Current Day in normal type
Reminiscence in Italics
"I hate you Potter" the blond boy pinned beneath him spits out, his face flushed with the effort of trying to wriggle free but Albus is sitting firmly across the other boy's legs and has Scorpius' arms pinned securely above his head with his own. Albus laughs in triumph at the other boy's ineffectual wriggling.
Al couldn't help but think back to four years previously when he had seen Scorpius Malfoy for the first time as they had boarded the train to Hogwarts as 11 year olds.
It had been hate at first sight. Although in truth it had been hate before first sight because he had grown up with stories of the war and the Malfoys treachery. Uncle Ron could go on for hours once started on the subject of Draco Malfoy telling story after story of his dastardly, cowardly deeds when they all used to go to school together. Al grew up knowing that the Malfoys and the Potter/Weasleys would always be on opposite sides. He'd asked once why if the Malfoys were so evil and Draco the worst, as per Uncle Ron's stories of the War, that he wasn't in Azkaban with his Dad, Scorpius' grandfather. Uncle Ron had muttered something about "Harry being too soft for his own good" but Aunt 'Mione had sat him down and explained that Draco Malfoy was not really evil, that he had just been misguided. She had said that although the Malfoys were unpleasant people, in the end Draco had protected Harry and Harry had spoken for him and his Mother at their trial. Albus had tried to ask his Father about it but he had refused to discuss it snapping at him angrily which was most unlike him so Albus had learnt it was not a subject his Father would be drawn on.
It was not surprising then that Albus and Scorpius who were in the same year at Hogwarts should become immediate enemies and in the first year there had been a number of arguments and fights, so bad in fact that in the end their Fathers had both been called into the school to meet Headmistress McGonagall and both he and Scorpius had been suspended for the last 2 weeks of school. He was not sure what the Headmistress said to the two men but when they came out of the office they were both red and flustered like school children who had been chastised and neither would look at the other. His Father had grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the school, once they had collected his luggage, to the apparition point to take him home. He had thought his Father was going to punish him further but instead he had sat him down. "Son, fighting is not the answer" he had said and Albus had seen the sadness in his eyes. "You don't have to like the boy but you can't let him affect your future. That just gives him the control. Don't let him take that from you" His Father had paused then his eyes had been unfocused as though he were lost in a memory. "If you tried talking to him you might even find out you have something in common." Albus hadn't actually believed him but he had seen the disappointment and sadness in his father's eyes and couldn't bring himself to argue the point.
Unfortunately the reason for the sadness in his Father's eyes that Summer had become clearer once James had come home from Hogwarts. His mother and father had sat the three of them down and explained that they would no longer be living together as a family. They had waffled on a lot about how they no longer loved each other but still loved the children. Lily as the youngest had been heartbroken and hadn't stopped crying for 3 days, James had shouted and screamed at them and then locked himself in his room for the rest of the summer break.
Al had just been numb. He'd thought that it was his fault, his fighting with Malfoy and suspension from school had led to his parents deciding to divorce and he'd gone to his Father and apologised and promised never to fight with Scorpius Malfoy again if only they would just get back together. His Father had sat him down then and talked to him seriously as an adult. He had explained that he and his Mother had been growing apart for a while, that they wanted different things from life. His Mother was a very successful Auror, whilst Harry had been happy staying up home looking after the children and doing a bit of junior Quidditch coaching. He wanted a quiet life, whilst Al's mother wanted excitement and nights out in London. His Father had explained that they had already made the decision to split before Al got suspended from school and that the two things were unrelated. "But.." his Father had continued "I'll still hold you to your promise not to fight with Scorpius Malfoy. One embarrassing interview with Minerv…Headmistress McGonagall , is all I can take" His Father had chuckled at the memory and Al had been intrigued by the blush staining his Father's cheeks "so it's lucky the new job means I'll be keeping a closer eye on you".
"What new job?" Albus had blurted out. His Father had raised an eyebrow at him. "If that is an example of how you pay attention in class I'm not surprised by the state of your report cards, Albus Severus Potter, I explained earlier that now Lily will be joining you at school in the new term and I am free from my child caring duties I have agreed to be the new flying and Quidditch instructor at Hogwarts. I will be moving to Hogsmead over the Summer, your mother will keep Grimmauld Place as it's more convenient for her job."
His parents splitting up had been hard but having Father close on hand had helped. He had taken a cottage in Hogsmead as he had promised. It only had three bedrooms so when they all went to stay he and James had to share a room but that didn't happen very often as they stayed in school during term time and usually stayed with their Mother during school holidays.
