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All is Fair in Love and Flour

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Chapter Four

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The tall, slender woman busied herself around the shop, tidying the displays and plucking wilting blooms from several of the bouquets. The weather was stiflingly hot and it was beginning to show in the large sprays of colourful flowers around her. More and more heads were beginning to droop and the water levels in all of the vases, buckets and boxes had to be topped up every hour. The blond witch checked her muggle watch and sighed as she realised that she had missed lunch, again.

She enjoyed her work in the small florist but it was slow and hot and she had officially run out of things to talk about with the shop owner. It had been almost two weeks since she had turned up at the bakery and helped her dragon with his afternoon's work and she felt herself craving for the opportunity to do it again. The move had been tough on all of them, not at least on her son, but he had adapted better than she could have ever hoped for and the pride in her chest was growing daily.

The doorbell above the shop door chimed and she looked up from watering a large bunch of Irises to catch a flash of platinum hair above a tall display of tea roses. She felt her heart stop for a moment, panicking in case her drunk husband had decided to pay her a visit, however when her dragon came into view from behind the display she felt her face light up in a large smile.

"Draconis." She greeted softly, approaching him and smoothing her knuckles across his cheek affectionately. "What brings you here?"

"It's my day off mother." Draco replied softly, reaching up to take her hand in his and squeezing it gently. "I have been to the market this morning." He said, holding up several brown paper bags with the other hand. "I have something for you." He let go of her hand and reached down into one of the bags, pulling out a small, carefully wrapped package. "I hope that it's okay. I saw it weeks back and I knew that I had to get it for you." Narcissa carefully peeled back the brown paper and gasped as a piece of satin slipped into her hands. The delicate fabric was emerald green with silver and gold detailing and it looked very expensive.

"Draconis…" She breathed, wrapping the long scarf around her neck, despite the warmth in the shop. "But… how?"

"Don't worry." Her dragon replied, holding up his hand, stopping her train of thought. "I have been saving up my spare wages for over a month. Just as I said, I had to get it for you." He explained before studying the colour of the satin and noticing proudly how the silver in the fabric brought out his mother's grey eyes. "It suits you well mother." He whispered. "You look like yourself again." He looked up and smiled at Narcissa. He felt oddly fulfilled at knowing that he had completed his task independently and that the loose change in his pocket was going straight back into his jar so that he could save up for something else.

"My precious, little dragon." Narcissa whispered, once again bringing her hand to his cheek, cupping his face gently and leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead. "You are such a special young man. Thank you for this truly wonderful gift. I'm so proud of you, you must have been saving up for weeks! Don't think I haven't noticed that you have stopped buying yourself fruits."

"I must admit that I have missed the peaches." Draco said with a blush. "But, even the freshest fruit does nothing for me compared to seeing you smile again." He reached down, once more into one of the bags and pulled out a filled baguette and a bottle of water. "I know you haven't eaten again so please, take this and make sure you have a break. It's too warm in here." Narcissa chuckled at her son's obvious distain for the heat. He had always been a winter person, even when he was young, he took after her she supposed. "I'll have dinner ready for when you come home and I shall see if I can talk Lucius into eating in your room so that it's just me and you." Narcissa frowned slightly.

"He is still you father Draco." She whispered, taking the offered food from her son.

"I know that." Her dragon replied, somewhat coldly. "But right now you need a break from him and I can't stand the sight of him drooling into his potatoes, however much I love him."

"I understand that." The Malfoy matriarch said softly. "You misunderstood me dragon. I meant that you should call him father, not Lucius."

"I cannot deny mother that I do not see him as I once did. Nevertheless, if it will please you then I shall call him father."

"Thank you." Narcissa replied with a smile. "I know that we aren't a conventional family, but we are still a family and I want to hold on to that for as long as I can." Draco's gaze softened once more and he nodded.

"I must go." He whispered "I know that you must be busy and I have dinner to sort. I will be here at five to escort you home."

"Thank you little dragon. The scarf is truly beautiful and you are right, I feel more like myself than I have done in a very long time. I shall see you tonight." She was caught off guard when Draco suddenly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as if he was once again a small child.

"I love you mom." He whispered into her shoulder.

"I love you too Draconis. I'm so proud of you." Draco nodded against her neck and the two enjoyed a rare moment of affection before the young man pulled away, giving her a small bow and kissing her hand with a respectful 'my lady' before leaving the shop. Narcissa stood for a long time, fiddling with the ends of her new scarf and wondering when her son had grown up so much.