Marketing Malfoy's, Chapter Ten
Title: Marketing Malfoy's, Chapter 10
Author/Artist: digthewriter
Word Count: 2120
Pairing: Draco/Harry
Warnings: Modern!Au/Muggle Au - Non magic.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Written for dove_drabbles Prompt #44: "What are you waiting for?"
On going WIP. To catch up: Read CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER TWO, CHAPTER THREE, CHAPTER FOUR, CHAPTER FIVE, CHAPTER SIX, CHAPTER SEVEN, CHAPTER EIGHT, CHAPTER NINE
Thanks to josephinestone for the beta for this chapter. All the remaining mistakes are mine. I didn't intend for this chapter to become a kid!fic but IDK where my muse was going. Thanks to anyone who is still caring about this story and actually reading it. / (AO3 LINK)
Summary: Draco gets to know Scorpius better and forget Harry.
Draco's flight arrived at ten in the morning. By the time he'd checked out with his luggage, he found Astoria and Scorpius waiting there for him. He couldn't believe how grown Scorpius looked since the last time Draco had seen him. What was even more amazing was that Astoria looked well. Really well. He supposed that leaving Pansy behind for good probably had been the best decision for her.
"How is work?" Astoria asked casually as Scorpius sat in her lap while they drove away from the airport and to the countryside where her family's home was.
Draco tried not making a face but he knew he failed. She'd always been just so observant, and he always found it surprising how different she was from her sister.
"That much fun?" she asked laughing, but he heard the seriousness in her voice.
"It would have been fine if it was just a business deal which had gone wrong, but there were other complications," Draco said, looking out of the window on the road as they sped by. He hoped the disappointment that had crept up in his voice didn't entirely escape into his expressions.
"What's his name?" Astoria asked, and when Draco turned around to look at her, she placed her hand on his knee. "Love is the only thing that can cause complications in a business deal."
Draco quickly glanced down at Scorpius who was playing a game on Astoria's mobile and didn't look like he was paying them any attention. When he caught Astoria's gaze again, her eyes were soft and the smile was genuine and sympathetic.
Draco could have lied. He could have told her it was about the betrayal of Neville's friends, and their company. That someone the other company had trusted screwed them over, but then he didn't know why he even bothered to have talked about the complication in the first place. It was an unconscious slip of the tongue, obviously. Even if all he'd been doing was trying not to think about Harry.
"It doesn't matter," Draco said, looking out of the window again. "It's over."
Astoria didn't press the issue. She probably figured it was best since he'd never imposed anything on her, she could at least return the favour. They soon arrived at the Greengrass family mansion, and Scorpius pulled on Draco's arm to take him inside. He wanted to give Draco his personal tour.
*-*-*
It was easy to fall into the dream of Barcelona, the beautiful family mansion, and the company of a little boy that he could easily call his son. Draco felt like he was in heaven. There were no preconceived notions of where he'd come from, who his father was, and the last man that had betrayed him. There was just gorgeous scenery, breakfast at the ready, and undivided attention from a beautiful woman and her son.
Still, Draco knew it wasn't real. It was all make believe. Even if Astoria and Scorpius were real, they weren't his to keep forever. He couldn't give Astoria what she needed in a partnership and vice versa. Sure, they'd eventually become the best of friends, but the partnership, the trust and the love they both required, it was obvious the other didn't have it. There would always be something missing. Living like long lost siblings wasn't the type of partnership they'd find ideal.
"Scorpius wants you to take him to school tomorrow," Astoria told Draco as he sat in the garden of her estate and took in the view. It was green everywhere; they had a team of gardeners who kept the place up beautifully.
"Oh?" Draco asking, looking away from the magnificent sight of the garden and the hot gardener.
"He can tell you're sad," she said, sounding careful. Draco turned his body towards her then, giving her his undivided attention. "Children are more observant than we give them credit for. He knew I was wasn't happy living in London, and even though he misses Pansy, he's told me he's happy here with me. He thinks you'll leave soon because you arrived sad and have stayed sad."
"And I'm going to go to his school because..."
Astoria shrugged sipping her tea. "He wants to show you off before you leave," she said.
"Why didn't he ask me himself?"
"And risk getting rejected?" She threw her head back and laughed. "He's a Malfoy, after all. He'll never ask the questions he's afraid he doesn't already know the answer to."
