Chapter Text
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First Year, Christmas Holiday
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“Does anyone need to go shopping before Christmas?” Ginny asked at breakfast.
Harry smiled at his three children gathered around the table. “I do! I can take whoever needs to go to Diagon Alley this afternoon.”
“I’m fine,” James said around a mouthful of bacon. “Got some things at Hogsmeade so I’m fine.” Harry nodded, expecting as much now that James was allowed visits there from school.
Nine year old Lily piped up next, “I already made all my presents with Auntie Luna!”
“That’s great, sweetie,” Harry said, inwardly cringing at the memory of the glitter-infested ornaments they were given last year. “Can’t wait to see what you two came up with this year. What about you Albus?”
“Er, yeah, I guess. I have something for you and Mum, and also for Gran and Papa, but I wanted to get something for Scorpius and Andrew.”
An unexpected shock passed through Harry and his eyes sought out Ginny’s. She frowned at him and shook her head. Harry asked, “Scorpius? Er, Malfoy?”
“Yeah. He mentioned something about my flying gloves that made me think he’s getting me some new ones. So I want to get him something too. And I should get something for Andrew and maybe Thomas too.”
“Oh.” Harry looked to Ginny again. Her eyes widened in the way that indicated he definitely needed to say something. But what, exactly? “I didn’t realize you were friends with Scorpius Malfoy. You haven’t written about him.”
“He only sent home two letters,” Lily said, sticking her tongue out at her brother, “so there wasn’t much time to say anything.”
“Sorry if I hate writing letters, all right? And of course we’re friends, we’re in the same dorm.”
“He’s in Ravenclaw?” Ginny asked. This time when their eyes met, Harry noticed a malicious sparkle. “Wow, that must have set Malfoy off.”
Albus shrugged, “Mr Malfoy said his wife’s family sorts to Ravenclaw a lot so he wasn’t surprised. He said Scorpius is only the twelfth Malfoy not to sort to Slytherin but he didn’t care.” He sipped at his juice like he hadn’t just dropped a shock in their laps.
“I meant Lucius Malfoy. He probably cried buckets of tears.” She mumbled under her breath, “That prick.” Her comment made James giggle and Lily gasp in shock. Albus frowned in confusion.
“Ginny! Language!”
“Sorry,” she grinned. And then continued mumbing, “I meant wanker.” James laughed again and Lily looked to Harry to gauge his reaction. Albus’s gaze dropped to his plate.
“Gin.”
“Sorry.” Her mouth twisted with suppressed laughter, and Harry had to shake his head with a fond smile. She’d never really managed to clean up her language when they had kids and it still made him laugh to see their reactions.
Albus interrupted the moment. “So can I go shopping with you, Dad?”
“Er, yeah. I guess that’s fine. We can go after we’re done here.” Harry nodded at Ginny to indicate they’d talk after the kids left the kitchen.
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“So, Scorpius Malfoy…” Harry said as he and Albus walked down Diagon Alley together.
“Yeah?” Albus said hesitantly. He absently ran his hand along a shop window sill, staring intently inside. It must be on purpose to avoid looking at Harry because Harry couldn’t imagine an eleven year old found antique tea sets anything worth looking at.
“What’s he like?”
Albus shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“But you two are friends?”
He kicked at a pebble and shrugged again, “Yeah.”
“Okay.” Harry chewed his lip, unsure how to move on from there. Ginny had made it clear he should nip this friendship in the bud. But that was tricky if Albus wasn’t even going to talk about it. He looked at his son, walking with his eyes trained on the ground in front of him, and wished Albus had been a little more forthcoming in his two letters home. How had they not known who his dorm mates were?
Before he could think of anything to ask, Albus led them into Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Harry talked with George while ten year old Roxanne helped Albus shop around.
George packed everything carefully and handed the bag over to Albus. “I hope you only intend these items for good!”
“You do not,” Harry said with a snort, handing over a few galleons.
“Yeah, okay, I don’t. Wreak havoc at all times, Albus!”
