Draco watched in horror as the child collapsed; fainting in terror because of him.

He felt a sickness swoop low in his stomach, this was his son and he looked at Draco as though he was someone to be feared.

History repeating itself.

A sudden movement at the corner of the 'room' caught his eye, and he noticed for the first time that Granger was there, her face aghast as she fixed her eyes upon the 'Bad Man'.

"I'll go," he said at once, backing out of the doorway.

Although he didn't want to. He'd just found Blaire and discovered they'd had a child together and the last thing he wanted to do was leave them down in this absolute hovel of a place they called home.

"Yes, I think that's for the b-" Granger began to say before being cut off by Blaire.

"No!" She said vehemently, holding the sobbing child in her lap, shielding him from his terror. "Jack needs to meet his father, needs to see for himself that he is not a 'bad man'."

Draco swallowed, his heart filling with love at hearing Blaire stand up for him like this, whilst he himself was still unable to comprehend that this was all happening.

She had explained to him that she had been two months pregnant on the day she arrived down here. Two months. He recalled how they'd been careless during that interim after her stepfather was killed; a carelessness that had created a whole life.

The guilt he felt at doing that to her and then all this time thinking she was dead when she'd in fact been bringing up their son in hiding made him feel horrified.

And he'd been with another woman... impregnated someone else. Bile rose up in his throat as an image of being in bed with Astoria flashed in his mind.

This was all so completely fucked up.

But yet, here right now, he had a chance to do something, to make things right with regards to the son he never knew he had.

His heart racing, he slowly crossed the room to where his child was clinging tightly to Blaire; trembling and shaking in her lap as she soothingly rocked back and forth upon the cold damp earth.

Cold and damp. It summed up this whole place. He couldn't believe they'd been living in these conditions for all these years. He knew they had no choice, that to reveal themselves would most certainly have gotten them killed or taken in as prisoners. But they were wizards for crying out loud! Couldn't they have at least conjured up a fucking rug?

"Jack," he spoke gently as he crouched down in front of them, holding out his hand where the Scottie Dog lay nestled in his palm. "I've got something for you. Your mummy tells me you call him Mr Dog and that you've been missing him very much."

Blaire threw him a grateful look, and his heart gave a violent twist because he was still in shock at discovering she was alive and all he wanted to do was hold her and never let her go again.

"Look, Jack," she whispered down into the boy's ear, whose face was furiously pressed into her bosom, terrified to face his father. "Mr Dog is back. Daddy has brought him back to you."

Daddy. Emotions surged thickly throughout Draco's entire being. This whole situation was surreal and he didn't know how he was managing to keep it together.

The boy let out a shuddering sniffle, but refused to move his face.

"I'm sorry I frightened you the other day," Draco continued, desperate to show him that he meant no harm. "I was scared and confused, because I was missing your mummy so much, but you must know that I would never hurt you, Jack; I'd never harm you or Mummy."

Nothing. He looked helplessly at Blaire who nodded, encouraging him to go on.

"I also have something else," Draco tried, feeling desperately out of his depth as he delved his hand back into his pocket and pulled out the other monopoly piece; the one he'd carried around everywhere, keeping a piece of Blaire with him.

He heard the small gasp of surprise pass Blaire's lips.

"Old boot," she trembled, her eyes widening as he held it up. "You kept it."

"Of course I did," he murmured hoarsely, their eyes meeting sadly; causing a lump to form in his throat. "How could I not?"

This time, the boy twisted his head around, evidently curious at what had got his mother's heart to race, because clearly it was beating fast by the sudden swallowing of her breaths and the darkening of her lips.

Oh, Draco had known her so well; knew every little detail about her body. Every contour and every reaction. He'd used to spend hours just looking at her and touching every part of her he possibly could, wanting to memorise her entirely.

A sudden flood of remorse hit him like a crashing wave at the knowledge that he'd been robbed of witnessing her pregnancy; robbed of watching her body change shape to accommodate their child. He'd never get that back and he felt the grief so strong that he had to suppress a sob that threatened to escape.

A hand reached out and placed tenderly upon his arm; sympathetic dark eyes meeting his. It's okay, you're doing good, they spoke to him.

He could still read her, still understand her better than he understood anyone else in the world. And that made him feel fucking sad.

"Look, Jack, it's Old Boot like on Mummy's bracelet," she coaxed lovingly down at their son who was examining the new item in Draco's outstretched hand with a frown. "Would you like to hold it?"

"I like Bucket and Spade bestest," Jack whispered ever so quietly so that Draco had to strain his ears to hear.

Love instantly bubbled in his veins as he and Blaire exchanged a small, hopeful glance, and he found he wanted so much to scoop the both of them up in his arms right there on that cold damp ground and protect them forever.

"That one belongs only on Mummy's bracelet," he chuckled kindly, joy filling his heart as Jack hesitantly allowed his eyes to meet his. "But I can get you a real bucket and spade, if you like?"

Blaire looked up at him sharply and Draco felt a wave of shame. Merlin, what was happening? He was starting to offer gifts, bribing his way into this boy's affections just like his own father would have done.

But it obviously worked because his son's face suddenly lit up at the idea of owning his very own bucket and spade, and Draco had to stop himself from offering him the world.

"We've only been living with the bare necessities down here," Blaire explained, and Draco didn't miss the defensive tone in her voice.

"But you don't have to anymore," Draco implored, his heart racing excitedly at the realisation that he had a purpose in life again, "let me look after you both, I can get you everything you need, anything you want. I can-"

"And what about Astoria?" Blaire cut in, the sharpness in her voice and the flash in her eyes giving away her hurt.

"I- I-" but Draco trailed off, feeling wretched. For a blissful moment, he'd forgotten about the woman who was waiting for him up above with a baby growing inside of her. His baby.

Before he could give Blaire any sort of adequate answer, however, something was pressed into his hand.

"Tea," Granger explained as he just stared stupidly down at the mug she'd handed him, "good for shock."

"Th-thank you," he stammered, speechless at the kind gesture coming from the girl he used to call names.

"We're going to have to go to Kingsley," Granger went on, chewing her lip as she folded her arms across her chest. "Even though I know you pose no threat, it's still a cause for concern that we've been discovered. There needs to be a decision on how we move forward."

"Move forward?" Blaire echoed back, shooting Granger a fearful look as her arms tightened around Jack. "What do you mean?"

"You think he won't let me return?" Draco asked, sharing Blaire's fear that this could all be suddenly snatched away from them. He couldn't possibly not come back now. Not now he knew his whole world was here; his whole reason for wanting to live.

"No," Granger said shaking her head as she shot him a regretful look, "more like he won't let you leave. And given your current... uh-circumstances, that's not going to be an ideal situation for you."

Of course. He was somebody's husband; a father to another child who equally needed him too.

Draco was experiencing a new kind of pain as he looked down upon the woman and son he'd just found; a feeling as though he was being torn in half.

And he didn't like it one bit.

******