Six-thirty.

That was the time I was woken up on September first, nineteen years after the great war between the Dark Lord and Harry Potter. I groaned and tried to ignore the persistent hand that continued to shake me, the owner of the hand whispering into my ear, "Father! Father, wake up! Please!"

I gave a huff and sat up, wiping the sleep out of my eyes and turning to glare at my eleven-year-old son, who had a look of anticipation on his young face. Scorpius Blaise Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy inheritance and my proud son. I smiled at him, unable to be angry at him.

"Father, don't you know what day it is?" Scorpius asked, practically bouncing on his feet, already dressed in his finest attire, despite it being at least four hours until we had to depart to King's Cross Station. I stared at him, shaking my head in disbelief; he really was jumping up and down, the little thing. I rolled my eyes and said, "Score, calm down. And, while you're at it, wake me up in about three hours, won't you?"

With that said, I fell back against the wonder that was my pillow, sighing in content at the soft texture. It took me at least two seconds to prepare myself before Scorpius pounced; he landed on my legs. I gave a cry of pain and sat up, so suddenly that Score fell off me and my wife, Astoria, woke up and shouted, "Are we being raided again!?"

Which was a fair question, to be honest.

But didn't help me at that precise moment.

I groaned and clenched my shins. Trust Scorpius to jump improperly. Of course, he didn't hit the spot that would've brought much more pain – not yet, my brain told me, give him more excuses to jump at you and he'll succeed in the pain industry – but it still hurt to have an eleven-year-old bony boy told knee you in the shins. I bit my lip then breathed in deeply, turning to Astoria who now was laughing. She laughed so hard that she fell back onto the bed, saying, "What a wakeup call, Drake!"

I grunted and turned back to my son.

"Score—" I began, only to be interrupted by the devil himself.

"Father, I didn't mean to, I swear," he said in a hurried way, "I was just trying to get you to wake up, cause – in case you don't know – it's September first, and I'm supposed to, you know, get ready for the train today. I mean, I already have everything ready, but I didn't want to be late, so I thought I'd help you get up. I woke up a few hours ago and couldn't go back to sleep and I had nothing to do—"

"You – Scorpius Blaise Malfoy, the most imaginative, creative person I, Draconis Abraxas Malfoy, have ever met in the thirty-six years that I have been alive – you had nothing to do in this twenty-bedroomed mansion, complete with a small Quidditch pitch and a meadow for a garden?"

Score went quiet for a bit while Astoria contemplated what I had said. I nodded and said in a final tone, "Well, there you go. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep to catch up on all those hours I missed because of work, okay?"

Score nodded and said, "Father? Could I....? I mean.... will you let me.... well.... it's my last day here and I wanted to.... just for a while, Father—"

"What is it, Scorpius?" I sighed, tired of his un-Malfoy-like stuttering and feeling annoyed that my own son was afraid of what I would say. Score gulped and said, "I was wondering whether I could lie with you and Mother for a bit. You know.... because it's my last day, but I'd understand if you refuse, Father. I mean, you never like me acting like a child—"

"See now, Draco?" Astoria said, giving me a nonchalant stare, "You've dominated our son like your father did you. Now he's scared to be normal."

"That's not I said—" Score began.

Only to be cut across by a furious me.

"It's not my fault that I have to continue on my family traditions, Ree," I countered, "In case you've forgotten, you married a Malfoy, not a Weasley."

"Did I question your traditions, Drake? No, I did not! I merely stated that sometimes you behave like your father and it scares our son. And you always do that. Twist my words and make them seem as though what I said was evil—"

"You are evil, woman!"

"Mother, Father—"

"If I am so evil, Draco, then why do you share a bed with me?"

"I've no other choice, now, do I? Who knows what you'll do if, Merlin forbid, I lock you out of our beloved room?"

"Father, please—"

"There are nineteen other bedrooms in this gigantic place you call home, Draconis. And do not make me to sound so devilish. I am anything but."

"My arse, you aren't! You teased me a few days back, Ree!"

"Oh, yes, say it in front of our son!"

"I'd rather you two be cosy than fighting!"

Astoria and I stopped arguing and turned to our son, whose big grey eyes stared at us in a sorrowful way. I cleared my throat and said calmly, "I think I will go have a shower. It will clear my head."