Albus had also tried to keep his promise with regards Scorpius Malfoy and it seemed the other boy was also making an effort to reel in the animosity. They had even had a relatively civil conversation when the other boy had stopped him in the corridor early in the new term to express his condolences on his parents divorce which had made front page news in the Prophet . Al had accepted graciously because he knew from the same source that Scorpius' own parents had split a couple of years previously. They still clashed from time to time but refrained from making it physical. That all changed again a week before the end of their second year. It was his cousin Rose Weasley who instigated that change. She had come to him, tears pouring down her face and thrown herself into his arms. They were as close as brother and sister, he and Rose, almost like twins, there was only a few weeks between their births and they had been together ever since due to the closeness of their parents. He would protect her with his life. "Rose, what is it?. Has someone hurt you?" he had asked softly into her hair his heart hammering at the thought of anyone hurting her.
"It's Malfoy…" she whispered between sobs. Al felt the anger building in his chest, if that toad, that ferret, had hurt his best friend he would kill him, promise to his Father or not. "What did he do? Did he hurt you?" Al hissed trying to keep his anger in check. "No..No…well yes" she stammered "He…he….said I was a mudblood" she choked out. Al immediately knew how bad that was, he knew it was a common insult used in the war and that Scorpius' Father had used that same insult on Rose's Mother repeatedly. It was worse than any crude swear word would have been, it had a connection with Voldemort and the evil he represented. Albus couldn't hold back the gasp of anger and he felt the hot flush flow through his body and trembled with rage. "I'll sort him out" he hissed. "Stay here Rose, I'll be back shortly" He left Rose trembling in his younger sister's arms as he stormed out of the Gryffindor common room and his search for his nemesis. He didn't have to go far because there he was at the end of the corridor leading to the Gryffindor common room, loitering. Al couldn't believe his nerve. "Come back to insult her further have you" he hissed at the boy, the tension from holding himself back evident in the whiteness in hands and around his eyes. Even in his anger he knew he couldn't just launch himself at the boy in the middle of the corridor. "wha?, no" Malfoy turned his eyes narrowing as he saw the anger in the other boy's stance.
"Under the east stand on the Quidditch pitch in 30 minutes and come alone" Albus hissed into Malfoy's ear. "We'll sort this out without an audience this time" and with that he turned on his heel and stamped away before his body overruled his head and he attacked the boy in public. He didn't want another suspension or even worse this time.
30 minutes later the two boys stood face to face, anger and resentment pouring from them. "YOU BASTARD " Albus screamed now he could finally loosen the control on his restraint. "No-one calls my cousin a mudblood" he launched himself at the other boy, he didn't even consider going for his wand, he was too angry and he wanted the physical relief of pounding his fist into the smug face of the blond haired boy. The two boys tore at each other trying to cause as much pain to the other as they could, with fists, feet and elbows. Finally a lucky blow from Scorpius' elbow caught Albus in the solar plexus and he went down struggling to catch a breath, Scorpius grabbed his advantage by straddling him and pinning his arms above his head. Albus struggled but couldn't dislodge the weight solidly pinning him down. "Why did you do it, you bastard?" he hissed at the blond boy above him. "You don't know what you are talking about!" came the calm quiet voice from his opponent, the calmness of the response following the ferocity of the fight surprised him but he wasn't going to lose his anger now. "You called my cousin a "mudblood", that's a disgusting thing to do" he spat at the boy. He was surprised to see the look of concern cross the other boy's face. "Are you going to deny it?" Albus hissed wondering for the first time if maybe there had been a misunderstanding, after all he had never heard Malfoy use that term before in school.
"No I said it" Scorpius admitted in a soft quiet voice. Al renewed his struggle in annoyance. "But it was an awful thing to say, my Father would be disgusted with me" he carried on and Al stopped struggling in surprise. "Why would your Father be disgusted, he used to say it to my Aunt all the time?" despite himself Al was curious by this response from the boy. Malfoy flushed looking down and his grip on Al loosened, Al knew if he really pushed he could probably struggle free but he really wanted to hear the answer to his question so he just lay there instead waiting. "My Father did some horrible things when he was younger, he said he didn't know any better, but he said I should and that I would need to be better than him."
"So why did you say it to Rose then, you must have known that it would really upset her" questioned Albus. Malfoy didn't answer immediately but he slipped off the boy he had been restraining resting his back against one of the posts holding up the Quidditch stand under which they had been fighting, he closed his eyes and didn't look at the other boy as he replied. "I was angry, I let my anger get the better of me, my Father would be disappointed that I let her bait me like that."
Albus sat up, looking at the other boy, his blond hair was a dishevelled mess, his face was smeared in blood from a cut above his eye and one on his lip which had swollen to about twice its normal size. His clothes were dirty and torn in places and he looked so unlike his normal pristine controlled self that Al had to blink to remind himself who he was talking to. The most unusual thing though, was the pain and remorse that was showing on his face, it seemed he was genuine. "So why did you say it then?" pushed Albus.
