Chapter 10

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Knowing her wards were not detecting danger, she opened the door to find Draco upon the threshold. Before she could open her mouth in greeting, he had entered and gathered her in his arms for a fierce kiss. He only broke the kiss when he felt a light pounding against his abdomen. He then stared slack-jawed at her protruding stomach.

"He doesn't like to be squeezed." Draco stared at her, gaping. Finally regaining equilibrium, he squatted down and placed a tender kiss on her protrusion.

"Hello, son." Looking up at her again, he asked, "So, this is why you've been stubbornly refusing to answer my letters. When exactly were you planning on informing me that I'm to be a father?"

"As soon as I was sure that you were willing to do more than put up with the fact that we're married."

"I already told you, I wasn't so drunk as to have married you only for a shag. And don't those two weeks at the villa count for anything? We were happy. So we ran into a few snags the first few months. We did prove that our feelings ran deeper than just pure physical attraction."

"Yes, but once the euphoria wore off, living together wasn't so easy. I never expected you to be at my beck-and-call, but I had hoped you would realize that you were no longer a bachelor. When we agreed that we would not interfere with our independent pursuits, I didn't expect to be completely disregarded and excluded from your plans! And when we had to appear at functions as the happily married couple, you only ever stayed with me for a short while before leaving me to fend for myself! After I found out about our baby, I knew that I couldn't subject him to a life where his father was constantly absent and uninterested in his well-being. So, I left. And I would have stayed away and raised our son alone if you never..." A sob escaped.

He gathered her in his arms. "I'm sorry, My-own! I've been a selfish git. Please don't ever leave me again! I've missed you so much. I haven't had a proper night's sleep since you left - I got so used to your warm body next to mine."

"Is that all I mean to you?"

"No, of course not! You're the embodiment of everything that makes my life happy and meaningful. Everything felt pointless after you left. It got to the point where I didn't even care when I lost to Potter at Quidditch."

"Aw, my poor dragon. What finally pulled you from your valley of despair?"

"Mr. Weasley. He made me realize how selfish I was. How I would have to change and grow-up, accept my responsibilities as a husband, take equal part in making sure the marriage works for both of us. So, I found a job at the Ministry, in the Department of Mysteries. And I explained to the boys that I couldn't spend so much time with them. And do you know? They told me they were surprised I was allowed as much freedom as I had."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but there's more. Blaise and Potter joined forces and really ripped into me! But after having some fun 'sempraa'-ing me to bits, they admitted that they were under orders to make sure I was fully repentant before passing me onto my final interrogator and the Mastermind in this whole conspiracy: my own mother! When I begged her to tell me where you were, she wouldn't budge until she wrenched a full confession about how miserable I've been. She then said I'd be lucky if you would even want to come home. It's a good thing you're more warm-blooded than she is."

"She wants what's best for the both of us, and that makes her the most warm-blooded of all, Draco. She could have left us to remain estranged and miserable forever."

"Have you been miserable, love?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise."