I sucked in a deep shaky breath as the bedroom door was pushed open, trying to emotionally prepare myself.

"Hey," Draco murmured softly, as he entered carrying a small bundle in his arms, "here he is."

Jack wriggled in my lap, twisting his body round to get a look at his baby brother.

Draco perched down on the edge of the bed as Jack and I shuffled over to join him, my heart beginning to pound apprehensively in my chest.

I peered down into the blankets, my breath hitching at the sight of the tiny pale figure looking up at me; big silver grey eyes beneath a sweep of white-blond hair.

"Drac," I choked, the rapid lump forming in my throat making it difficult to speak. "He- he's beautiful."

Draco instantly removed one arm from beneath his son to wrap around my back, his fingers curling around my waist as he pulled me to his side. I allowed myself to lean into him as I felt his lips press down on top of my head.

"Would you like to hold him?" He said hoarsely, and I realised now that he had been holding his breath; fearful that I wasn't even going to be able to look at his child, that all I would see was Astoria and nothing else.

And in that moment I hated myself for having been fearful of that too.

"What do you think, Jack?" I asked down at the boy still sat firmly in my lap, clinging fiercely onto me, "would you mind if Mummy gave him a little cuddle? I think he'd like to get a proper look at his big brave brother too, don't you?"

Jack gave a small reluctant nod, eyeing the baby with a scowl as he slid off my lap.

Noticing this, Draco beckoned him over as he gently placed Scorpius in my arms.

"Here, little fox," he said kindly, holding out a hand to him, "come and sit with me. You still haven't told me what books Nanny read to you last night."

Jack's face lit up as he dived into Draco's outstretched arms, snuggling up against his chest, relieved to get his daddy's undivided attention again.

I couldn't help but smile at them, my heart brimming with love as Jack rapidly began to tell Draco all about some train called Thomas.

A small 'coo' dragged my attention away and I glanced down at the baby in my arms.

"Hello there, little man," I whispered as a tiny hand reached up towards me, and I dipped my head so little fingers could grab my cheek, and then my nose.

"Mummy, he's taking your nose like in the song Uncle Ron used to sing!" Jack cried excitedly. "He's the blackbird pecking off your nose!"

Scorpius stilled, his eyes widening as he tried to twist his head round, looking curiously for the source of the voice.

"Jack, look," I said softly, "he wants to say hello."

Jack leaned over and peered down. In an instant, Scorpius's little face broke into the most heartwarming smile I'd ever seen, his eyes lighting up in delight at the sight of his big brother.

"He's smiling at you, Jack!" I exclaimed, feeling an unexpected flutter in my heart. "He's so happy to see you."

"I- I've never seen him do that before," Draco stammered, his voice suddenly thick as he too peered down at his smiling son. "He must have been saving it for his big brother."

Jack looked down at Scorpius in wonderment, tentatively holding out a finger which his brother immediately grasped in his tiny fist.

"Hello, I'm Jack, your big brother," he whispered, suddenly sounding very 'grown up', "and from now on, I'm going to look after you."

It was such a tender and beautiful moment that I found myself quite suddenly welling up. I felt Draco's arm tighten around my waist and I looked up into his eyes as they twinkled warmly back at me; his lips tugging instantly up into a flickering smile.

I smiled helplessly back at him, a great warmth spreading through me; knowing that together, we could get through anything.

******

Astoria stirred, blinking open her eyes as she tried to focus on the figure standing over her.

"The kid wasn't fucking there!" Cedric growled angrily, reaching down to pull her roughly to her feet. "You let darling ferret boy find out, didn't you?"

Astoria felt only confusion, her aching head full of fuzziness as she tried to work out what she had been doing on the hallway floor.

Cedric, clearly not in the tender patient mood he'd always shown her before, shook her violently, yelling in her face. "Tell me what the fuck happened?!"

And then it all came flooding back... Draco using Legilimency on her mind and discovering their plot.

"He forced it out of me!" Astoria cried, trying not to yelp out in pain as he threw her against the wall in the exact same spot that Draco had done the previous evening before he'd knocked her out cold with a Curse. "There was nothing I could do!"

"You stupid bitch!" Cedric snarled, flecks of spit hitting her face. "You know he's taken the baby as well? Our one and only fucking ticket to the Malfoy fortune - gone!"

"But we can still be together," Astoria said, her heart fluttering in panic at the thought of losing Cedric before she'd even got him. "All we have to do is inform the Dark Lord that Draco has walked out on our marriage and then his death will be taken care of-"

"You don't get it do you, you moronic woman?!" Cedric hissed. "Malfoy knows of our plan and has gone into hiding. His parent's place has been deserted and not only that, he has somehow managed to break Zabini and her friend out from the Breeding Ground overnight! The Dark Lord is pissed and blaming me! My neck could be on the line here if we don't find them soon!"

Astoria felt as though she'd been winded. That bitch along with that illegitimate brat of hers was off playing happy families with her husband and her baby.

The audacity of the cow.

"So what do we do now?" She asked exasperatedly, feeling exhausted despite only just having awoken from hours of unconsciousness. All she wanted to do was lie down and close her eyes.

"I'll tell you what we are going to do," Cedric snarled in a dangerously low voice as his eyes flashed, pushing his face closer and closer to hers. "We are going to get out there and find them and we don't rest until that little bastard child is back to where he belongs; six feet underground. Only this time, DEAD!"

He shouted this last word so searingly loud that it made Astoria flinch, causing Cedric to give a manic chuckle as he stepped away, shaking his head disparagingly.

She remained frozen as he walked off, not even daring to take a breath until she heard the slam of the front door behind him.

And then, her heart racing, she slid slowly down the wall, sinking to the floor, and sobbed.

******