The door opened as Draco and I broke hastily apart. Flustered, I dropped down from the desk, trying to rearrange my crumpled blouse and hurriedly flatten down my skirt.

Luckily, Tony was carrying the biggest vase of red roses I had ever seen, so that all vision upon entering the office was obscured for him.

"Special delivery for a special lady- oh." He stopped short when he peered from behind his ridiculous gift and saw Draco standing next to me. "What's the babysitter doing here?"

Draco's lip curled instantly into a sneer. "Actually, we were just having a particular important meeting," he drawled lazily, plucking an invisible piece of lint from his rather dishevelled shirt, "before you so rudely came barging in."

My mouth fell open as I looked up at Draco; not quite believing how casual he was being about almost being caught cheating. It was like he didn't give a fuck.

"Oh," Tony frowned, thrusting the roses into my arms, all the while glaring at Draco. "I was not aware that you worked here."

Not knowing what else to do with the flowers, I turned around and placed them down on the desk in the exact spot where Draco and I were just about to give in to years of building sexual tension.

"I don't," Draco sneered. "Not that it's any of your business, but we were having a parent's meeting."

Keeping my back to them and pretending to admire the roses, I closed my eyes as I felt my face grow hot with shame.

"Oh, fantastic," Tony said, and, to my horror, he pulled up a chair and placed himself down on it, crossing one leg over the over. "Now, what's this regarding, exactly?"

"Our children, Tripp." Draco snarled down at him. "Mine and Etta's. This has nothing to do with you."

"Well, actually it does." Tony drawled, not seeming in the least bit ruffled by Draco's growing hostility. "Etta and I are currently dating if you must know, which makes me quite significant in Al's-"

"Albus is not your son." Draco said in a low, thunderous voice that shook.

"I'm sorry, but it sounds as though the poor lad needs a father figure in his life," Tony went on blithely, "seeing as though the actual one is apparently too much of a deadbeat loser to take any responsibility."

Draco clenched his fists and I saw the familiar tiny pulse along his jawline as he breathed noisily through his nose, his nostrils flaring.

"Tony," I said, feeling that I should probably try and calm the situation down before Draco committed murder. "Thank you for the flowers, but I really do need to sort out this issue about my son. And I don't think we are going to achieve much with all three of us arguing, so if you don't mind...?" I tailed off, gesturing to the door.

Tony sat up straight, looking almost comical as his mouth hung open. "You - you want me to leave?"

"Yes," I nodded, trying not to roll my eyes with impatience, "with all due respect, Tony, you haven't actually met my son yet."

Draco let out a derisive snort, glaring smugly down at my boyfriend as though he'd beaten him in a competition. I half expected him to blow a raspberry in his face such was his childishness.

"Fine," Tony huffed, standing up to leave. "Have it your way, then. I can see when I'm not wanted."

He sounded so hurt that I felt bad, and before I could stop myself, I found myself calling him back just as he reached the door. "Wait- Ron and Hermione have invited us to theirs for dinner tonight. What do you say? Pick me up at eight?"

Tony's eyes softened and his scowl disappeared as his lips tugged into a warm smile. "Yeah, I'd like that, Etta," he said softly, stepping back towards me. "Let's hope they serve up that yummy salad again."

I found myself turning my face as he leant in. I couldn't allow him to kiss the lips which were just moments before being attacked by Draco.

As Tony went instead for my cheek, Draco's eyes met mine, my breath hitching at the anger flashing in them.

"Are you sure you're alright, Etta?" Tony frowned, standing back to study my face. "You seem a little... hot? Do you think you might be coming down with something?"

"No, I'm just upset about my son," I insisted, wishing he would just leave. "I'll be fine once I get things sorted."

Finally taking the hint, Tony nodded and left. Draco rounded on me the second the door closed behind him.

"Round for dinner at the Weasley's? Well, that sounds mighty cosy!" He spat, his grey eyes glinting furiously as he gestured wildly to the vase of roses on the desk. "And what's with this monstrosity?!"

"That's what people do in relationships, Draco." I muttered, not being able to keep the bitterness from my voice. "They buy each other thoughtful gifts and go out on dinner dates with their friends."

