CHAPTER 1

The Meeting at Platform Nine and Three Quarters

19 years later

With that one glance, he knew that the plan was a go. The dark haired woman next to him stared at the departing train. He acted, as a normal father would, well a Malfoy father. He nodded to his son who was retreating with the train. His hand pulled out of his pocket and grabbed the woman's next to him.

"Come on we're going to talk to them," the smooth voice, whispered to her. He knew that she didn't want to. She never talked to them. The only time she did was to make fun of them in their school days, same with her husband… or that's what she thought.

The familiar raven-haired man walked forward meeting the couple halfway, his red headed wife following him curiously. The raven's married friends walked behind the red haired woman. The raven-haired hero reached a hand out shaking the other man's hand.

"Draco… It has been… A while," the hero said a hint of affection infecting his voice.

"Yes it has… Harry," Draco said, giving the other man a smirk as he shook his hand back.

Harry let go of Draco's hand and pulled his red headed wife forward, along with their daughter.

"I don't know if you two have met, but this is Ginny… my wife," Harry glanced at Draco when he said this," And this is my daughter Lily," Harry said smiling. The girl hid behind Ginny's leg, her Uncle Ron had said very strange things about the Malfoy's. Draco nodded his head understanding.

"This is Astoria, my wife. And our son Scorpius is on the train," Draco said, not paying any attention to his wife, who so badly didn't want to be in this position.

A bushy haired woman stood on Harry's other side dragging a red headed man. She said, "Hello Draco… it's been so long," as though she were greeting an old friend. Her husband, Ron, wasn't so welcoming. Hermione knew that there would be a moment when Harry wanted to talk to Draco, only because he had saved his life, and in a way, vice versa.

They all stood there for a moment awkwardly. Ron and Astoria were both dying to just leave. They didn't like the situation, they didn't like the people they were talking to, and they were both wiggling like children. Draco ignored his wife, while Hermione dragged Ron away to tell him to behave. Harry and Ginny shared a look, and then he glanced at Draco wanting him to go ahead and ask.

Finally, Draco said: "Would you all like to have dinner sometime? Or have our families get together say… during Christmas?"

Harry had a look of relief he didn't want to say anything, but Ron had walked over to Harry staring at him as if saying no.

"I don't mind… I'll talk to Ginny and our children," Harry volunteered for him and Ginny, although they had already previously discussed it. Draco and Harry had been in writing letters to each other recently when they found out they both worked at the Ministry of Magic and ended up working closely together.

"We'd love to as well," Hermione said, knowing that her children would comply only because she would want them to.

Draco nodded smiling. Astoria looked at him dumbfounded on what he just said. She was about to protest when he placed his hand on her mouth, a smile growing on his face. He glanced to her and she just rolled her eyes taking his hand and held it gently. She had expected this, they had talked, she had disagreed, but Draco said it would be good for them to have friends, actual friends, not just work friends.

"Send an owl letting me know," Draco said shaking Harry's hand again. Harry was smiling brightly back at Draco shaking his hand back with both of his hands, Draco had been doing the same. They pulled away finally and walked their separate ways.

"That stupid git… Thinking that we'd go send Christmas with him," Ron said when they arrived at the parking lot. Hermione smacked his head.

"We're going… He's different now that he's married and has a son. And if Harry approves then I approve," She said to Ron, as well to Harry. Of course she was still unsure about the whole thing, but Draco had genuinely seemed desperate in the situation that he had grown up in. Trying to fit molds he wasn't meant to fit, protect people, he had apologized after the war ended, to everyone.

Ginny was giving Harry a look as though she was about to hex him into the next century. "Why? I don't want to go to the Malfoy's, I'm sure James' doesn't either," She said to Harry. Her hand was being clasped with their daughter Lily. Harry was shocked, they had discussed and agreed, why did seeing him change her mind, he briefly wondered if it was the ever quiet Astoria that was so intimidating.

"I would like to go," Lily said putting her say in it already, "Dad looks like he wants to go… so I want to go," She said looking down when her mother gave her the look she was giving Harry, accidently.