"She said my Father was a death-eater and should be locked up in Azkaban" the reply was soft and Al had to lean forward to catch it. He gasped in shock "She said what?"
"Why are you shocked that's what you think too isn't it?" Grey eyes met his own and Albus could feel himself being drawn to them.
"No" he denied "Your Father ….look my family don't like him but …but" before he could finish through he heard another familiar voice interrupt. "…but he is not an evil man, he saved my life once, as did your grandmother."
"Dad" Al exclaimed in shock "This isn't what it looks like…" he started.
"It's looks like two 13 year old boys have just beaten the hell out of each other over a misunderstanding and words said in anger" His Father replied raising an eyebrow in a questioning arc. "Now come out here where I can see the damage properly"
The two boys crawled out standing in front of Mr Potter with heads bowed in remorse.
"Now the question is, have you learnt from this and can you honestly put your pointless feud behind you?" he questioned. Al looked up at the other boy by his side from under his fringe, he had seen something today in this boy he had never seen before and it intrigued him. "I should have asked the question first, what my cousin said to you is just as unforgiveable as what you said to her. I should have stopped to ask questions first like my Dad always tells me to do" he shot a glance at his Father who nodded in approval "I get a bit hot headed and I'm sorry" He held his hand out to the blond "I'm not suggesting we be friends but we can at least agree to not be enemies" Malfoy looked at him for several long seconds before his arm slowly came out and his long slim hand slipped into Al's grasp. A small smile was playing on his lips as though he were slightly amused by the turn out of events. "Ok" he finally replied "Let's try that"
It had been two years since that first handshake and here they are again under the East Quidditch stand with one boy pinning down the other, although this time the roles are reversed and Al has the advantage. But a sly grin suddenly crosses the face of the blond boy pinned below him and he suddenly stops wriggling aimlessly and instead he bucks his hips up suddenly. The force of the movement brings the groins of the two 15 year old boys together and a shiver runs down Al's spine at the delightful friction it causes. "You git" he groans "You asked for it now" his voice practically purrs with the threat. He lowers his face so their noses are touching and he leers menacingly at the boy who is totally at his mercy, and then their mouths are locked together in a battle for dominance, tongues and teeth clash as they grind their hips together. Al drops his hold on the arms he had been pinning down so he can run his hands through the soft blond hair and he feels the arms of the other boy move down his back pulling him closer, and moving down to grab his arse. They are rutting against each other madly now and Al can feel his own erection rub against the hardness within the other boy's trousers. "Scorp…" he gasps "Coming.." "Yes" comes the reply from the other boy "Now…now…Al…." Al feels the other boy tense below him and then shudder as a soft moan leaves his mouth and Al ruts harder as he feels himself tense in response and then he can feel his balls pull up as the tingling in his abdomen results in his own pulsating release, he groans at the ecstasy of this feeling even as he regrets the cold wet stickiness that is left in his pants. "Merlin.." he gasps as he rolls off the other boy to lay beside him looking up at the underside of the stand panting heavily. It's only the second time that they have done this, rutted against each other to completion and he can't believe how perfect it feels.
"We had better go, we don't want to miss the train" Scorp points out but he doesn't make a move. Al rolls onto his side and looks down at the boy lying beside him, over the last two years they had moved from reluctant school classmates to civil acquaintances, to friends and recently to 'more than friends', not that anyone else knows the extent to which their relationship has developed. Not even Rose knew and she knew everything else about him, but Scorp was the one subject they couldn't see eye to eye on. "I'm going to miss you over the summer" he sighs softly as he uses his free hand to trace the outline of the other boys lips, they are soft and pink and perfect. Scorp grabs his hand stilling it and sits up still holding it. "You know whose fault that is?" he replies and there is a slight accusatory tone in the voice. "You could come and stay with me over the summer if you just tell your family about us."
Al sighs, sitting up too and staring ahead not looking at his friend. "You've seen what Rose and Lily are like. I don't think they would ever talk to me again"
"So will you always choose them over me then, will you ever stand up for yourself and what you want" Scorp's tone is angry now. "Do I mean so little to you Albus Potter, that you think I can just be your dirty little secret forever." He stood up towering over the brunet. "Well I won't be, if you want to be with me next year then you have to tell your family about us over the summer. I want to be with you properly, you have to decide whether you want me enough ." The boy stormed off without looking back, Al watched him leave and it felt like his heart had sunk into his stomach. He knew Scorp was right but he didn't know whether he could do it, his family didn't just dislike the Malfoys they hated them, they might disown him totally and he couldn't bear that. He couldn't bring himself to choose.
