Hidden Riddle

Chapter 85: The Ministry

Today was the day you and Draco started work again after the holidays. You were babysitting Victoire because Fleur and Bill wanted to go away for a bit, as they needed a break from children for a bit. So you thought you would take Victoire and Teddy to work with you two. 

As Draco leant in to kiss you, they heard a flash.

"Bloody hell!" He groaned, turning to face the press.

Sure enough, the Prophet, Witch Weekly and several other magazines were waiting for them.

"Draco, they're going to wake Victoire!" You hissed, jiggling your niece in your arms, trying to comfort her. She was  four and Teddy was seven.

"Where's Teddy?" Draco asked anxiously.

"What!?" You gasped.

"Where's Teddy?" Draco's voice was urgent.

"You've lost him!?" You said, incredulously.

"No, we're playing hide and seek," Draco said sarcastically. "Yes I've bloody lost him!"

The cameras were still going off in his face. He tried to keep calm.

"Have any of you seen a five year old?" He asked. He felt sick to the stomach.

It was mayhem. The press weren't answering his questions, Victoire was screaming, You were sitting on the bench helpless because you felt faint and Draco was searching high and low for Teddy – not that he could get far for being surrounded by cameras and reporters.

"Shh, shh!" You were sobbing as you tried to comfort Victoire. Your emotions had been running high and Teddy disappearing had triggered a flood of tears. You wanted more than anything to help Draco look but you was afraid you'd fall or collapse and hurt the baby. Besides, you couldn't leave Victoire. You needed help.

After a moment of listening to Draco's desperate shouts and the reporter's constant questions, you spotted Ron across the park.

"RON!" You shouted. "RON!"

It took a while, but you got his attention. He looked alarmed and ran over to you.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Teddy!" You sobbed. "He was th-there and then the p-press came and he's gone! And V-Victoire's crying and I feel really f-faint and Draco's looking and..."

"Delphini, Delphini, it's okay," Ron said anxiously, gripping your shoulders. "I'm going to go and help Draco. You just sit back here and keep calm, okay?" You nodded, sniffing.

"We'll find him, don't worry," Ron said, giving you a quick hug before he fought through the mob of protestors now hovering around to go and join Draco.

You listened to their shouts and tried to calm Victoire, avoiding looking directly at any cameras. You knew your face would be on the front page tomorrow and there was nothing you could do about it.

You sat back on the sofa, relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages. It had been ten minutes before they had found Teddy playing near the stream. Ron had found him and brought him straight over to you, who was still crying, and a screaming Victoire and the four of you apparated back to your house. Draco had left them to tell Andromeda. Ideally, they would have kept it a secret from her, but it would be all over the newspapers tomorrow and they didn't want her to hear from someone else that they had temporarily lost her grandson.