hermione had practically screamed when she answered it, babbling about how nice it was to hear from him while she ran to alert Draco to their 'visitor'. Dumbledore had called during the day, while Jr. and Eric were at school and everyone else was gone. Hermione was fixing lunch while Draco studied for his upcoming appearance at school. He was taking the show and tell invitation extremely seriously; wanting to make sure he knew everything he could about the war, just in case Mr. Burns, Jr.'s teacher, decided to interrogate him. Unfortunately, Dumbledore could only talk for a few minutes, and requested they visit Hogwarts that winter, and possibly bring the children. He suggested they wait until the boys were out for Christmas break, which was nearly a week longer than that of Hogwarts. They would give them a tour, let them meet the students... get them excited about one day attending school there. Unhesitant, Hermione and Draco agreed, cheerfully bidding goodbye.
~*~*~*~
The alarm clock sounded its annoyingly high pitch wake up call and Hermione sighed, reaching to the bedside table to turn it off. She started to get out of bed, but there were two arms wrapped around her waist, preventing it.
"Draco... I gotta get up," she said softly, turning to face him with closed eyes. Draco smiled and kissed her softly.
"No you don't, Mia. Go back to sleep; I'll take the boys today," he suggested and she smiled.
"Mm... that sounds good," she mumbled and Draco chuckled.
"I have to be Junior's project today, love. I won't be back for a while," he said and she frowned slightly, opening her eyes to meet his. The grin on Draco's face made her lips change course. She sighed slightly and nodded, kissing him softly.
"Okay... have fun," she said and Draco laughed, pressing his lips to hers one last time before pulling quickly away and getting out of bed.
"I just don't want to mess up," he said and she sighed, rolling over and clutching the blankets.
"You won't."
"I love you Mia," he said and she grinned.
"I love you too."
~
"Draco," Draco called as he entered his son's room to see him still asleep. He smiled and approached him, sitting on the edge of the bed and shaking Jr.'s shoulder. "Junior, wake up." Jr. groaned a little, then shot up, eyes wide. He blinked twice, focusing and seeing his father grinning at his bedside. Jr. matched the expression.
"It's show and tell day, Daddy," he said and Draco nodded.
"I know. Wake up Eric and come down for breakfast, okay?" Jr. nodded and Draco smiled. "Good," he said and ruffled his son's already messy hair, then stood and left the room, going down for breakfast.
Narcissa was already up, packing lunches at the speed of light. Draco laughed as he entered.
"Alright, Mum?" he asked and she looked up at him, then sighed a little, smiling.
"Yes, love. I'm running a little late, is all," she said, continuing to move quickly. Draco raised an eyebrow.
"No you're not, Mum. You shouldn't even be awake yet," he said and she stopped, looking past him to make sure no one was coming.
"Where's Hermione?" she asked and Draco shifted his feet.
"I told her she could sleep in today. Why?" he asked and Narcissa sighed a little.
"Well, I told her last week that I had a friend who could help us figure out why Junior is so... perceptive? And she canceled our mud bath at the last minute, so I never got a chance to talk to her. I didn't tell Hermione... I think she forgot, really... but I have an appointment with my friend this morning, and I'm late..." she explained, continuing to pack the lunches. "Done."
"What do you mean help us?" Draco asked suspiciously and Narcissa looked up at him.
"You can't tell me you haven't noticed? I mean... I know you haven't known Junior for long, but... it's obvious there's something different about him," she said softly and Draco actually looked angry.
"What are you saying, Mother?" he demanded, quite harshly, and Narcissa opened her mouth, at a loss for words.
"No, honey, I didn't mean it like that, it's just..." she started, but Draco shook his head, ignoring her and starting to make breakfast for the boys. Narcissa sighed, knowing from experience that his temper was one thing Draco had gotten from his father... and that it was best to just stay away when he was angry. She left the kitchen, head hung, and started toward her bathroom to shower, but a high voice stopped her.