James, Al and Lily always split school holidays between their parents and they were lucky that their parents had a fairly friendly relationship still, even after their mother had started dating Dean Thomas, an old boyfriend from her school days. They would see a lot of both of their parents over the break, however the first week was going to be spent with their Mother and Dean in London. Al usually enjoyed his time in London, lots of things to do and places to go and Dean was actually quite a good laugh. This summer though he couldn't stop thinking about Scorp and the hurt in his eyes when Al had refused to tell his family. All the possible scenarios kept rolling through his head, Rose had refused to speak to him for week when he had just mentioned that Scorp was "alright, really", what would she do if he said he was dating the boy. He couldn't sleep with the stress and he kept himself locked away from everyone, his Mother just called him a moody teenager and James had asked him whether it was girl troubles but he couldn't talk to any of them.
Harry was in the garden of his small cottage in Hogsmead, pruning some of the roses. He had become quite fond of gardening in recent years and Neville Longbottom had given him numerous tips and advice on how to make the best of his small garden. He found the task comforting and it gave him time to think. He was currently considering the latest owl he had received from his ex-wife. She was concerned about Albus, it seemed he had turned into an angst ridden teenager, locking himself away in his room, refusing to talk to anyone, picking at his food and hardly sleeping if the bags under his eyes were an indication. She wanted to know if he had noticed anything at school that could explain the behaviour and Harry was trying to think back through the last term. If anything Al had actually seemed happier and more content, that stupid feud with Scorpius Malfoy seemed to be behind him and they had even become friends of sort. He wondered if it was a girl but he couldn't remember seeing Al with any one particular girl at all. It was a mystery.
As he mused on the subject of his middle child he became aware of a fluttering of wings and the sharp talons of a snowy white owl dug into his shoulder. It was a regal looking beast and not one he recognised. He took the note attached to the birds leg hesitantly something didn't feel right. As he opened the note and saw the light delicate text he felt his heart starting to hammer in his chest. It might have been a while but he knew this handwriting almost as well as his own.
"Potter
I find myself in the unfortunate position of needing to request a favour from you, which as you know I would refrain from doing for any reason other than one connected to my son. I have a personal matter in relation to the happiness of my son (and yours) that I need to discuss with you at the earliest opportunity. I therefore request your permission to call on you at 3pm this afternoon.
Regards
Draco Malfoy "
It was so Malfoy, forthright yet condescending. His first reaction was to reject the request outright but Harry liked Scorpius. Scorpius looked very like his Father with his platinum blond hair, grey eyes and regal cool manner. But unlike his Father Scorpius was much more open, he would laugh and smile readily and after that one "mudblood" episode in his second year had never been known to throw about other similar insults. He was generally liked by his classmates, except for a few who had not yet forgiven him for his Family's transgressions in the war and he was ashamed to say his own family was part of that crowd, although not Albus. So what Albus had to do with Scorpius' happiness was a mystery. He scrawled a quick reply agreeing to the meeting at 3pm and then hurried in to prepare himself. It would be the first time he had been alone with Draco Malfoy since the final year at school. Although he chided himself for caring he pulled out several outfits before deciding on a pair of chinos and a khaki t-shirt that moulded to his Quidditch toned chest. He admired his own reflection briefly, he knew he was in pretty good shape for his 38 years of age. His work and gardening kept him fit and trim and since he'd had his vision permanently fixed, at Ginny's insistence, he no longer hid his green eyes behind dark frames. When he heard his doorbell ring, he blushed as he remembered who he was trying to look good for.
He tried to shrug of the nerves as he hurried down to let his guest into the house. As he opened the door his eyes raked the tall frame of the blonde man before him as critically as he had just viewed himself. Draco was still tall and lean, there was not an ounce of spare flesh on his frame but he exuded a strength that indicated that the leaness was all muscle. Harry realised he was staring and waved the other man into his house quickly flushing slightly at being caught out.
"Charming little place, Potter. Not what I would have expected of the Saviour of the Wizarding world" Harry felt his hackles rise at the sneering note in the other man's voice but he refused to be baited into responding like a teenage.
"Welcome Draco" he emphasized his use of the man's first name. "Please follow me into the parlour I have prepared some tea for your visit" It was an effort to keep his tone, polite and welcoming but the slight flaring of the nostrils from the blonde man was his reward. He smiled to himself as he turned away to lead the man to the other room. Once settled with a cup of tea each Harry decided to get straight to the point. "So what is the issue with Scorpius?"
"He's in love of course" came the drawled response in a tone that seemed to indicate Harry should be aware of the fact and he felt his hackles rise.
