"'We will make,' said Mr Fox, 'a little underground village, with streets and houses on each side - separate houses for Badgers and Moles and Rabbits and Weasels and Foxes. And every day I will go shopping for you all. And every day we will eat like kings.'"

Draco paused, knowing this was the part when Jack liked to interrupt ("That's us, Daddy! The Weasels and Foxes!").

Which made him, he supposed, Fantastic Mr Fox.

But he didn't feel fantastic. Mr Fox got to stay underground with Mrs Fox and their children every night. Draco had to go home to a disappointed wife whom he lied to about being at work.

A wife who was getting bigger every day.

Draco would sometimes catch himself staring at Astoria's stomach, silently apologising to the child growing inside, looking quickly away again before she could accuse him of calling her fat or something.

Draco kissed the top of his son's head, a rush of love swelling his heart, silently thanking Blaire for allowing him this time with their boy.

Monday. His favourite day. It was his and Jack's day.

True to her word, Blaire stayed away. Stayed away so that he could have a relationship with his son with less of a guilty conscience. He loved her for that.

But he missed her incredibly much. He missed his best friend.

"Can Mummy play, too?" Jack asked when Draco had promised him he'd teach him how to play cards when he visited the following week. "Mummy likes cards, it's on her bracelet next to the treehouse."

Draco's heart gave a small twist. "We'll see," he said, not being able to look his son in the eye. "But I'm sure she wouldn't want to interrupt our boys day."

"I love playing with Mummy," Jack sighed, sounding almost wistful, "she lets me win things."

"Wow," Draco chuckled, fondly recalling the hours he and Blaire had spent playing game after game of cards, "you must be very special indeed then because when we were at school, your mum never let me win a single thing."

"Oh." Jack frowned, looking confused. "Didn't Mummy like you, then?"

"On the contrary," Draco said, his voice coming out hoarse as he paused to swallow down a painful lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat, "we were the best of friends."

******

"Another Gurdyroot infusion?

I tore my attention away from my bracelet which I had been tenderly stroking, blinking up at Luna who was looking at me expectantly.

"No, you're alright thanks," I said checking the clock on the wall behind her ear. "Jack should be in bed by now, I best be getting back."

"It seems such a shame that it has to be this way," Luna sighed dreamily. "You and Draco used to seem so happy together."

"He's married," I said, gritting my teeth, feeling as though I'd been over this at least a hundred times. "And he's here to spend time with his son; not me."

"But if he wasn't married?"

"He is, and he also has another child on the way," I said in an unnaturally light voice, trying my best not to sound bitter, "this is us putting the children first. The way it has to be."

"Happy parents have happy children," Luna shrugged. "I know if Daddy had ever turned around and said he was in love with a Hippogriff, I'd support him."

"Are you comparing me to a Hippogriff?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not at all," she smiled serenely, "Hippogriffs have far superior talons to yours."

I looked down at my dirty, chipped nails and felt the strangest desire to sob.

"Is it shallow of me to miss them?" I asked, realising I actually craved perfectly manicured nails more than being able to use a wand again.

"Not at all, there are days when I wake up and all I long for is my Butterbeer cork necklace; miss it more than Daddy, in fact." She gave a wistful sigh as she reached for her wand. "I don't know much about manicures, but I can see about fixing your nails, if you like?"

"No, it's okay," I answered quickly, not entirely trusting of her idea of the perfect talons.

Hastily getting to my feet, I kissed Luna goodbye and made my way back to my quarters, wondering if Jack was still awake, or if Draco had managed to get him to sleep again.

I hoped for the former, wanting to hear about his day. It was my favourite part of the week, listening to  how Draco and Jack's time together went.

It devastated me that Draco felt he couldn't be around me, but at the same time, I understood. An emotional affair could be just as damaging as a physical one, and Draco - understandably, didn't want to be an adulterer.

Even if his wife was a fucking abusive bitch.

I literally had to stop myself from shaking in fury whenever I thought about her hurting Draco. It was bad enough that she'd entrapped him in the way she had, but to then to do that...

"How was it at Loony Tunes and co?" Ron grinned, pressing a hot mug of hot cocoa in my hand as I walked in through the door. "Wacky?"