Draco tried to read her face then, to see if there was something she wanted to say to him but wasn't going to. "Tell him to ask me," he said, smiling. "And tell him it's not always so bad to take a leap of faith."
"You ever follow your own advice?" she asked, her tone slightly teasing.
"I am here, aren't I?" Draco said, settling back into his chair, and ogling the gardener again who'd now taken his shirt off. There was no harm in looking, he told himself. Looking was good for now. It'd be a while until he'd want to touch again.
*-*-*
The next Monday, Draco got up bright and early to accompany Scorpius to school. Instead of the driver and Astoria taking him, it was just Draco. He was glad for the distraction because even if his mini-holiday was nearly a dream come true, he was starting to become restless. He thought about emailing or calling Neville all the time and asking him for a side-project. He was sure the company was doing fine since there were no updates from Neville, and if he'd offer for work, he'd only receive a lecture in return.
His email activity had been disappointingly quiet. Not all that disappointing given he'd received no messages from his mother or Pansy either, but maybe every morning when Draco would log on, he'd hope to see a message. A message that was never there. A message he didn't want to see in the first place.
"We'll start with the Math teacher first," Scorpius said to him, yanking Draco out of his trance.
"Yeah? Is that your favourite subject?" he asked.
Scorpius nodded, and looked out the window. "It's a nice drive to school, but I wish I could take the bus."
"And why don't you?"
"We live too far and no school buses travel as far as the house. That's my Mum drives me. Maybe..." He trailed off and Draco wondered if he should have nudged him or simply wait for a response. If he was a Malfoy, as Astoria had pointed out, he'd open up on his own.
They drove quietly for a full five minutes before Scorpius spoke again.
"Some of the kids take the bus to the last stop and their parents pick them up from there. Maybe Mum can do that, too. You know? Only drive me half way there."
"Have you asked her?" Draco asked and Scorpius shook his head. "Well, I think she'd be okay with it. Drive you to the bus stop so you can spend time with your friends on the bus. Did you make a lot of friends?"
Scorpius shrugged. "Most kids take the bus."
"Ah..." Draco said, understanding completely. Clearly the school bus was the social scene and Scorpius felt like he was missing out. The time Draco had spent with Scorpius, he'd learned how just full of energy he was and completely unafraid. He wasn't sure if the traits Scorpius had were an influence from Pansy, or if they were something more genetic.
"Will you be with me if I ask Mum?" Scorpius asked quietly.
"Of course," Draco said immediately. "I'll be there." He wanted to say he'd do anything for Scorpius, since he'd absolutely fallen in love with this boy, his son, but didn't. Draco hated empty confessions and promises. He'd rather show Scorpius he'd be there for him; that he'd been willing to do anything for him.
They finally arrived at the school and Scorpius dragged Draco to each teacher's office to introduce him. Most of his teachers were courteous, and almost all of them spoke highly of Scorpius, however, there were a few that looked at him sceptically. Draco figured if Scorpius didn't have the signature Malfoy hair, just like Draco, then they wouldn't have actually believed that he was the father.
"Where is Mrs Malfoy?" the History teacher asked. She had her hair tied up tightly in a bun, and her dark brown hair were scrutinising Draco.
"There isn't one, unless you mean Astoria?" Draco said politely.
"Miss Greengrass is Scorpius's mother and you are his father, but you are not married?"
"No. We are good friends and here to support Scorpius," Draco answered and immediately took his leave. Of all the things he'd been expecting at Scorpius's school, he'd not thought that they'd start judging him.
"Mr Malfoy," the teacher called after him, and Draco had no other choice but to turn.
"I have noticed a change in his behaviour over the past few days. I would think it is safe to say your presence in his life means a lot to Scorpius. I can only hope you will continue to be near him. I think a boy needs a father, even if he has all of his mother's love."
Draco nodded. "Of course. I live in London and am here for holiday, but yes, I agree with you. I'm in Scorpius's life for good now. I will be more present...even if I'm not here physically."
Finally, Draco saw the woman's resolve starting to melt, and she offered her hand to Draco. Draco shook it, tentatively.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Malfoy," she said.
"Thank you," Draco said, and this time, really ran out of the door.