"He is? So the question is with whom and why have you come to me with this? I am after all just his Quidditch coach?" Harry hoped he had injected the right level of bemusement.
The blond man leant forward in his chair and looked quizzically at the man in front of him as if looking for a lie in the answer and then realising that Harry really had no idea he leant back again with a smirk playing on his lips. "You really don't know although you must have seen them almost every day. Still the oblivious Harry Potter eh?" Draco smirked condescendingly as he carefully replaced his teacup on the table and looked up straight into Harry's eyes. " Scorpius is in love with Albus and vice versa so I understand. Quite ironic isn't it, it seems history is repeating itself."
Harry spluttered choking on the tea he had just swallowed, eyes still watering he gazed up at the controlled man in front of him. He could see no lie in his eyes and he had become very good at reading him in that last year of school.
History repeating itself indeed. Harry's memory was drawn back to that repeated 7th year at Hogwarts.
The war was over and Voldemort was dead and they had returned to school to finish their NEWTS. It had all been different that year, so many hadn't returned and those that did were very different from the kids they had been. Hermione and Ron had declared their love for each other and were inseparable and Harry couldn't feel jealous of that although it left him out on a limb. Ginny tried to fill the void but he hadn't been ready for that then and he hadn't wanted to lead her on so he had started to spend a lot of time on his broom playing or practising Quidditch. It seemed Draco had been in a similar situation as so few of his friends had returned and those that did no longer wanted to socialise with the son of a convicted death-eater. Their paths had crossed again and again on the quidditch field, at first they would just nod in passing, the enmity they had once had, now gone. Then one afternoon Harry had find himself sheltering in the broom store from a sudden, fierce rain burst hoping it would clear so he could fly, when a wet bedraggled figure barged into him also trying to escape the rain. Harry couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him when he realised the bedraggled figure was in fact the normally perfectly turned out, Draco Malfoy. Draco had glared at him at first for daring to laugh at his misfortune but suddenly the glare had lightened and a small smile had graced those delicate lips instead. The smile was enough to stop Harry in his tracks, Malfoy had never smiled at him before, it lit up his face, softened his pointed features and made his grey eyes sparkle. They had waited out the storm together and had just started talking, not about anything in particular just about flying and schoolwork. It had felt good, it had felt right somehow. They had continued to meet up regularly after that, sometimes they would fly together, sometimes they would just talk. Then one afternoon as they lay under the Quidditch stand talking about the future, Draco had rolled over and looked down at him and Harry had felt his heart stop as very softly he felt Draco's lips touch his own. It was like a dam had burst with that touch and Harry had been helpless in the current. He'd reached up and pulled the other boy down on top of him, their mouths pressed together in an urgency neither boy could resist, hands pulled at clothes tossing them aside until two naked bodies were entwined. The friction as their cocks rubbed together was like nothing he had felt before but Harry wanted more, he had reached down and grasped Draco's long white shaft. It felt smooth as silk but as hard as iron and he had rubbed his thumb across the head feeling the stickiness of the precum leaking from it. At his touch Draco's head had rolled back displaying his long white neck and Harry had been unable to resist as he latched his mouth and then teeth to the soft skin at the base of the neck, sucking and marking this man as his own. "Harry.." Draco had gasped as he came in thick white bursts as Harry stroked him to completion. As Draco gradually came down from his high Harry had started to rub himself against the smooth white thigh below his own wanting the friction to gain his own release but Draco had stopped him and pushed him to roll him over onto his back. Then Draco's warm wet tongue and mouth was tracing a line down his chest, across his abdomen and down to his groin. Harry felt his hips thrust themselves into the air as he felt Draco's nose bump his cock but that was nothing compared to the feel of Draco's warm tongue as it had lapped at his tip tasting him. Then he was enveloped by those delicious lips and he really thought he had gone to heaven. He had watched the blond head bobbing in his lap and when the grey eyes had turned up to his he had come with a shout and an explosion of such force that it had never quite been matched again since that day.
Harry came back to the current day realising his trousers were tight against his arousal and angry grey eyes were boring into his own.
"It seems that Albus is worried his family will disown him if he admits his feelings for my son. Sound familiar Potter." Spat the angry man in front of him
"I don't…I wouldn't.." spluttered Harry
"Still not got up the balls to stand up to them yet, after all this time, even though it's affecting the happiness of your own son." The grey eyes burned into his own and Harry's mind repalyed that last day at Hogwarts and that conversation.