"Nanna!" Jr. said as he ran down the stairs. Narcissa smiled and turned to him.
"What, baby?" she asked and Jr. grinned.
"I wanted to ask you if, since they couldn't come last weekend, maybe Jimmy and Emmy could come over on Saturday?" he asked and she smiled.
"That's just fine, Draco," she said and he grinned, giving her a quick hug.
"Thank you, Nanna," he said and ran toward the kitchen, taking his usual spot at the breakfast bar to wait for his father to serve him. Draco smiled at his son as he took his seat at the counter. This was one of those times when Draco doubted his ability to be a good parent. He was angry, and there was his son, innocent as could be, oblivious to everything. Could he manage to not yell at him, simply because he was agitated? He hoped to god he could. If Draco yelled, even a little, he'd never forgive himself. Lucius had always yelled...
"Good morning, Junior," he said, pouring some batter onto the warming skillet, churning out the first of what would be a long line of pancakes. Jr. smiled.
"Good morning, Daddy. Where's Mum?"
"She's sleeping in today, kiddo." Jr.'s smile dropped.
"Sleeping in? Is she okay?" he asked and Draco laughed, nodding.
"I told her to, Draco. I have to go to school with you today no matter what, so it didn't make much sense for her to get up if she doesn't have to, right?" Jr. smiled.
"Yeah, that makes sense," he said, then turned to Eric as he took the seat beside him. "Good morning, Eric," he said cheerfully, but his cousin simply mumbled incoherently.
~*~*~*~
"Ready, Daddy?" Jr. asked as they stepped toward the doors of the school. Draco had dropped Eric off first, then accompanied Jr. to his kindergarten classroom. He smiled down at Jr. and held out his hand, which his son promptly took, dragging his father into the building. "There's the cafeteria, and there's the gym.... my class is down there," he said, pointing all around, and Draco smiled. When Jr. started to pull him in the direction of his class, Draco held tight, making Jr. stop and turn around, looking confused.
"Junior, do you know where the office is?" he asked and his son smiled widely, nodding and pointing behind his father. Draco turned around to see a large glass wall with what could be recognized as one big office behind it. On the thick wooden door was a small plaque, which read 'Main Office.' Draco laughed. "Right. Well, that's our first stop." Jr. grinned and led his father toward the office door.
As they entered, a plump old woman with red hair, gray at the roots, and horn-rimmed glasses looked up, smiling politely. Draco laughed to himself. She looked like a cross between Molly Weasley, and Madame Pince, the Hogwarts librarian.
"Hello. May I help you?" she asked and Draco grinned, approaching the tall counter. Jr. was no where near tall enough to see above it, even when he stood on tip toes, so he backed up, trying to see the owner of the polite female voice.
"Yes. My name is Draco Malfoy, I was told I needed a..."
"Visitor's pass? Of course, Mr. Malfoy. Just a moment," said the old woman, who then stood and sped off through another door. Draco looked down at Jr., only to find that he wasn't there. His smile dropped and he looked quickly around, relieved to see his son only feet away, still backing up and trying to see over the counter.
"Draco, watch out for that..." he warned, just as Jr. fell backward into a potted plant. Draco was kneeling before him in a second. "Are you alright?" he asked, lifting his son out of the giant pot, which, thankfully, held no real dirt and did not tip over. Jr. grinned, attempting to fix his hair.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he said, then brushed the invisible dirt from his bum. Draco smiled, shaking his head, and stood, lifting Jr. up onto his hip. He turned back to the counter just as the secretary returned with a "Hello, my name is _________" sticker and a laminated card, labeled 'Visitor' on a plastic chain.
"Just sign in here, sir," she said, pointing to a sheet taped to the counter as she filled in the sticker blank with 'Mr. Malfoy.' "It's 7:48, sir," she added and he smiled, signing in and marking down the date and time. Jr. watched with curious eyes; his father's writing was even smaller and more intricate than his mother's. It was a good thing he didn't write notes. "All set, then," the lady said, smiling and handing him his sticker and pass as Draco finished.