After Scorpius was settled in his first class, Draco went over to the principal's office to inquire about the school bus situation. He wanted to gather all the information he could and provide it to Astoria so she could be ready for it when Scorpius would ask her about it.
It was clear to Draco that Scorpius made friends easily, easier than any other boy Draco had ever known. He wanted to keep seeing that smile on Scorpius's face and he knew Astoria would do the same.
*-*-*
"Draco while you were out, someone called on the house phone. They left a message. It's on the pad next to the phone in the sitting room," Astoria called out to Draco from her home office as soon as Draco entered the house.
"Someone called for me? Here?" Draco asked.
"Yes," she said, coming out of the office. Her hair was loosely tied in a ponytail with a few strands hanging by her cheek. It looked natural yet deliberate, and she looked absolutely radiant. Her natural beauty was a huge reason to why Pansy was attracted to Astoria, but it was her warm personality that'd won Draco over. He still couldn't believe how Pansy had simply let her go, and he wondered how long it'd be until she'd come crawling back.
"Felipe took the message," she continued. "He had trouble understanding them, of course, as his English isn't fluent. But from what he gathered, they tried to call your mobile, but since you've switched it off and are using mine, they had no other way of reaching you."
"How did they even get this number?" Draco wondered.
"Best call back and find out," Astoria said, shrugging, and returned to her laptop.
"What are you working on, anyway?" Draco asked, following her into the office.
Astoria sat down on the chair in front of her laptop and turned the screen for Draco to see. He loved how open she was, nothing like Pansy who was secretive about everything she did, even if it was sending an sms to her next door neighbour to watch the cat.
"You know that I was in the teacher training programme before Pansy and I got married?" she asked Draco and he nodded. "Anyway, I was just thinking about the times I was happiest and the kind of work I enjoyed doing. Teaching seemed like the natural thing, so I'm looking at some certifications I can get at Barcelona University so I can teach English to speakers of other languages. It's a fairly simple process, I just have to take some tests-"
"That's brilliant. So you'll be going into the city with Scorpius-"
"Yeah, that's the plan. To drop him off at school, and then work during the day, and maybe the driver could pick him up or I could-"
"About that," Draco said, turning her office chair around so she could face him. "Let me show you something..." CHAPTER ELEVEN
Author/Artist: digthewriter
Word Count: 2120
Pairing: Draco/Harry
Warnings: Modern!Au/Muggle Au - Non magic.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Written for dove_drabbles Prompt #44: "What are you waiting for?"
On going WIP. To catch up: Read CHAPTER ONE, CHAPTER TWO, CHAPTER THREE, CHAPTER FOUR, CHAPTER FIVE, CHAPTER SIX, CHAPTER SEVEN, CHAPTER EIGHT, CHAPTER NINE
Thanks to josephinestone for the beta for this chapter. All the remaining mistakes are mine. I didn't intend for this chapter to become a kid!fic but IDK where my muse was going. Thanks to anyone who is still caring about this story and actually reading it. / (AO3 LINK)
Summary: Draco gets to know Scorpius better and forget Harry.
Draco's flight arrived at ten in the morning. By the time he'd checked out with his luggage, he found Astoria and Scorpius waiting there for him. He couldn't believe how grown Scorpius looked since the last time Draco had seen him. What was even more amazing was that Astoria looked well. Really well. He supposed that leaving Pansy behind for good probably had been the best decision for her.
"How is work?" Astoria asked casually as Scorpius sat in her lap while they drove away from the airport and to the countryside where her family's home was.
Draco tried not making a face but he knew he failed. She'd always been just so observant, and he always found it surprising how different she was from her sister.
"That much fun?" she asked laughing, but he heard the seriousness in her voice.
"It would have been fine if it was just a business deal which had gone wrong, but there were other complications," Draco said, looking out of the window on the road as they sped by. He hoped the disappointment that had crept up in his voice didn't entirely escape into his expressions.
"What's his name?" Astoria asked, and when Draco turned around to look at her, she placed her hand on his knee. "Love is the only thing that can cause complications in a business deal."
Draco quickly glanced down at Scorpius who was playing a game on Astoria's mobile and didn't look like he was paying them any attention. When he caught Astoria's gaze again, her eyes were soft and the smile was genuine and sympathetic.