"There we have it, we just have to ask James and Albus and we'll know for sure," Harry said smugly. This made Hermione laugh some since Harry and she had the same look upon their faces. The two Weasley children glared at each other then their husband and wife knowing that they wouldn't win this fight. It wasn't worth winning anyway. It had been a long time, and the most planned people seemed to trust their old rival enough for a Christmas celebration.

Albus was dragged into a compartment on the train. He was face to face with Scorpius; his head cocked back a little to get a better look at the boy. A pale hand ran through the platinum hair. Powder blue eyes stared into Albus' viridescent ones.

"What… what do you want Malfoy?" Albus stuttered.

"I want to be friends… I don't want to be like our father's when they were attending Hogwarts," Scorpius replied, "So call me Scorpius… not Malfoy. What do you say? Friends?" Scorpius took a step back from Albus stuck his hand out to shake. Albus stared at it, and then back to him.

His father did tell him to befriend anyone that wanted. Albus also remembered what his Uncle had said, "Don't be friends with the Malfoy's." Although, his father said the opposite of his Uncle. Uncle Ron was also a very paranoid person when it came to different people from Hogwarts, and his father didn't seem that way at all, no one except Uncle Ron really. So finally, he pushed his hand into Scorpius' and shook it happily. Scorpius let out an obvious breath of relief.

Rose, Ron and Hermione's daughter, was looking through every compartment looking for her friend, and cousin. Eventually, her face was pressed against the door staring at her cousin and Malfoy chatting away happily. The door slid open with a loud creak, and with a flop sat next to his cousin.

"Hello… Why are you with Malfoy?" Rose asked staring down Scorpius.

"I don't want our years together to be like when our father's were together… I want us to get along," Scorpius answered Rose's questioning eyes. Rose stared down the smiling Scorpius.

"Why should I believe what you say? My father told me to stay away from the Malfoy's," Rose said crossing her arms. Albus looked at her with a roll of his eyes.

"Are you going to listen to everything Uncle Ron says? You know he's a little bit mad. At least when it comes to people that were in Slytherin. And Aunt Hermione likes his father, see? They're all talking to each other smiling," Albus replied, trying to make Rose understand. But she was so much like his father, stubborn and set in his ways until convinced or someone proved otherwise of his opinion, luckily enough though, she was enough like her mother to have the intelligence to understand quickly.

Rose watched her mother and saw them all communicating so well, she figured a kid couldn't be as bad as a parent even if his parent was nicer now.

Soon, they arrived at Hogwarts, and shuffled out of the Train. A loud booming voice called for all the first years. Rose was walking close to Albus, while Albus was still making friends with Scorpius. They all ended up in the boat with the giant man named Hagrid. Hugo and Albus recognized him and Albus introduced him to Scorpius. They all talked while they rowed across to the castle in very choppy water.

Hagrid could tell that Scorpius was a Malfoy, and saw the suspicious look on Rose's face. Hagrid gave Rose a look of understanding. Hagrid had never trusted the Malfoy's, but if Harry's son was making friends already with one sired from the family, he didn't want to ruin it. Maybe the boy was better than his ancestors were, and wouldn't be a terror like his father was during his Hogwarts years.

The boats hit the shore and they were lead into the castle going up numerous flights of stairs. They were told to wait at the Great Hall's doors for a professor to escort them.

A cat prowled up staring at all the students and transformed into a human woman. She stared at them through her square glasses, brown graying hair piled on top of her head, and an elegant gown showing her status as the Headmistress. "Hello first years, I'm Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress," She said telling all the children to follow them. They walked down the main row that separated the the long tables.

Soon, the names were being called. The hat barely touched Scorpius' head when he was placed almost identical to how Draco had been placed, Slytherin of course, and he had no qualms with it. Shortly after Albus was called up. He sat down on the stool, and thought long and hard. He wanted to go to Gryffindor because that's where his father and mother and his brother were placed. That's where his cousins were; he included Rose, because he knew that Rose would be a Gryffindor. However, Albus wanted to be with Scorpius, and become great friends with him, but the Slytherin's had a bad reputation for turning out bad Witches and Wizards, especially twenty years ago when they helped rule the school with Voldemort.