"Thank you, Ma'am," he said and the lady smiled warmly.
"Just remember to sign back out before leaving, Mr. Malfoy." He gave a nod.
"Will do," Draco said, then turned and left the office, setting Jr. back down on the floor and taking his hand again. "Alright, Junior. Lead the way," he said, slipping the pass around his neck and placing the sticker on his chest. Jr. grinned and started pulling his father down the hall.
He stopped them in front of a door identical to that of the office, but with a plaque reading '143'. Without a word, he opened the door and entered the nearly empty room, pulling Draco to the 'cubby corner' where all the students placed their belongings. Draco smiled, looking around at the room. He'd never been in anything quite like it. Lucius had certainly never sent him to public school, and his first year at Hogwarts was at 11.
The room was brightly decorated with various colorful artworks and toys, a poster of the alphabet hanging above the long chalkboard. A sink resided in one corner of the room, surrounded by big white cabinets, and a bathroom was located next to the cubbies.
There were only a few children, most of which were playing with the wide variety of toys which occupied almost half the room. The other half was of tables, sitting six each. One, thin little girl in a plaid jumper sat on a big chair in the corner reading a book. Draco smiled. She almost reminded him of Hermione... well, the old Hermione. Once Jr. finished putting his things away, he got Draco's attention by pulling on his pant-leg. Draco smiled and looked down.
"Come on, Daddy, I want you to meet my friends," he said, pulling Draco toward the group of playing children. "Hey you guys!" he shouted, and everyone turned to him, including the girl on the other side of the room. "This is Wes, Aryan, Sadie, Jeffy, and Carver," he said pointing to each of the playing children. Sadie was the only girl, but she seemed more like she belonged with those boys; she was dressed in her uniform, but wore black jeans and had a fake nose-ring, hand twisted from a paperclip. She took off her backwards cap when she noticed that there was an adult in the room. "Guys, this is my dad. He's my show and tell project," Jr. said, grinning proudly, and one of the boys... Aryan... raised an eyebrow.
"You brought your Daddy for show and tell? What kind of a project is that?" he asked, making Jr. frown for a moment, but he shrugged and let it slide, grinning again.
"You'll see," he said and the five friends exchanged looks. They shrugged practically in unison and looked up at Jr.'s father.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Malfoy," Sadie said, smiling politely, and the boys nodded, even Aryan. Draco smiled down at them and the children began to once again play with their Lego's. Jr. pulled Draco in a different direction, to the other side of the room and one of the tables.
"I sit here, Daddy," he said, pointing to a spot where a paper nametag, decorated with jungle animals, proudly bore 'Draco' in big red letters. Draco smiled, nodding, then looked again at the girl in the corner. She had been watching them, but looked back down to her book when she noticed him looking.
"Draco," Draco said and Jr. looked up. He turned to his son. "Who's that girl in the corner?" he asked and Jr. furrowed his eyebrows.
"What girl in the... oh!" he said, looking to the corner chair and grinning as he saw the girl. Without another word, Jr. pulled Draco toward her. "Emmy! I didn't even see you," he said happily, and Draco grinned. So this was the infamous Emmy? No wonder his son had taken such a liking to her. Emmy looked up.
"Hi Draco," she said, smiling, a slight blush in her cheeks. Jr. didn't even seem to notice.
"Emmy, this is my Daddy," he said, pointing to Draco and Emmy looked up, keeping her polite smile. She quickly marked and closed her book, then stood, holding out her hand to the man much taller than she.
"Emmy Watson; writer and editor of the school newspaper. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malfoy," she said in an impressively professional tone and Draco grinned, taking her hand and shaking it lightly.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Emmy. I've heard a lot about you," he said and Jr. looked horrified, elbowing him in the thigh. Draco laughed and Emmy blushed, dropping his hand. "You have a kindergarten newspaper?" he asked, slightly surprised and both children nodded.