That said, I got up and put on my robe, walking out of the room, but not before I heard Astoria say, "Cosy?" in an amused voice to Score. I did not hear Score's reply but I did hear him say something inaudible. I snorted and made my way down to the bathroom. About a few minutes later, I was exiting the bathroom, bumping into Astoria while I was at it. Once she saw me, she smirked, her eyes devouring the sight of me. A similar smirk made its way onto my face as I said, "Are you sorry yet?"

Astoria's eyes snapped to mine and she said, "Not in the least, Draco. You're the one who is going to apologise to me. After all... men are such animals."

She came in close, kissing the side of my neck. I pursed my lips and mumbled something before rushing to our bedroom, in hopes she didn't see the lower part of my body. I thought she did because I heard amused laughter echoing throughout the hallways. I dressed and went down to the dining hall, to find Score just shoving food down his mouth and the house-elves standing by bowing as I entered the hall. I nodded at them and they left the dining hall with a slight pop! I looked at Score, who had changed his eating habit. I frowned, ignoring Astoria's earlier words in my head.

"Scorpius," I said, picking up my own fork and knife, cutting my sausage, "I want you to know that I will be happy with you whatever choice you decide and however you decide to present yourself. It is not uncommon for purebloods to ignore their family traditions. I mean, my father didn't put me through an arranged marriage. I certainly do not want you to be betrothed and neither does your mother. But I want you to know that."

Score stopped eating and smiled up at me. I smiled at him and ruffled his messy blonde hair before continuing my breakfast. Astoria joined us afterwards and we sat there, just talking and laughing. Then Score asked me to play some Quidditch with him.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Unless you don't want to," Score quickly said, "I would understand – it's just you always used to play Quidditch with me when I was younger and I just wanted—"

"Get your SilverStream then," I said, smiling at the excited look on his face. He ran off to his room and I was left with my wife, who had a small, satisfied smirk on her beautiful face as she ate her breakfast. I sighed and glared at her, saying, "What?"

She gave a nonchalant shrug, saying, "I think you've changed a lot, Draco, since we first met. I remember when you said you would never want or be forced to play Quidditch again if your life depended on it. You told me that it was because Harry Potter defeated you many times that you lost interest in the game. It's nice to see that our son has a significant meaning to you."

I stared at her, shocked.

"Astoria, I love Scorpius more than anything, I'm sure you know—" I began, shaking my head at the fact that she even thought that I didn't. Astoria frowned at me and said, "I never questioned whether you liked him or not, Draco. It's just.... Malfoys tend to look at their children as a reflection of themselves.... I didn't want to think of Scorpius that way."

I scoffed and finished my morning tea, before heading out of the mansion, past the gardens and into the small Quidditch pitch. True, I did say that I never wanted to play Quidditch again but Scorpius meant more to me than the entire world.

"Father, you're already here!" Score said, running towards me, broom in hand. I smiled.

After a few hours, Score and I trudged back to the house, both grinning and laughing as we walked into the mansion. Astoria looked at us and smiled radiantly, before saying, "Clean yourselves up now.... it's time to go."

We did as we were told and then left for the train station. As we got there, Scorpius visibly tensed and went silent. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, massaging my thumbs to calm him down. He relaxed a bit and sent me a small grateful smile. I threw him a smile before feeling a gaze on me. I frowned and scanned the area for said gaze and found that Potter and Weasley were looking at me. I gave them a nod and turned back to my family.

When the whistle blew for all students to get on, Scorpius hugged his mother tight, for a very long time. Then he turned to me and looked as though he was restraining himself. I knew what was holding him back; I never usually hugged him or the like. I breathed in and stepped forward, wrapping my arms around my precious son.

He was going to be away from home for a long time.

I closed my eyes and hugged him tighter, until the whistle blew again and Astoria said that he had to leave. I released my son and blinked, preventing myself from crying; a Malfoy does not cry at such trivial things. But as my son walked away, looking small, I could not help but think that this was not trivial, that this was my son, Scorpius. He was my everything, more important to me than my wife. It was not because he was my heir or that I saw him as a reflection on me.

It was because he was my beloved son, Scorpius.

I smiled one last time at him.

My son.