They had met in one of the empty Slytherin dormitories, careful to cast the locking and silencing charms so that they could be alone and they had fallen into each other's arms. This time however there was an underlying sadness, it was to be their last time together and it had been slow and gentle. Harry had caressed every inch of that pale body that lay beside his own, with his fingers, lips and tongue and only when the boy was a quivering mess beneath him had he slowly pushed himself inside the tight passage. It was, as always, incredible and he lay there for a full minute sheathed inside this incredible young man just gazing into his eyes until the boy could stand it no longer "Just fuck me Harry, stop poncing about. I need you..NOW" and Harry had obliged thrusting into the boy hard and with a force that was the opposite of the gentleness he had previously displayed but he had known it was what they both wanted and needed right then. He pulled Draco's ankles up and over his shoulders to give himself better access and pounded into him. He knew he'd got the angle right when Draco had let out a strangled yell, thank merlin for silencing charms. Harry needed to hold himself up on his arms to maintain the position and to keep the angle that gave Draco so much pleasure but he was close "Stroke yourself for me Draco, I love to watch you stroke yourself. I want to watch you come" He gasped. Draco was happy to oblige his hand moving swiftly up and down his own shaft, his thumb stroking the head and spreading the pre cum down the shaft to act as a lubricant. It was so hot, Harry was struggling to hold back but he wanted Draco to come first. "Come for me Draco, Come for me" he whispered desperately and was rewarded by the tightening of the channel around his cock as Draco suddenly yelled out as white fluid streamed over his hand and dribbled down on to his chest and with a yell Harry was joining him as his own pleasure streamed out inside of Draco. They collapsed together onto the bed. "Oh Merlin I love you Harry" Draco had whispered. It had been the first time either boy had said those words and Harry knew he couldn't hide it anymore "I love you too Draco" he whispered into the other boy's neck. Draco had pushed him off then anger adding strength to his arms. "So why are you leaving me" he demanded as he jumped off the bed and started pacing around the room. "why can't we get a place together and carry on. Why are you hurting me like this?" Harry could see the desperate pain in the other boy's eyes and he closed his own to hide from it. "They are the only family I have" he tried to explain but he knew Draco would not understand. "They would never accept you"
"If they love you they would come around" Draco insisted.
"I can't take that chance…" Harry was distraught. He'd tried to raise the possibility that Draco was alright that he could be a friend to Ron and Hermione but neither had been prepared to listen or accept. Ron had told him to choose, Draco or the Weasleys. The Weasleys were the only family he had ever had, he couldn't risk that.
"Well fuck you then Potter, or not as the case may be. I'm not going to hang around waiting for you to change your mind" the voice was cold, reminiscent of the old Draco but Harry still would not look at him. He couldn't afford to. He heard the door unlock and the sounds of the other boy leaving and his heart had broken and the part of him that even Voldemort had not been able to kill had died that day and he had never got it back. Instead 2 years later he had married Ginny because that was what his family wanted him to do and he'd had three beautiful children which he would never regret, but he had never had the total feeling of contentment again.
He'd lived alone since his split with Ginny and he'd thought that part of him was permanently dead but now this man was back in his house and all he wanted to do was to wrap his arms around him and never let him go again.
"I'll talk to Al" he says finally into the silence. "I won't let him make the same mistake."
"Good" comes the reply and the silence stretches out between them again and Harry wonders if Draco is going to say something else and his heart beats faster at the thought, but instead the man puts down his tea-cup again and leaves the room leaving behind him the scent of vanilla and cinnamon that is so uniquely Draco. "I'm so sorry I was a coward" Harry whispers to the empty room.
Harry makes good his promise the next day, arranging with Ginny to take Albus out for the day for a Father/Son talk although he doesn't tell her the subject. He takes Al to the park with a picnic where they can sit and feed the ducks , throwing up a privacy charm around them which will stop anyone from coming too close.
"So are you going to tell me what the problem is?" Harry asks watching Al from the corner of his eye but Al refuses to take the bait and just shakes his head looking down at his lap. Harry sighs he will have to be more direct. "So it's not about Scorpius Malfoy then?" He see his son's head shoot up in shock and a red flush work its way up his neck, although he still doesn't respond it's clear Draco was telling the truth. "About you and Scorpius being a couple?" he continues to push and this time Al gasps in shock.
"I'm sorry, really I'm so sorry" Al suddenly almost shouts his response this time.
"What are you sorry about son?" asks Harry quietly, he wants his son to open up not get defensive.
"Nothing has happened really and it's over, finished now" Al rushes his answer
"Do you want it to be finished then?" Harry looks at his son properly this time as he wants to see the truth in the answer. Al stares at him in distress but knows he won't be able to lie convincingly. His head drops "No" he whispers.
" So why have you finished it then?" Harry asks
Al looks up suddenly at that not expecting this line of questioning from his Father. "I didn't" he admits "Scorp did because I wouldn't tell anyone about him, us" Harry just raised an eyebrow to encourage his son to continue. "I thought you would be angry and I know Uncle Ron will be and Rose would never talk to me again…." Al trails off.