"Don't, Ron," Hermione scolded from the sofa where she was flicking through the latest copy of Expectant Witch Weekly that Draco must have procured for her. "Dean wouldn't have survived those first few months without her unwavering support."

Ron looked suitable abashed, his face falling gravely at the reminder of how Dean had been horrifically suicidal when we first arrived. Luna had immediately taken him under her wing, and nursed him back to some form of mental stability.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, "you know how I make crass jokes when I'm nervous."

"What are you nervous about?" I asked, frowning as I took a welcomed sip of the sweet hot drink.

"Uh-" Ron's eyes flicked towards the door leading to mine and Jack's bedroom. "He's still in there."

Oh.

This took me by surprise. Draco always made sure he had gone by this time; leaving as soon as he'd finished reading Jack's bedtime story.

"We think he may have fallen asleep," Hermione said guiltily, "we were just discussing whether we should wake him or not and then you walked in."

"But the hot cocoa-"

"Is mine," Ron said, whisking it back out of my hand. "Sorry."

"Well," I said, feeling somewhat disconcerted at this unexpected turn of events, "we're all adults; I'll just go and see if everything is alright."

Yet my heart was pounding as I approached the door, apprehensive about seeing him again, but also really, really, wanting to.

I knocked gently before entering.

Draco was indeed fast asleep; head back against my pillow and snoring gently as Jack's sleeping body curled into his side, his little arm draped over his father's rising and falling chest.

The sight made my heart swell and break at the same time. I was desperate to go over and join them, to lay down next to the two most important people in my life and cocoon myself around them.

"Drac," I whispered, tiptoeing over to the bed.

I lifted a hand and placed it on his shoulder, shaking him as gently as I could.

Draco stirred as his eyelids fluttered open, confusion flitting his face as grey eyes focused sleepily up at me.

"Blaire?" He croaked, rubbing his eyes.

"You fell asleep," I explained quietly, beckoning down to Jack. "Must have been an effective bedtime story."

"We were talking about you," Draco confessed, carefully sitting up, trying not to rouse our still sleeping son.

"And that made you fall asleep?" I asked, amusedly cocking an eyebrow. "Charming."

"He wanted to know about the games we used to play." He said, grinning mischievously up at me so that his grey eyes twinkled into mine. "Apparently you are kinder to our son than you ever were to me."

"Yeah, well perhaps motherhood has made me soft," I grinned back, playfully poking out my tongue.

"You're an amazing mother, Blaire," he said, suddenly solemn as he reached out to take my hand. "I always knew you would be."

I stilled, my heart racing as I glanced down at his long slender fingers clasping around mine.

His gaze following mine and he quickly let go, as if immediately realising his error.

"Drac-"

"I'm sorry, I better go. Astoria will be wondering where I am."

I swallowed down the pain as I stood back to allow him room to slide off the bed.

Ron and Hermione both rather unsubtly yawned loudly as I followed him back out into the living area.

"Bed I think, dear?" Ron pointedly asked Hermione, despite it only being eight o'clock.

"Oh, yes," Hermione readily agreed, nodding furtively as she rubbed her swollen stomach. "This little madam has tired me out enough for one day."

"They know they're having a girl?" Draco asked me after they disappeared through their bedroom door, leaving us alone.

"According to Luna," I shrugged. "Apparently the increased level of Wrackspurts around Hermione's head means that a witch is definitely on the way."

"Astoria's having a boy. We had a scan."

"Oh." Pain, pain, pain. "Congratulations. She must be due any day now."

"Next month." Draco said stiffly.

The atmosphere suddenly felt stifling. Neither Draco nor I seemed to know where to look.

"It's Jack's birthday next week," I said, more out of needing something to say than anything else.

"I know," Draco murmured, his hardened features suddenly softening. "I was going to ask if you mind if I drop in. I know it's not our normal day, but-?"

"Of course you can, Drac," I replied immediately. "You don't have to ask permission to see your son on his birthday. Molly will be throwing a small birthday tea for him, and I know Jack would love you to be there. We both would."

Draco swallowed as he finally allowed his eyes to meet mine. I tried to read them, but all I could see was the swirl of sadness and pain.

"Thank you," he nodded, his throat bobbing prominently as he swallowed again. "I'd like that a lot."

And then he turned and exited without another word as I tried to ignore the sudden hollowness left in my heart in his wake.

******