Albus grinned. “We will. It’s for my friends at school. Scorpius and Andrew and Thomas. But I’m sure they’ll share.”
“Scorpius Malfoy?” George asked, then turned a quizzical look to Harry. Harry nodded. “Wow. What’s Gin got to say about that?”
Harry shrugged one shoulder, “About what you’d expect.”
“Good luck with that. We’ll see you lot next week at the Burrow.” George winked and waved the two of them off.
“Why’s everyone being so weird about Scorpius?” Albus asked as they made their way down the road. “No one seems to care about Andrew or Thomas.”
“Er… it’s just… complicated. Weasleys and Malfoys haven’t gotten along for ages.”
“Why not?”
“Well… they…” Harry ruffled his hair, unsure how to encapsulate everything that happened between the two families.
Albus sighed heavily, “Because they fought on the wrong side?” They stopped outside State of the Art, a magical art supply shop.
“Yeah.”
“But you said the war is over and we should all move on. Isn’t it just more of the same if we’re mean to them and they’re mean to us?”
“Yes. In theory. But in practice, it’s a little more complicated than that.” Harry scrubbed at his hair again and cursed the fates that put him in this awkward position.
Eyes on a set of colored pencils, Albus asked quietly, “So you think I should stop being friends with him?”
“You - you can be friends but just not… so friendly?”
Albus looked up in confusion, “What does that even mean?”
“I guess just try to spend less time with him?” Harry knew it was stupid, even as the words left his mouth. He hoped his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.
“His bed is right next to mine and we have all our classes together. How am I supposed to do that?”
“I don’t know. Just… maybe just try not to mention him around your mother? She’s really sensitive about it all.”
“Fine.” Albus rolled his eyes and went into State of the Art. He filled the basket to the brim and Harry paid for all of it, in relief that the conversation seemed over.
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Summer Holiday
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Harry gripped tight to Ginny’s hand as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station. The Weasleys took turns picking the kids up from the train and taking them all to the Burrow for a welcome home feast before dispersing to their homes. Harry always made sure he was one of the adults there. It never got old for him, picking up his children (and nieces and nephews) from school. As a child, boarding school had been a blessing. But as a parent, it was a small form of torture. It was hard for him to see them only a few weeks out of the year.
As usual, Molly found them first, dragging her sister Lucy along with her. She was a remake of Percy all over again, and would brook no delay by her younger sister. Molly gave both Ginny and Harry perfunctory hugs and sat on her trunk to await the others.
Jamie, Fred, and Louis found them next. The three boys were usually starving and anxious to get to the feast at the Burrow. They laughed and waved off their friends, snacking on liquorice wands while they waited.
Victoire tearfully hugged her friends goodbye. Now that she’d graduated, she wouldn’t be seeing them much anymore. Dominique tugged her arm until Victoire finally let go of a petite blonde that was also crying. The two girls shouted promises to owl over the summer but Harry knew how difficult that would be. They would be starting work, or advanced education, or traveling. He thought briefly of the friends he’d lost touch with over the years. Long distance friendships were so difficult to maintain.
Finally, Harry saw Albus and Rose getting off the train, followed by Scorpius Malfoy. He darted a glance to Ginny to see if she’d noticed but she was busy shrinking the kids’ trunks for easy transport. Albus and Rose waved goodbye to Scorpius and made their way through the crowd to their corner.
“Albus!” Ginny said happily, hugging him tight. “And Rose! You two are the last, I think.” Ginny did a quick head count and nodded.
“Sorry, Aunt Ginny, we were caught up on the train. Albus left his sketchbook, and then Scorpius forgot his hat. It was hard to fight the crowd.”
At Scorpius’s name, Albus shook his head vigorously at Rose, but she didn’t seem to notice. Ginny’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the crowd. Catching sight of Draco and his son, she sneered, “I see he doesn’t have his skinny bitch with him. Too good to mingle with the common people, I suppose.”
“Gin…” Harry sighed.
Albus frowned and grumbled something under his breath as he knelt by his trunk. He opened it up to pull out a copper wire sculpture, and then a t-shirt to wrap the sculpture in.