"A relationship?" Draco spluttered, pink spots appearing on his cheeks. "It didn't seem like you were in one a moment ago when you had your legs wrapped around me!"

"I could say the same about you and your sham of a marriage!"

Draco went still, his eyes dropped and his voice now quiet. "You know my situation is not straight forward."

I could not believe him! I felt the familiar flare of anger and bitterness whenever I was reminded of Draco's fucking marriage and, as I looked at him, I was suddenly filled with utter self loathing at what I had just done. He had a dying wife and I had been about to let him fuck me over my desk. I had never felt so much shame in my life, and I had never hated him more. The fact, that after all these years he still had a way of getting under my skin and weaken me to the core.

"Straight forward?!" I yelled, slamming my hand down on the desk. "It was straight forward enough thirteen years ago when you knocked both of us up at the same time. It was straight forward enough for you to simply leave a note and disappear without so much of an explanation or even a measly goodbye. Noooo, Draco, instead, I HAD TO FIND OUT FROM THE FUCKING PAPER!"

"Etta-"

"The problem is, Draco," I interrupted as thirteen years of hurt and anger exploded inside of my chest, "no matter what you say or do, no matter how much I want you - I don't think I can ever get past how much you've hurt me; how much you've taken away from me. I love Albus so very much and do not regret him for the world, but I wanted you, too. I wanted to share the experience of bringing our beautiful son into the world and bringing him up with you by my side. But instead, I felt as though I couldn't even tell you about him because you were already busy doing that with someone else. Someone who you fucked whilst you were fucking me; someone who you choose to be with over me!"

Draco looked at me as though I had just shot him.

"I was married, Etta,"

I laughed, because at that moment there was literally nothing else I could think of doing. I laughed even though nothing about the situation was even remotely funny.

"The thing is, Draco," I said quietly, shaking my head once the laughter had subsided, "you still are married. So more fool me."

"Etta, you don't understand," Draco said at once, a desperation to his voice as he closed the gap between us and cupped my elbows in his hands. "Astoria, she-"

"Just go, Draco." I said, twisting away, pretending to sort the junk out on my desk so that I didn't have to look at him anymore. There was literally nothing he could say anymore that would fix my heart and make things better. Nothing.

But Draco remained rooted to the spot. I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head as he contemplated his next words.

"He's a prat, Etta. You deserve so much better than him."

"What, like you, you mean?" I couldn't help but snipe, snapping my head back to throw him a disgusted look.

"Whether you like it or not, Etta," he sighed, not bothering to hide his frustration, "I'm still Albus's father and we still have the issue of both our sons behaviour to sort out."

I span around to face him, crossing my arms. I was starting to get fed up with his wishy-washy attitude.

"Shouldn't we involve Astoria in all of this? I mean she is one of the mothers of your children, after all. What does she think?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at my tone but chose to ignore it. "She doesn't need to know, it'll only upset her."

"Oh! Such a caring husband." I laughed bitterly in his face, "She's lucky to have you."

"Don't, Etta," he growled, a dangerous twitch at the corner of his eye. "We need to talk about the-"

"I'm going to send an owl to Minerva," I said, cutting him off again, "because quite frankly, I'm out of my depth. And we don't seem to be getting anywhere here, do we?"

"DAMN IT, POTTER! WILL YOU JUST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE LISTEN TO ME?!"

I was shocked into silence. Draco's normally pale face was flushed with anger as his grey eyes burned vehemently into mine; fists clenched tightly by his side.

"Did you really think it was easy for me?" He spat, his arms gesticulating violently as he spoke. "Do you really think that over the years I haven't felt the pain and hurt too? When Astoria told me she was pregnant it was as though someone had gut punched me so hard, I couldn't breathe. Because I knew then that I had no choice, I had to do the right thing - I had to support my pregnant wife. But it also meant that I had to turn my back on the woman I loved - and yes - I know I was a coward for not saying goodbye, but I also knew that I would not have been able to stand and watch as I broke your heart. If you had begged me to stay, then I would have stayed. I would have stayed, Etta, because I loved you and I would have done anything that you asked of me. I loved you more than life itself."

He paused, lowering his arms so that they hung resignedly down by his sides. His eyes never left mine, looking right into me. And then, very slowly, through deep, trembling breaths, he quietly added,

"I still do."

***