"Do you have any idea who the coach is for Rose's Quidditch team?!" Ron came barreling into the house, nine year old daughter in tow.
His wife sat at the kitchen table, watching as her toddler son raced around the kitchen chasing after their kneazle. "No?" She raised an eyebrow. She supported Rose in her quidditch dreams. Rose wanted to be just like her aunt Ginny, playing for the Holyhead Harpies one day. But, Hermione still could never get interested enough in the game. It was too dangerous for her liking.
"You won't believe this," he ran a hand through his red hair.
"Who is it?"
"Malfoy."
She really did have a very hard time believing this, "Coaching a children's team? I can't imagine he'd be very good with kids."
"That's what I said!"
She turned to her daughter, "Rose? How do you like...Mr. Malfoy?"
"He's a great coach, Mum," she rolled her eyes, disinterested in whatever I was talking about. She was busy watching, and giggling, as her brother nearly caught the pet, but each time it narrowly escaped the grasp of the small child.
She spoke to Ron this time, "I'll go to her next practice and check it out, okay?"
He nodded as he went over to pick up his son, saving the poor kneazle.
The next day Hermione did as she promised.
"Do you really have to come Mum?" Rose whined, knowing how much her mother disliked the game that she loved so much.
"You won't even notice me there, love," she smiled as she helped her daughter carry her things for practice.
They arrived at the practice pitch a little early and was shocked to see kids already on he field. Her confusion was obvious because her daughter spoke up, "everyone gets here early. Coach says 'Early is on time and on time is late.'"
Hermione's eyebrow raised as she looked at the way Malfoy interacted with the kids. He was...great. He was kind and helpful, not allowing any of them to feel bad if they failed at something. He was really a very good teacher. As hard as it was to believe. She let Rose run onto the field and watched as her daughter ran right to the coach. Looking up Draco saw Hermione and looked her up and down curiously. It was no secret that the woman hated Quidditch. He had been shocked when he found out that Rose was playing at all.
He blew a whistle and the kids flew together in some formation that Hermione didn't understand. She was so busy watching them, trying to make sense out of it, that she didn't notice when Draco had made his way over to her.
"Didn't think I'd ever see you here," he spoke in a joking manner. One that was happy, playful almost. Not one she was accustomed to hearing from Draco Malfoy.
"Normally I wouldn't be but..." Did she want to tell him her reason for being there?
"But Weasley saw me and didn't like that fact I was coaching his daughter?"
Her face heated slightly, were they that easy to read? "Maybe..."
He threw her a smile regardless, "It's okay. I thought he might have a problem with me."
Well he thought correctly, she thought. She tried to change the subject, "What made you start coaching?"
He shrugged as he watched his team fly, "Scorp's coach quit when he moved. They needed to fill the spot but no one took the job. Scorp came home one day from practice saying how it was the end of his season because they couldn't find a coach. It broke his little heart, and mine too. I volunteered to coach until they could find a new one. Turned out I loved it, so I stayed. And I guess I'm pretty good at it," a slight arrogance found its way into his voice, " we are undefeated after all."
"And Scorp is your son?" She took that leap, unsure of whatever really happened to the Malfoy family.
A large smile grew on his face, "Yeah, Scorpius is out there. I bet you can't guess which one he is," he joked.
When she looked out on the field it was pretty obvious who he was, the shock of blonde hair was a dead give away. The little boy was a natural on the broom, and was flying awfully close to her own daughter.
She laughed, "quite the natural."
"Good genes."
She was curious..."Is his mother a quidditch player?"
"No, my wife Astoria would never get on a broom. But she understands the game and happily watches." The smile on his face grew bigger as he talked about his wife. It was obvious he was in a happy relationship. Somehow that humanized him a bit more.
Just then a commotion occurred on the field as a bludger was thrown at Rose. The ball missed her when Scoprius came barreling in, pushing her and her broom to the ground, but getting hit with the blunger in her place. The boy yelped out in pain as the ball connected and a sicking snap was heard over the noise Rose made as she landed on the ground. Luckily it wasn't a far drop since the child size brooms could only go about 6 feet in the air and she had been flying at around 4.
Both parents just towards their respective child as the crowd of other children formed around them.
Scorpius was holding an arm that dangled in an awkward position as Rose was in his face," What did you do that for!?"
"You were going to get hit!" He yelled back, narrowing his grey eyes at the short girl.
"I would have been fine if you hadn't pushed me!" She stomped her foot.
"You are fine!"
"No, look!" She pointed to a few scrapes on her shoulder and one bent finger.
He rolled his eyes, "If I hadn't saved you, you would be the one looking like this," he let his arm drop. It fell to his side in an unnatural position, the bone jutting out under the skin, threading to break the surface.
"Ewwww" a chorus of children sounded, taking a step back from their teammate.
Hermione and Draco stood watch, wanting to intervene but waiting for the two to stop arguing.
Rose only looked grossed out for a second, "I can protect myself, thank you very much!" She emphasized each word.
"You're so annoying! Just say thank you!"
"I just did!" Well technically...
"But mean it!"
"Scorp, is that how we talk to people?" Draco's voice chided.
The little boy looked at the ground and mumbled, "She started it..."
"And I'm finishing it, both of you are done for the day."
"But Daaaad!"
"No,you're done. You couldn't pick up your broom, let alone ride it." He rolled his eyes at his son before turning to Rose, "You too, done."
"I didn't...fine." She had started to argue but had caught the eye of her mother. Respect authority. She thought in her mother's voice.