“Stop mumbling, Albus. What did you say?” Ginny asked.
“I said she’s ill.” He slammed the lid shut and tucked the sculpture in his backpack. “My trunk is ready for shrinking now.” Shouldering the bag again he stared at his mother. “Mrs Malfoy’s not well enough to make the trip to the station so she’s waiting on them at home.”
“Oh.” Ginny bit her lip, “Perhaps I spoke harshly.”
Harry reached for Ginny and rubbed her back. “It’s okay. You didn’t know.”
“So it’s okay to call her a skinny bitch if she’s not ill?” Albus deadpanned. The other kids smothered giggles, watching the proceedings avidly. Molly, in particular, looked as if she were about to start taking notes to make an accurate report later.
“Albus,” Harry sighed again as Ginny crossed her arms with a scowl. Harry put a hand on her arm to calm her before she began yelling at their son in public. Was this going to be their new normal for the next several years? Squabbling over Malfoys?
“What? I’m just curious about when it’s okay to call someone a skinny bitch. Is it only when she’s healthy? Or just when she’s not here to defend herself?” Albus stared with wide-eyed innocence. Behind him, Rose’s cheeks reddened with suppressed laughter. Lucy, James, and Louis could barely contain their glee.
“That’s enough! I’m sorry for what I said, all right?” Ginny hissed quietly. “We’ll talk about it later.”
“Oh goody, lessons on when skinny bitching is appropriate.”
“I said enough, Albus Severus! Let’s go, Gran and Papa are waiting for us. To the car everyone!”
Ginny urged the group through the barrier to the passenger van waiting outside. Harry sighed, lamenting the tone they’d set for the summer holidays.
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Second Year, Christmas Holiday
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“All right, Lily and I are off to pick up Hermione and Rose. Anyone need anything while we’re out?”
Harry looked up from the morning paper to see Ginny smiling down at the table. “I think we’re fine here.”
“Great.” She kissed the top of his head. “We should be back by lunch time. Love you boys!”
“Love you to, Mum!” James said too loudly for so early in the morning.
“Bye, love. Have fun!” Harry rose to give her a proper hug and kiss goodbye, then Ginny followed Lily to the floo. Once they’d gone, he turned to his boys, “What should we do this morning while the girls are out?”
Predictably, James said, “Flying,” before Harry could finish his sentence.
Albus grinned and the two boys ran for their brooms. Harry Apparated the three of them to a nearby field that was free from muggle interference, allowing them to fly higher than they could at home. For an hour, Harry charmed a snitch and a quaffle to challenge each of his sons. James played chaser for Gryffindor and hoped to follow Ginny into professional Quidditch. Albus was reserve seeker for Ravenclaw, merely for the fun of it.
While they rested on a picnic blanket with a thermos of hot chocolate, talk turned from Quidditch to their teammates, and from there to various friends and their holiday plans.
“Actually,” Albus said hesitantly, “Scorpius invited me to his house for the holiday.”
“Did he?”
“Yeah, like he knows we have plans with family and all. But if I wanted, after Christmas, he said I could go. Just for a night or two.”
Harry made a noncommittal sound and busied himself with pouring more hot chocolate. James laid back on the blanket and covered his eyes with his arm, unwilling to engage in yet another Malfoy-Potter discussion.
“Do you think Mum would let me?”
The hopeful look on his son’s face made Harry’s heart clench. “Albus, I’m sorry, but there’s no way your mother would let you get within a hundred miles of Malfoy Manor.”
“They don’t live at Malfoy Manor,” Albus said. He leaned forward, eager to impart his news, as if it would make any difference. “They live in a terrace house in London, so Mrs Malfoy can be near enough to St Mungo’s.”
“Albus…” Harry said carefully. He watched the hopeful look die and hated the situation just a little more. “It’s not just the house they live in.”
“I know, I know…” Albus mumbled, “Evil, plotting Malfoys.” He tossed the rest of his hot chocolate into the dry grass and stood with his broom.
