With Poise [D. Malfoy]

Chapter 13

Bella decided to take a week off from her ballet studio to spend time with Eltanin after the wedding fiasco. The pair had just finished reading a story together when a pecking came from the window. Bella took the letter from the owl and added it to the pile of letters from the Slytherin men she'd been ignoring.

"Little star, care for a swim?" Bella asked sweetly pecking her son on his cheek.

"Yes mama! Let's go!" he smiled brightly running to his room to change. Bella chuckled happily going into her own suite to change into a white bikini with black lining and pulled her hair up into a messy bun. Grabbing two fluffy robes, she met Eltanin outside who was chatting with Daisy.

"Mama, can Daisy get us some lemonade?" he asked shielding his eyes from the Italian sun that was beating down that day.

"Yes, Daisy that would be wonderful!" Bella smiled then placed the robes on the lounge chairs under the umbrella before jumping into the pool where Eltanin was standing on the steps. She emerged out of the pool to swim towards him. "Come in my love! The water is wonderful!"

"You promise you won't let me drown?" he asked skeptical. He began to slowly step in reaching the ground with the water at his waist.

"I will always be there for you my little star," Bella smiled taking him in her arms then slowly walked to the deeper end. "See? Nothing to fear!"

"Bella?" a masculine voice called from the doorway of the villa. Bella turned to the voice seeing Blaise and Draco standing in the doorway watching the pair in the water.

"Mama, what's uncle Blaise and that man from the wedding doing here?" Eltanin asked clutching his mother tightly. She smiled at him and met Blaise' gaze.

"Yes, what are you doing here in my home?" she asked icily.

"You weren't answering our letters, so we thought we could try to talk face to face," Blaise shrugged smiling at his nephew who began splashing his mother.

Bella laughed and splashed her son back soon beginning a water war, "Little star!"

"Mama!" he laughed "okay, I'm ready to try by myself."

"You're sure?" she asked worried.

"Yes, you promised you would be here, so I want to try," he smiled kissing his mother on the cheek then slowly let go of his mother who held on to him as he began paddling.

"Okay paddle! Go! You got this! YES! Eltanin, you did it!" Bella smiled as he made it to the steps.

"Mama I did it! I did it!" he jumped up and down in the water.

"You were amazing Eltanin," Draco smiled from the side of the pool where he and Blaise had approached the pair.

"You can join us, if you'd like," Bella spoke softly looking at Blaise then Draco who held her gaze. "We have spare trunks in the house just ask Daisy. The Weasley's and Potter's visit quite often."

"We'll be right back then," Blaise smiled pulling his mate with him. The men walked in greeting Daisy who popped out to grab them some spare trunks. "Do you think this was a good idea?"

"I couldn't stay away any longer. My... my son is right there in the flesh and I want to know him. I can't believe I've lost five years with him and Bella," Draco whispered sadly.

"We will not lose any more time with them. I don't care what the Greengrasses have to say, they are my family," Blaise said firmly meeting Draco's gaze.

"I think Astoria kept Eltanin away from me. I can't prove anything, but the way she reacted to seeing him and ranting to me afterwards about him makes me think she knows more than she is letting on," Draco spat angrily bringing up his thoughts from the past week.