"Yes, Uncle Ron will be angry for a while and unfortunately Rose is her Father's daughter, but they both love you, you know. Someone once told me that if your family love you they will come around in the end. I ignored that advice and have regretted it ever since. Are you brave enough Al to stand up for the boy you care for."
"Are you going to tell them dad" Al asked in a small voice.
"No Al, this has to be your decision. You have to decide how important Scorpius is to you, but whatever you decide your family will always love you no matter how angry they might get in the short-term and I will always support you."
Al looked thoughtful at his Father's comments. "I think I need some time" he whispers.
"Take as long as you need. It's a tough decision" he put his arm around his teenage son drawing him in to his side and Al let him letting out only one small "Oh Dad.." before snuggling into his side.
Two days later the whole extended family was gathered in the Burrow for a Molly special lunch and Al drew him to one side before they went to sit down. "Dad, sit next to me today. I'm going to do it, tell everyone at once and get it over with" he whispered. "is that wise?" Harry couldn't help asking. These family gatherings were chaos at the best of times. Al shrugged. "I've decided now and it's best to get it over with and anyway I've told Scorp I'm going to do it and I'm going to visit him tomorrow so I've got to do it now" Harry gaped in awe at the quiet confidence of his son, and actually felt slightly jealous and very proud that Al had the confidence to do what he had been unable to .
Dinner was as predicted total chaos. Harry sat between his two sons, opposite Ron with his two kids Hugo and Rose. Hermione sat at one end of the table helping Molly with the serving, whilst Ginny and Dean sat at the other end with Lily. George and Luna sat together holding their twins, the newest members of the clan Fredrika and Gina, whilst Percy sat next to his father holding court about the ministry as ever. Bill was in France with his wife and Charlie was off with his dragons but otherwise it was a full house. As dinner was cleared away and the din around the table started to quieten down as everyone's expectations turned to dessert, Al caught hold of his Father's hand and stood up. "Excuse me" Al started and waited until everyone turned watch him standing nervously in front of them . "I have something to announce and I wanted to tell everyone while we are together…." His voice faded away as he realised what he was about to do and Harry squeezed the smaller hand he still held in his own under the table to give his support and Al shot him a small grateful smile.
"Get on with it Squib I want my dessert" called out Ron, and Hermione hit him on the arm to shut him up. She had obviously realised this was important.
"I just wanted to tell my family that I have met someone, someone important to me and I want to introduce them to you."
"Who is it?" squeaked Rose in shock "If it was a girl at school I'd know about it"
"Umm" Albus blushed "It's not a girl at school…..it's a boy" Harry could feel the heat emanating from his youngest son.
"Yeah that makes sense" James muttered on Harry's other side, at his Father's raised eyebrow James explained further "He is my brother you know" and shrugged one shoulder. No-one around the table seemed too shocked at the first revelation, although Ron had gone a bit red in the face. Ron always had been a little delicate on the subject of homosexuality.
"That's nice dear" Molly was saying. "Maybe you can bring him to our next family lunch. What's his name do we know him?"
He felt Al take a huge calming breath "Scorpius Malfoy" he announced loudly as the breath left his body again. There was a deafening silence for about 30 seconds following this announcement and then it was Armageddon. Rose started screaming that it had to be a joke that Al couldn't do that to her, Ron went red and started bellowing about it being some underhanded trick of Malfoy's to break up his family, whilst Hermione tried to calm him down. Ginny wanted to know why no-one had told her when obviously Harry had known about it and Molly just went into a general melt-down. Harry saw the look of horror cross his youngest son's face at the effect his statement had, had and suddenly Harry had, had enough.
He stood up beside his son, crashed his hands down on the table making all the crockery jump in response. "SILENCE" he bellowed and some of his magic trickled out to enforce his command as he could still see Ron's mouth moving but no sound coming out. "I've had enough of this intolerance" he continued no longer at a roar but still loud enough that no-one could ignore him. "Scorpius is a fine boy, intelligent, well adjusted and…" he pointed a finger at Rose who was trying to interrupt. "Despite constant baiting from some quarters and one slip up a couple of years ago he has shown nothing but respect to his fellow classmates." Rose blushed violet as she realised he was referring to her behaviour. "I've let my love for this family overlook some of the faults and this longstanding feud with the Malfoys is as much your fault as it is theirs. No Molly don't interrupt. Draco Malfoy is a decent man and a good Father despite his own upbringing and his own Father, none of us really know what he went through when Voldemort was residing in his home but he made the right choices in the end. He did and said some horrible things as a child, but Ron we did some terrible things to him too, I almost killed him and he forgave me. He once offered his hand in friendship to me.." Harry blushed at the understatement "…and I turned him down because I was scared of upsetting this family, scared you would turn me away. I will not let my son make those mistakes, I will not let him grow up with this intolerance" With that Harry sat down again throwing one last glare around the table. Molly Weasley was still twittering incoherently and Ron looked like he was going to explode and only Hermione's hand on his shoulder was holding him together.