“It’s just not something your mum likes to talk about,” Harry said, standing with him. “During the war… she was in a - a difficult situation because of Lucius Malfoy. She doesn’t like to talk about it but she can’t ever forget it.”
“But peace has to start somewhere, right? Isn’t that what you said about those years after the war? Mr Malfoy said we could all go to dinner at his house. You can see that maybe it’s different now!”
“We can’t. It’s too hard for your mother.” Harry remembered too well those nights when Ginny woke, terrified and disorientated, unsure of how much time had passed and if she’d missed something. When she scrubbed at skin that didn’t feel like her own. She hated it, and had kept it hidden from the kids as best she could. Perhaps too well.
“But she’s not even trying!”
“Albus,” Harry reached for his son but Albus jerked away with a sneer.
“It’s not fair! Whatever stupid thing she’s angry about - it’s not fair to keep punishing me for it! Scorpius is my friend. My best friend!”
“I know, son, and I’m so sorry. Please try and understand, she could have died. During the war. And she can’t forget that.”
Albus’s shoulders slumped in defeat. He opened his mouth to speak, but then shook his head and hopped on his broom. Harry reached for his own broom, prepared to chase his son if he took off into the unknown. But Albus stuck to slow circles around the meadow.
“Well that went well,” James said cheerily.
“Indeed,” Harry sighed.
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Summer Holiday
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“Albus,” Ginny yelled through the house, “you got an owl!”
With the reckless clatter of a boy growing too fast, Albus scrambled down the stairs and into the kitchen. He snatched the letter from Ginny and tore open the envelope. His eyes quickly scanned the short letter.
Gasping, he covered his mouth. “Oh no! No,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Everything all right?” Ginny asked, peering over his shoulder.
He hugged the letter to his chest and shook his head. “It’s Scorpius. His - his mum died.” He looked down at the letter again, with a tremble in his hands. “His mum died,” he repeated quietly. “Just like that. Day before yesterday."
“Oh Albus,” Harry said, coming to hug him. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” At thirteen, Albus didn’t usually let anyone hug him anymore but he held tight to Harry, accidentally crinkling the parchment in his grip.
“He said - “ Albus pulled away, wiping at his eyes. “He said the funeral is tomorrow. Can I go?” He smoothed out the parchment as best he could and read the letter again.
Harry looked at Ginny to gauge her reaction. The heavy frown on her face looked more angry than sympathetic, so Harry thought it best Albus leave for their conversation about it. “Let me have a few moments with your mother?” Gently he pressed on Albus’s back to direct him out of the kitchen.
But Albus was no fool. His gaze darted between his parents and his face crumbled. “Oh Merlin, you’re not going to let me go, are you?”
“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Harry said, running a soothing hand down Albus’s arm. “Just give us a few minutes, all right?”
“Mum,” Albus said, turning pleading eyes on Ginny, “please, you have to let me go. You just have to!”
“Albus…” Ginny swallowed heavily. “I’m sorry for him, I really am. But do you really think it wise you show up at this funeral?”
“I have to go. He’s my best friend! He needs me!”
“I know, baby, but you remember when Uncle Nev’s Gran died? And the media circus that happened because we went to the funeral? You don’t want that for Scorpius, do you?” She reached for Albus and he let her hug him for a moment, but then he pushed her arms away.
“But - but Uncle Nev said he didn’t care, because - because he was glad to have his friends around him. Scorpius won’t care either. I know he won’t!”
“It’s not just Scorpius, though.” For a moment her jaw tightened, but then it softened into something more sympathetic. “His father, his grandparents. They won’t want a solemn family event sullied by flashbulbs and gossip.”
“That’s not true! Why would Mr Malfoy let Scorpius invite me if he didn’t want me there? Please, Mum. Please! You have to let me go!”
“I’m sorry, Albus, but we just can’t.”
Growling in frustration, Albus covered his eyes and choked back a sob. “It’s just not fair!” he yelled before stomping into the sitting room. They heard the flare of the floo as he called out Ron and Hermione’s address.
“Damn it,” Harry sighed. “I should go after him.”