Draco could have lied. He could have told her it was about the betrayal of Neville's friends, and their company. That someone the other company had trusted screwed them over, but then he didn't know why he even bothered to have talked about the complication in the first place. It was an unconscious slip of the tongue, obviously. Even if all he'd been doing was trying not to think about Harry.
"It doesn't matter," Draco said, looking out of the window again. "It's over."
Astoria didn't press the issue. She probably figured it was best since he'd never imposed anything on her, she could at least return the favour. They soon arrived at the Greengrass family mansion, and Scorpius pulled on Draco's arm to take him inside. He wanted to give Draco his personal tour.
*-*-*
It was easy to fall into the dream of Barcelona, the beautiful family mansion, and the company of a little boy that he could easily call his son. Draco felt like he was in heaven. There were no preconceived notions of where he'd come from, who his father was, and the last man that had betrayed him. There was just gorgeous scenery, breakfast at the ready, and undivided attention from a beautiful woman and her son.
Still, Draco knew it wasn't real. It was all make believe. Even if Astoria and Scorpius were real, they weren't his to keep forever. He couldn't give Astoria what she needed in a partnership and vice versa. Sure, they'd eventually become the best of friends, but the partnership, the trust and the love they both required, it was obvious the other didn't have it. There would always be something missing. Living like long lost siblings wasn't the type of partnership they'd find ideal.
"Scorpius wants you to take him to school tomorrow," Astoria told Draco as he sat in the garden of her estate and took in the view. It was green everywhere; they had a team of gardeners who kept the place up beautifully.
"Oh?" Draco asking, looking away from the magnificent sight of the garden and the hot gardener.
"He can tell you're sad," she said, sounding careful. Draco turned his body towards her then, giving her his undivided attention. "Children are more observant than we give them credit for. He knew I was wasn't happy living in London, and even though he misses Pansy, he's told me he's happy here with me. He thinks you'll leave soon because you arrived sad and have stayed sad."
"And I'm going to go to his school because..."
Astoria shrugged sipping her tea. "He wants to show you off before you leave," she said.
"Why didn't he ask me himself?"
"And risk getting rejected?" She threw her head back and laughed. "He's a Malfoy, after all. He'll never ask the questions he's afraid he doesn't already know the answer to."
Draco tried to read her face then, to see if there was something she wanted to say to him but wasn't going to. "Tell him to ask me," he said, smiling. "And tell him it's not always so bad to take a leap of faith."
"You ever follow your own advice?" she asked, her tone slightly teasing.
"I am here, aren't I?" Draco said, settling back into his chair, and ogling the gardener again who'd now taken his shirt off. There was no harm in looking, he told himself. Looking was good for now. It'd be a while until he'd want to touch again.
*-*-*
The next Monday, Draco got up bright and early to accompany Scorpius to school. Instead of the driver and Astoria taking him, it was just Draco. He was glad for the distraction because even if his mini-holiday was nearly a dream come true, he was starting to become restless. He thought about emailing or calling Neville all the time and asking him for a side-project. He was sure the company was doing fine since there were no updates from Neville, and if he'd offer for work, he'd only receive a lecture in return.
His email activity had been disappointingly quiet. Not all that disappointing given he'd received no messages from his mother or Pansy either, but maybe every morning when Draco would log on, he'd hope to see a message. A message that was never there. A message he didn't want to see in the first place.
"We'll start with the Math teacher first," Scorpius said to him, yanking Draco out of his trance.
"Yeah? Is that your favourite subject?" he asked.
Scorpius nodded, and looked out the window. "It's a nice drive to school, but I wish I could take the bus."
"And why don't you?"
"We live too far and no school buses travel as far as the house. That's my Mum drives me. Maybe..." He trailed off and Draco wondered if he should have nudged him or simply wait for a response. If he was a Malfoy, as Astoria had pointed out, he'd open up on his own.
They drove quietly for a full five minutes before Scorpius spoke again.
"Some of the kids take the bus to the last stop and their parents pick them up from there. Maybe Mum can do that, too. You know? Only drive me half way there."
"Have you asked her?" Draco asked and Scorpius shook his head. "Well, I think she'd be okay with it. Drive you to the bus stop so you can spend time with your friends on the bus. Did you make a lot of friends?"
Scorpius shrugged. "Most kids take the bus."