"Since Friday," Jr. said. "Emmy's the only one who writes in it," he said and Emmy blushed again, straightening her arms down her sides, looking very much like the five-year-old she was.
"That's very impressive," Draco said, smiling and Jr. grinned, nodding his agreement.
"Draco!" called a deep and happy voice from behind them and both Dracos turned to see a chubby man with a black suit and dark skin holding a brown leather briefcase. Jr. grinned and, once again, grabbed Draco's hand.
"Hello Mr. Burns!" Jr. called, pulling his father toward the man, who chuckled heartily. "Look, I brought my Daddy!" he said and Draco smiled to himself. Jr. sure did love introducing him. Mr. Burns nodded.
"I can see that, Draco. How are you this morning, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco smiled.
"Quite well, Mr. Burns. And yourself?" he asked and the teacher smiled.
"Just fine. Draco, I do believe Jimmy is waiting for you outside," Mr. Burns said and Jr.'s eyes widened. He turned to his father, looking hesitant about leaving him, and Draco laughed.
"I'm fine, Junior; go," he said and Jr. grinned, running toward the door to the classroom. Mr. Burns chuckled and shook his head.
"That boy sure is something," he said and Draco smiled proudly, nodding. "Quite popular, too."
"So it seems," Draco said, looking over to the group building a large Lego castle, then to Emmy, who was once again reading. "Mr. Burns, Draco does do well in school?" Mr. Burns smiled and nodded. "His mother says as much, but she could meet the pope and insist on giving him Draco's autograph." The older man chuckled.
"Oh, yes, very much so. One of the smartest in the class, really. I'd say second only to Emmy Watson," he said, pointing to the girl in the corner again, and Draco smiled.
"That sounds familiar," he said, more to himself than Mr. Burns.
"Beg pardon?"
"I've been recently introduced to Miss Emmy Watson," he said, smiling. "She reminds me of my... Draco's mother," he said, frowning slightly at yet another reminder of his lack of spouse. Then, he smiled again. "I was always second best to her in school." Mr. Burns smiled warmly.
"And I dare say your boy's taken a liking to Miss Watson. She's only been here a week, and they couldn't be closer friends," he said, and Draco smiled. Now that was controversial to himself and Hermione... but he wouldn't go into that.
"I've only been here a week, and I could say the same," he said, smiling, and Mr. Burns looked curiously at him.
"It must be strange..." he said, and Draco nodded.
"Immensely... but I couldn't be happier," he agreed and the teacher again smiled.
"Jimmy, come ON!" came a voice from behind them and both men turned around.
"Hold ON, Draco... I gots ta tie my shoe, or I'm gonna fall down again," called a second voice.
"Jimmy!"
"Okay, okay, I'm comin'..." Moments later, Jr. bustled into the room, followed closely by a short, lanky, boy with sandy brown hair and a generous amount of freckles. They stopped in front of Draco.
"Jimmy, this is my Daddy," Jr. said once again and Draco laughed. "This is Jimmy."
"Wow, Mr. Malfoy... you're REALLY tall," Jimmy said, looking up at Draco, who laughed, joined by Mr. Burns. "What?" Jimmy asked and they both shook their heads. Mr. Burns looked at his watch.
"Alright!" he called, stepping toward the group on the floor. "Clean these up, kids, class starts in five minutes," he said and, after a chorus of moans and groans, the five Lego lovers demolished their buildings. Mr. Burns then walked out the classroom door.
"Come on, Daddy. Mr. Burns is gonna start teachin a-soon as he gets everybody from outside. You can sit by me," Jr. said, leading Draco back to the table with his name on it. Luckily, Jr. was on the end. He retrieved a hard porcelain chair from an empty spot at another table and placed it at the head of the table for his father.