“They’ll look after him. Let him rant at Rose and we’ll get him back when he calms down.” Ginny tapped the kettle with her wand to heat water for tea.
“You shouldn’t have said those things. Not like that.”
“Oh? I should have given him false hope?” Ginny slammed the tin of tea on the counter, “I don’t want him associating with that family any more than he has to. It’s bad enough they share a dorm.”
“I told him we would talk about it, and there you were telling him no. And in a way that makes it almost impossible to change our minds.”
“Good, because I’m not changing my mind! He’s not going, and that’s final!”
“Gin…”
“Don’t ‘Gin’ me! That family is nothing but trouble and I will not be encouraging them!”
Harry sighed down at his mug. He rubbed at the headache building behind his eyes. “I think at this point we have to consider that this isn’t something we can keep from happening. Albus spends nearly ten months out of the year with Scorpius. We can’t stop them from seeing each other.”
“Well I can at least stop it from being eleven months out of the year.” Ginny crossed her arms in defiance. Years of marriage had taught Harry there was no use pursuing the topic further. At least not this time.
“I’m going to Ron’s. I’ll see if I can get Albus to come home.” He set his mug in the sink and brushed past Ginny without a goodbye.
Ron was unpacking a box of WWW products when Harry arrived. “Looking for Albus?”
“Yeah, is he upstairs?”
“No, they left.” He gestured to the table, “Freddie was here to drop off some samples George wanted me to look at. He took Albus and Rose to the shop for ice cream. Albus looked like shit.”
Harry heaved a sigh as he threw himself into a chair. He picked up a little pot of cream. “Poor thing, he’s a wreck right now. Astoria Malfoy died, and Ginny won’t let him go to the funeral.” The cream smelled of peppermint and Harry wanted desperately to eat it. He put the lid back on and set it aside before another Weasley product made him do something stupid.
Ron winced, “Ouch. That’s a tough one.”
“Yeah… not sure what to say to who.” Harry dropped his head into his hands. “I don’t know how to explain to Albus that his mother was possessed by Voldemort and almost died because of Lucius Malfoy. And I don’t know how to make Ginny understand that Scorpius is just a little kid and not really part of any of that.”
Ron pushed the box aside and sat at the table with Harry. “Do you think you should invite the Malfoys over? Try and reach out to them?”
“Why, so Ginny can insult them in our home?”
“Probably poison their tea.”
“With you-no-poo.”
Their laughter continued as they picked through the box of samples George had sent over. Ron was his favorite consultant and always reviewed new products before they hit the shelves. Speculation about the peppermint cream, which also came in strawberry and pumpkin spice, were cut off by the loud tapping of an owl. Ron untied the note with a frown, “Oh, it’s for you.”
Confused, Harry reached for the envelope. His eyes widened as he read. “Oh fuck, he’s at Malfoy’s house.”
“What?” Ron snatched the letter from Harry and they read it together.
“I have to go get him. He can’t stay there. Ginny is going to shit kneazles when she finds out!”
“How did he even get there? He’s supposed to be eating ice cream with Fred and Rose!” Even as he spoke, they heard the flare of the floo.
“Hey Dad, Uncle Harry,” Rose said with a false smile. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Or you would have gone elsewhere?” Ron asked, hands on hips. He frowned at Rose. “Albus is with Scorpius. What did you do?”
She shrugged and her smile became genuine, with the same manic spark in her eye as her mother. “Oh, you know, just comforting a friend. It’s not my fault he gave me the slip at Fortescue's and used the public floos to get to his grieving friend’s house.”
“You are in serious trouble young lady! Don’t think I won’t tell your mother when she gets home!”
Rose laughed and shook her head. “You can’t prove anything except that Fred and I took Albus to Fortescue’s. The staff there will even confirm I purchased ice cream for a friend that had to use the loo. But he never came back.” Her face fell and fat tears welled in her eyes. “I was so scared, thinking he’d been kidnapped or worse!” She wiped them away with a small smile. “I’m so relieved to know he’s safe with his very best friend!”
“I have to go,” Harry said. “I’m sorry to leave you with this.”