Both children made their way over to the bench, sitting on opposite sides but sending glares at each other as they took off their equipment. Hermione thought that if she knew Draco when they were nine, they would have probably done the same thing. Granted he would have never protected her like that.
Not long after a woman appeared, walking to Scorpius and pulling him into a strange one armed hug around his bad arm. She was a grouse woman, tall and petite. Clearly an ideal match for someone like Draco Malfoy.
"I should apologize, huh?" Rose said softly.
"It'd be really nice if you would, I know he will too," a dazzling smile was shot Rose's way.
"Okay..." She got up and walked reluctantly over to Scorpius.
"Boys...always thinking they need to save the damsel in distress and getting hurt in the process." The woman spoke.
"Mine's just a toddler still, though he can be a little terror," Hermione laughed.
"But Rose is yours too right?" She glanced curiously at Hermione's hair color.
"Yeah, but she looks like her father."
"She's a sweetheart...when she's not a little spitfire."
"Oh trust me, I know."
Draco came over to where the two woman were, "Hello love, Scorpy here broke something...again."
"Like father like son," she smiled at her husband.
"Hey!"
She laughed and turned to Hermione, "Before Scorpius came along, he played on a major team. He'd always come home with something injured. It wasn't until he threw out his back that he would admit he was getting too old for it." She playfully poked at him.
"That's not why I quit, I just wanted to spend time with my family," he threw up his hands, though amusement was on his face.
"Of course dear," she kissed his cheek.
He wrapped an arm around her, "Oh, Hermione this is my wife, Astoria. Astoria this is Hermione Gr-Weasley?"
"Granger-Weasley," she corrected softly.
"Right, we went to school together."
"I remember you... I was two years younger," she smiled again. She was quite the bubbly little thing.
"Of course, I vaguely remember your sister."
She nodded at Hermione, "well, I should probably get Scorp to St. Mungos. He's really making himself a name there." She kissed her husband quickly before walking over to her son. The two of them and Rose wandered back towards Draco and Hermione. Scorpius said by to his father, to have him tussle his hair - something Scorpius obviously disliked from the face he made - and followed his mother away from the pitch.
Hermione turned to her daughter, "So?"
"So what?"
"Did you apologize?"
"Yeah," the little girl sighed, "he did too."
"He was just trying to help, dear."
"I know..."
They left the pitch soon after, Rose had't been allowed back in to play since her finger ended up being broken. A quick trip to St. Mungos and a vile potion later and she was good as new.
The rest of the week was quiet until she came back from practice that Saturday afternoon.
"Muuuuum!" Hermione heard her daughter call cheerfully as the door slammed behind her, "We have a guest!"
Though Rose got excited about her family coming to visit, this sounded different. Hermione went downstairs to investigate. What she saw when she got there surprised her.
A little blonde haired boy was standing in the doorway. It was also surprising to see that he had a muggle cast on. He and her daughter had just been fighting and now she was inviting him to their home? She rolled her eyes, children are strange.
"Hey Scorpius, how are you?" Hermione smiled at him.
He beamed back up at her, "Hi Mrs. Granger-Weasley."
"Just call me Hermione, please," she knew her double last name could be a mouthful...not that her first name was much better.
"Okay."
"Dad said he could come over for the afternoon!" Rose smiled, clapping her hands.
"Did he now?" She was yet again surprised. She looked over at where her husband was leaning against the counter.
"Yeah, apparently he saved Rosie here, he can't be all bad," he winked. His mother must be a saint, he thought to himself. "Not to mention the fact that Rose has a problem taking 'No' for an answer."
Rose smiled innocently at her father. Then she turned back to her mother, "isn't it funny that Scorpius has to wear that? I only had to take that yucky potion!"
"Rose that's not nice..."
"Sorry," she mumbled.
"It's okay," Scorpius turned to Hermione," Mum says I can't have the skele-gro stuff because I'm allergic. The first time I broke my leg I got really sick because of it. So I have to get these things," he held up his arm. "But there are other potions that help speed up the healing, so I won't be in this for too long."
"Well that's good. So you'll be back to playing soon?"
"Yup!"
"Mum can we go play in the yard?"
"Of course, have fun. Be careful you two!" She responded as the two children scrambled up and out of the back door.
"Is he staying for dinner?"
Ron nodded, "Malfoy said he would pick him up at 7. He actually was decent today."
"I talked to Harry about him."
"Hmm?"
She shrugged, "I asked for some information. I know nothing about who he is now. And if he hasn't changed...I have a problem with Rose being around him so much."
He seemed interested now. Leave it to my brain of a wife to go snooping for details, he thought, amused. "And?"
"And he checks out. Married to the beautiful Astoria prior Greengrass with one child that he adores. Played as a seeker for the Montrose Maggies-"
"Magpies," Ron corrected. He was impressed. The Magpies were the best in the league, they weren't his favorite team but he could appreciate their brilliance.
"Anyway, he seems to be an active member in society, donating money to charity, coaching his son's team. He seems okay."
Ron sighed in relief, "I don't think we'll ever be friends...but Rose can keep playing without me having a heart attack every time she leaves now."
"Good because even though the parents may not be friends, something tells me those to will be for a long time..." Hermione watched as the two children played in the backyard, laughter escaping them as they ran and chased each other around.
-Author's Note-
I'm not sure if they can be allergic to potions...but I don't see why not. It's something I've wondered. I'm not really sure where this story will go, but I'm hoping it will be cute :)