"Thanks, Junior," Draco said and Jr. looked up at him, smiling widely and sitting in his spot. Draco followed suit, and so did Jimmy, sitting across from Jr. Draco ran his eyes around the table, checking nametags to see who he'd met that would be sitting with them. Next to Jimmy was someone named Coley, then Edward. Oh, Edward... he'd heard about that boy more than once. Across from the well-known bully was Sadie, the girl from the Lego club. And, between Jr. and Sadie was... Draco smiled: Emmy. He turned his eyes up to where he'd last seen the brown haired girl, only to see that she was approaching the table, but her nose was still stuck in her book. With a closer look, Draco noted that the book was extremely advanced for a girl of five years old... As she sat down, Emmy placed her bookmark back in the tomb and clutched it to her chest, smiling at Jr., who smiled back. Draco waited for the right time, not wanting to interrupt their 'moment.'
"Emmy," he said, and the little girl looked up to him, slightly startled, her ponytail of straight brown hair swinging slightly. "What book are you reading?" She grinned, but Jr. groaned.
"Don't ask Emmy 'bout books, Daddy... she'll never shut up," he said and Draco laughed, but Emmy scowled, slapping his arm. Jr. pretended that it had really hurt, rubbing it with his other hand. The girl just rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to Draco.
"It's called The Secret Garden Mr. Malfoy. It belongs to my Mum... they don't have books like this in the library, although I don't know why," she said and Draco grinned.
"That seems like a pretty tough book, don't you think?" he asked, but she shook her head, ponytail swaying.
"My Mum likes to read... she taught me. I know every word in this book... but it's the hardest one I've ever read; that's for sure," she said and Draco smiled. Then, he looked curious.
"What's it about?"
"No, Daddy!" Jr. pleaded.
"Please, Mr. Malfoy..." Jimmy added, both boys wearing an identical look of horror. Emmy glared at both of them, and Draco laughed. Fortunately for the boys, Mr. Burns entered the room moments later, flocked by a group of kindergarteners.
"Alright, class. Take your seats," he said and the children obeyed. Then, Mr. Burns looked around the room for a moment, stopping his eyes on Draco and laughing. "Mr. Malfoy, you don't have to sit with the children," he said and Draco smiled.
"No, no... I'm alright. Pretend I'm one of them, Mr. Burns," he said and Mr. Burns shook his shoulders.
"Alright, class... it seems we have a new student for the day. This is Mr. Malfoy," he said and every student turned to the tall blonde man sitting in a chair six inches from the floor.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy," the class greeted in unison.
A/N: Not really a whole lot to say, except that I'm sorry it's taking so long to post new chapters. I've just been plain exhausted the last few days, and what with marching season starting up and finals and regents practice... I'm swamped. I did promise you one, though, so here it is; enjoy.
PRF:
Ezmerelda: I don't think the story's going to be as good as you think it is. That's not a crucial a part of the fic as you might think.
Tracey: Why does everyone hate Ron? He was my favorite character until I discovered a taste for bad boys.... :oD NO DAMN DOG!
LadyLoca231: Lol... right...
Chrissy: I sure did! And you r/r mine! Thanx!
TriGemini: Yeah, that will be explained at some point. Right now, though, is not the time, nor the place.
CatalinaRose: Lol. Should I be flattered that you stayed up late reading? Lol. I am. I do that all the time... and then I read a little in the morning and then I go to school and all I can think is... what's going to happen? Lol. That's great that you think that way about my fic. Kudos.
Couch-potato01: Who? Me? Gee... :o[ hehe
Eve-Riddle: Will do, thank you. That rhymes... hehe.
Delila-Malfoy: I think it's cute when they do stuff at the same time; hehe.
Angelgirl1: I hope this one is classified under 'nice stories' ;o)
Krissy: I would never doubt to finish a story!
Silver Dragon Goddess: I think something is wrong with my computer, cause sometimes I proofread and I could have sworn I fixed something once before, but it's still wrong... maybe THAT'S what happened. Lol. I liked the part about the carrots too.