“Go, go. I’ll take care of Rose. And let George know about Fred’s part in it.”
“Thanks!” Harry hurried to the sitting room and flooed to the address on the letter. He rolled out onto a posh, blue rug in a sparsely decorated sitting room. Harry didn’t want to brush the soot from his clothes and risk staining the white furniture. What kind of person decorates a floo-access room with white furniture?
A house elf dressed in a miniature Weasley jumper bowed low and said, “If you please, sir, follow Tipsy.” Harry followed the elf to the library where the elf bowed again. “Will sir be wanting refreshments?”
“Er, no, thank you. I just want to speak with Malfoy. Er, Draco. And I need to see Albus Potter, if he’s still here.”
“Very good sir.” With a snap of his fingers, the elf disappeared.
Harry pulled out his wand and did his best to vanish the remaining soot. He wondered absently if Albus made the little jumper. He’d learned to knit from his Gran last summer and she had encouraged miniature projects to practice with. The jumper looked like his style. His musing broke off when the library door opened. Harry inwardly cursed, unprepared for what he would say to Malfoy now that the moment had come.
As expected, Malfoy looked terrible. His face was washed out and had a worn look from missing sleep. His hair was neat, and his clothes were clean, but both had the air of someone that threw themselves together at the last minute. And unless Harry was a complete idiot, there was the whiff of alcohol accompanying him.
“Potter, it’s been ages,” Malfoy said in welcome, coming to Harry with hand extended.
Harry shook his hand firmly. “Malfoy. I’m sorry to hear about your wife.”
“Thank you,” he smiled sadly. “She was - a wonderful woman. Better than I deserved, I’m sure. Please sit. Can I offer you something to drink?” He indicated an overstuffed armchair to Harry and sat in the matching chair across from it. “Tea? Something stronger?”
“No, thank you. I actually just, erm…” Harry sat, perched on the edge of his seat. He nervously jiggled the wand in his hand.
Malfoy’s shoulders stiffened. “You’ve come for Albus?”
“Yeah,” Harry said slowly. “I’m so sorry, Malfoy. But Ginny… she…”
Malfoy shot to his feet. “Say no more. I understand.” He rubbed at his neck, and across his eyes. “I’d hoped… This hasn’t been easy for Scorpius. And when Albus arrived…” He cleared his throat. “They’re just up the stairs. I’ll go get them.”
But there was no need to go far. Both boys were in the hall, awaiting the verdict. If Harry thought Draco looked bad, it was nothing on Scorpius. His pale face was splotchy and tearstained. His rumpled pyjamas probably hadn’t been removed in days. And a stiff breeze could knock him over. Wide grey eyes searched his father’s face, and then Harry’s. Next to him, holding his hand, Albus turned a black stare on Harry.
“Albus…” Harry cleared his throat awkwardly, making a split second decision. “I told Malfoy you can stay the night.”
Whatever wrath Ginny had in mind was worth it to see his son light up that way. “Really?”
“Er, yeah. Funeral and dinner should be done by eight, right?” Harry looked to Malfoy for confirmation. He nodded jerkily, grey eyes blinking rapidly. “Yeah, so… I’ll pick you up then.”
“Thanks, Dad!” Albus surged forward in a rough hug for Harry. He turned, smiling, back to Scorpius. “I can stay! C’mon, let’s go back to your room. Maybe try the soup Tipsy brought?” Carefully, his son reached for Scorpius, holding his hand and leading him back to the stairs.
“Potter. Harry, thank you so much. This, really, it means so much to me. He’s been so lost since… “ Malfoy covered his mouth to smother a small cry. “It’s been hard on us both. But at least I can drink.” He gave a sad laugh and wiped at his face with a sigh. “I’m sorry. Years I’ve had to let go of her, but it wasn’t enough in the end.”
“I’m - I’m really sorry, Draco.”
“Thank you. For letting Albus stay. We’ll take care of him, and see that he’s ready at eight tomorrow.”
Harry gave him an awkward handshake in goodbye. Then braced himself for the shouting match that awaited him at home.