"Well said Harry" it was Arthur Weasley, patting his wife on the back as though she were choking on a bone. "Draco Malfoy has been working with the ministry on a consultancy basis for the last five years and I have found him to be a much improved young man from the schoolboy he was." His wife looked at him in shock. "I never said anything dear for a quiet life but Harry is right, when did the Malfoys become more reasonable than the Weasleys. It's simply not right"
"Scorp's ok and he is a bloody good quidditch player" this was from James and Harry could have hugged the young man right then if 18 wasn't considered far too old for a hug from your old man, especially when he saw the grin that split Albus' face at his brothers cautious approval.
"Well I don't know what the fuss is about" Lily replied "Can we just have dessert now?"
It hadn't been completely back to normal after that. Rose had run of the room in tears and Harry had stopped Al from following her. "She'll need some time to get used to it." He'd whispered "Let her mum deal with it for now". Ron had refused to say anything to anybody for the rest of the afternoon, and Ginny had been tight with tension but she was not taking it out on her son. Harry suspected that he was the one was going to get the tongue lashing for not telling her but he could bear that for his son.
The following day Harry offered to take Al over to see Scorpius as he had promised and had been surprised to learn the Draco and his son did not actually live at Malfoy Mansion but in a Georgian townhouse in the city. The door was answered by Scorpius himself and the two boys had thrown themselves into each other's arms talking nineteen to the dozen.
"I can't believe you did it Al. Was it really hard? Is Rose talking to you?"
"It was horrible at first but Dad just took control and he told them all that they were being really intolerant and that you were great and that he really regretted not standing up for your Dad when he was younger. You should have seen them they were all like…'what' and he was like 'I'm not going to let my son make the same mistake', then Grandad said he was absolutely right and he shut Grandma up, but Rose was still really upset…..but James said you were ok and really great at quidditch which is like high praise from him "
Harry couldn't keep the smile of his face to see the joy in his son and as he looked up his eye's met Draco's and was there something more there? "Scorp take your guest to your room I'm sure you have some catching up to do" Draco drawled his eyes never leaving Harry's. As the boys ran off up the stairs laughing Harry had to ask "Is that wise, leaving them alone together?" Draco shrugged "They are two hormonally charged teenagers they will find a way to be alone together whatever we do. I guess we will just have to trust them to be sensible…. or at least use silencing charms"
"Draco" Harry was a little shocked. Draco raised one elegant eyebrow "What Mr Potter are you telling me you didn't experiment when you were 15?" Harry blushed "I was a late developer" he admitted "But I made up for it later" he flashed a quick look at the other man to see how his comment was taken and was pleased to note the small smile on his lips.
"Won't you come in, I have a bottle of firewhisky open in the study" Draco invited and Harry nodded hoping he didn't seem too eager.
When they were settled in the armchairs sipping on their drinks Draco suddenly looked up at him intently and Harry felt his heart miss a beat. "Did you really say that, Harry" Draco asked softly.
Harry knew immediately that Draco was referring to his confession repeated earlier by his son. "yes, I really did, and it felt good" Harry replied shyly.
"Better late than never I suppose" the blond drawled
"Is it.." Harry suddenly really wanted to know, needed to know "Is it…too late?" Grey eyes met green and electricity seemed to flow between them. Draco stood up putting down his drink on the side table. He crossed over to the other man removing the glass from Harry's weak grasp placing it on the side table as well. Then Harry found himself with a lapful of lithe blond and soft lips were dancing over his own. "Only if you promise to do it properly this time. I want to be courted, nice restaurants, the theatre, flowers, holding hands in public" Harry snorted at that "Ok" Draco admitted "You can leave out the holding hands in public" Then his mouth pushed against Harry's and his senses were filled with the scent that was specifically Draco and a part of Harry that had been long dead jumped back to life.
As the two boys lay together on the bed, their immediate passion currently sated from a bout of highly satisfactory mutual wanking, Al suddenly asked "What do you think our Dads are doing downstairs right now."
Scorp leered "Maybe they are doing what we just did?"
"Eeew , no" Al replied wrinkling his nose in distaste. "They are way too old for that".
In the study Harry was in fact currently impaled on Draco's long white shaft, rocking back and forwards in the wingback armchair in the study and all thoughts of their sons had been temporarily forgotten, unfortunately so had the silencing charms, but that's another story.