Seanbs-gurl: Lol. I'm sure you'll find out, if you keep reading. Thanx for adding me to your hope I'm still there... I know how those things work... once a story isn't updated for a while, you delete it to make room for another story... shame to see me bitten by the dust.
Neo-Aphrodite: I reviewed! I reviewed, I swear! Thanx for reading, too... apriciated!
Erilyn Rose: lol, your welcome, sheesh. Lol, first a father now a show and tell project.... oh, boy... It sure does (Jr. hearing their conversation) You'll see soon.
AngelGurl06: Oh, I'm so sorry... I know stuff like parents dieing when their kids are at an early age happens to people, but it doesn't happen a lot, so I didn't really expect anyone with an actual experience to be reading. I'm sorry if I've... I don't know, offended you, or brought back old feelings you'd rather not have felt again, or anything... I honestly didn't think anyone who'd actually lost their father would read this
Bitch with a sword: Tell Rap Boy that he can kiss my flaming arse! Lol. COOL PEN NAME! Lol. Thanx! I'm honored to be one of the first on your favs list.
Dragonfly: I guess his 'ESP thing' is kinda creepy, but I think it's kinda cool, myself. Adds a more magical touch to the story. Yeah, Silver Dragon Goddess is my favorite reviewer, so we have a common bond, I suppose, lol.
Princess: Yes, everyone seems to think the s&t thing is pretty cool.
Piper-h-99: Okay!
Mykah Leigh Malfoy: D.J. That's good... maybe I can use that somehow... hehe. I'm glad you took the time to read my story, and the time to review. That's what this business is all about! Hehe.
Selania Slytherin: I don't mean to be a prat, but I'm one of the 'teacher/student... ew' activists. I've read my share of Hermione/Snapes.... but I'd just rather have Draco.
CassieXanthe: Yeah, I know that now... lol. 'whine'... who knew?
JoeBob1379: We'll see what happens with the teacher next chapter, won't we? I assure you we will...
Crystalline Lily: Hey! Eric plays video games! Lol. Seriously, though, think about this... if your parents are Harry Potter or Hermione Granger... are you going to grow up to be a couch potato? NO! Lol. Jr. simply inherited Hermione's insight. My tiny kids are smart ones... they're like... you ever seen that show about Scooby Doo and the gang, except they're little kids? I can't remember what it's called, like Pup Detectives, or something, but they solve cases and stuff, and they're like six, so there! Lol. I'm allowed to exaggerate... do you think EMMY is exaggerated? Lol. She's a smart one.
Helen: Thanx, lol, I try. No, I'm not from Sweden or anywhere cool like that... I know where Sweden is, if that counts for anything, lol. No no... in reality, I am an American girl. New Yorker to be specific. My dad's favorite dish is Swedish Meatballs and I wrote that chapter on his birthday, in which we had them for dinner... and I thought of the squeamish thing and I just couldn't help myself.
Jessica: Not as soon as you'd like, Im sure, but not a month!
Tom*Feltons*Babe: Lol. Emotional overload. Please step out of the vehicle. Lol. GRIN.
Arime setta: Lol, no he's not going to kill them... lol. And in case you haven't noticed, this story doesn't have a whole lot to do with Fred, so... lol, and what do you have against George, anyway?
Trish87: TODAY is the next chapie, lol. Update? Must you ASK? Can't you TRUST me to update without your persistant reminders? Lol. This one time this girl named Trish was in my Spanish class and I didn't know and I was sitting in front of her, and I was talking to this other guy about how like my entire social studies class was like failing, and I mentioned her name and she was right there and I didn't know. Omg I was so embarrassed. I tried to play it off like I was just joking, and I knew she was behind me... you know the whole smirking thing in which they're supposed to laugh and say 'good one!' lol. Didn't work that way. Haven't talked to her since.