The hat soaked all these thoughts in and soon chose for him. "SLYTHERIN," It shouted. The hat had a smirk on its dirty mouth, he'd put a Potter in Slytherin and that's all that mattered to him, and of course putting someone in their proper place, but causing an uproar was always a bonus. Albus walked over to where Scorpius was sitting and stared at his brother and cousins. They had shock planted all over their faces. They looked ready to stand and protest, but there wasn't much that could be done, what was, was.

Scorpius patted his back congratulating him. They were together, and would become friends, great friends. Scorpius hoped this would stop the feud with the Gryffindor's since one of their own was in Slytherin. Rose finally had her chance, she sat there glancing at Albus with a small pout as the hat dropped on her head and, "GRYFFINDOR!" was bellowed. She made her way over to her family and plopped down.

After the amazing feast, the prefects gathered up the little first years. Scorpius and Albus had met more boys, and a few girls that were also first years, but didn't pay any attention to them.

"Are you going to send your father a letter telling him that you're a Slytherin before any of your family does?" Scorpius asked curiously. Albus nodded, and cocked his eyebrow up, not feeling particularly talkative at the moment. "Yeah I'm going to tell him," He said smiling, "I think he would be happy. He was supposed to be one when he attended."

A scratching noise was rapping noisily wanting to be let into the window, so that the owl it was coming from could be petted and fed. Harry pulled away from his wife and opened the window, the black feathery ball flying into the room dropping many letters on the bed.

Ginny grabbed them and noticed that they were from Albus, James, Rose, Hugo, Ron and Hermione, and the Malfoy's. She handed Harry half of them and they both skimmed through them all. Each reaction made Harry Laugh.

"What's so funny? Our son is a Slytherin," She said worriedly.

"Well, Draco said that our son's are really good friends, and I was almost a Slytherin when I attended, so it makes sense that, that part of my family would be fulfilled," Harry said smiling at Ginny. He sat down next to her on the bed and kissed her lovingly.

"I don't want our son to be a Slytherin. I don't want him to be evil," She said looking down at the letters.

"He's not going to, we can make sure he's not. Plus if he's doing anything bad the family will see it, we have three spies on him that are just in his year, plenty of others older roaming around," Harry said smiling, rubbing Ginny's back. "I'll write back, okay?" Harry said pulling off the bed and took all the notes and the owl.

He sat down at the desk in his office and wrote to Hermione and Ron, telling them to tell their children to watch Albus if they were worried about him doing bad things. He wrote back to James telling him to spy on Albus and asking him if he wanted to go the Malfoy's for Christmas. The pulled another piece of paper and scribbled a congratulations to Albus, wanting to support him as much as he could. He asked Albus the same question, knowing what the boy was going to say since he was friends with a Malfoy.

Harry read Draco's letter over and over again smiling to himself. He wrote back to him, telling him that he'd just asked his children if they wanted to go. He mentioned that his daughter wanted to go for sure. Harry told him that he wanted to know what Scorpius thought of Albus, and told Draco he was happy that their son's were friends with each other.

Harry sealed all letter's and Handed them to the bird. "Deliver the ones to the kids first then to the Weasley's and the Malfoy's. Okay? Thank you, you're doing a very good job," Harry said giving the bird a few treats, petting it. He had tried to get over the loss of Hedwig, but it was a sign that he'd become a wizard, it was a major memory that he couldn't forget. Harry opened the window sighing as the bird flew out without a sound, and shut it again.

The Boy who Lived glided back to the bedroom, taking his shirt off and slipping back into the bed smiling at his wife. He kissed her lips tiredly. "I sent a letter to Ron and Hermione, and one to James telling them all to spy on Albus, just to know how he's doing," Harry mentioned to the red headed woman. Harry didn't bother to mention that he'd asked the children if they wanted to go to the Malfoy's. Or the letter he had sent to Draco. Most of their letters were private because if anyone read them, there would be scandal.

The lanterns were blown out and, the house became pitch black, the only things alive in the quiet home was the sleeping bodies of a wizard and a witch, and a few small mice.