"Ah..." Draco said, understanding completely. Clearly the school bus was the social scene and Scorpius felt like he was missing out. The time Draco had spent with Scorpius, he'd learned how just full of energy he was and completely unafraid. He wasn't sure if the traits Scorpius had were an influence from Pansy, or if they were something more genetic.
"Will you be with me if I ask Mum?" Scorpius asked quietly.
"Of course," Draco said immediately. "I'll be there." He wanted to say he'd do anything for Scorpius, since he'd absolutely fallen in love with this boy, his son, but didn't. Draco hated empty confessions and promises. He'd rather show Scorpius he'd be there for him; that he'd been willing to do anything for him.
They finally arrived at the school and Scorpius dragged Draco to each teacher's office to introduce him. Most of his teachers were courteous, and almost all of them spoke highly of Scorpius, however, there were a few that looked at him sceptically. Draco figured if Scorpius didn't have the signature Malfoy hair, just like Draco, then they wouldn't have actually believed that he was the father.
"Where is Mrs Malfoy?" the History teacher asked. She had her hair tied up tightly in a bun, and her dark brown hair were scrutinising Draco.
"There isn't one, unless you mean Astoria?" Draco said politely.
"Miss Greengrass is Scorpius's mother and you are his father, but you are not married?"
"No. We are good friends and here to support Scorpius," Draco answered and immediately took his leave. Of all the things he'd been expecting at Scorpius's school, he'd not thought that they'd start judging him.
"Mr Malfoy," the teacher called after him, and Draco had no other choice but to turn.
"I have noticed a change in his behaviour over the past few days. I would think it is safe to say your presence in his life means a lot to Scorpius. I can only hope you will continue to be near him. I think a boy needs a father, even if he has all of his mother's love."
Draco nodded. "Of course. I live in London and am here for holiday, but yes, I agree with you. I'm in Scorpius's life for good now. I will be more present...even if I'm not here physically."
Finally, Draco saw the woman's resolve starting to melt, and she offered her hand to Draco. Draco shook it, tentatively.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Malfoy," she said.
"Thank you," Draco said, and this time, really ran out of the door.
After Scorpius was settled in his first class, Draco went over to the principal's office to inquire about the school bus situation. He wanted to gather all the information he could and provide it to Astoria so she could be ready for it when Scorpius would ask her about it.
It was clear to Draco that Scorpius made friends easily, easier than any other boy Draco had ever known. He wanted to keep seeing that smile on Scorpius's face and he knew Astoria would do the same.
*-*-*
"Draco while you were out, someone called on the house phone. They left a message. It's on the pad next to the phone in the sitting room," Astoria called out to Draco from her home office as soon as Draco entered the house.
"Someone called for me? Here?" Draco asked.
"Yes," she said, coming out of the office. Her hair was loosely tied in a ponytail with a few strands hanging by her cheek. It looked natural yet deliberate, and she looked absolutely radiant. Her natural beauty was a huge reason to why Pansy was attracted to Astoria, but it was her warm personality that'd won Draco over. He still couldn't believe how Pansy had simply let her go, and he wondered how long it'd be until she'd come crawling back.
"Felipe took the message," she continued. "He had trouble understanding them, of course, as his English isn't fluent. But from what he gathered, they tried to call your mobile, but since you've switched it off and are using mine, they had no other way of reaching you."
"How did they even get this number?" Draco wondered.
"Best call back and find out," Astoria said, shrugging, and returned to her laptop.
"What are you working on, anyway?" Draco asked, following her into the office.
Astoria sat down on the chair in front of her laptop and turned the screen for Draco to see. He loved how open she was, nothing like Pansy who was secretive about everything she did, even if it was sending an sms to her next door neighbour to watch the cat.
"You know that I was in the teacher training programme before Pansy and I got married?" she asked Draco and he nodded. "Anyway, I was just thinking about the times I was happiest and the kind of work I enjoyed doing. Teaching seemed like the natural thing, so I'm looking at some certifications I can get at Barcelona University so I can teach English to speakers of other languages. It's a fairly simple process, I just have to take some tests-"
"That's brilliant. So you'll be going into the city with Scorpius-"
"Yeah, that's the plan. To drop him off at school, and then work during the day, and maybe the driver could pick him up or I could-"
"About that," Draco said, turning her office chair around so she could face him. "Let me show you something..." CHAPTER ELEVEN