The Planets by Gustav Holst inspired a surprise theme birthday party hosted by Astoria for Draco.
Astoria kissed Draco's cheek, squeezing his shoulders comfortingly, she allowed his hands to wander over her backside as he turned her face with his lips to kiss her more deeply. It was his birthday, after all.
"Ewe." Scorpius didn't say it loud but the acoustics in the grand hall made any sound from the stairs resounding. The thirteen year old boy didn't appreciate seeing his parents snogging first thing in the morning, but just because his hormones still made him uncomfortable didn't mean they made anyone else awkward. Astoria felt an anticipatory tingle as Draco gave a squeeze to her buttocks.
Stepping back, he grinned up at his slowly descending, well dressed son; "You look ready to take me shopping. Expecting to run into someone, or just hoping?" Unlike his generation, his son's seemed to have taken to a grungier fashion; the golden era. Ah.
With a very Malfoy scowl, Scorpius refrained from revealing the secret party planned for their return. "I thought you'd like it." He managed to slip a glare at his impishly smiling mother before stepping around them to the jar of flew powder set into the side of the fireplace. "Paris? New York? Or Rome, first?"
"Why don't you start with Paris, so you can enjoy a late brunch there, go on to New York for tea, and finish in Rome in time for the sunset?" Astoria's question was more than a suggestion.
"Sunset! I had hoped I'd be welcomed back into my home before that. Must I give you all day to do...whatever it is you're doing?" He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her waist to his groin.
She fluttered out of it. "Yes. You must; but, you can return just after that. So that you can watch a second sunset here, with me, in the tower." Her smile wasn't suggestive, but he knew her better than that. His grin was in agreement. It was an excellent suggestion.
"Very well." Draco clapped his son on the shoulder encouragingly. "Paris it is."
And off they flew.
Astoria smiled to herself, the love she felt for the two men overflowing from her heart in a rare display of pleasure. Then she sighed; the elves were already busy with the food preparations, she had to decorate. Her moon and stars was about to get a party the wizarding world would be talking about for generations. "Constellaura caelum!" She waved her wand at the ceiling grandly. The ceiling disappeared into sky. Planets peaked like stars from behind a few clouds. Astoria had researched for over an hour to find the perfect spell for the task of bringing the night sky inside. The sunset was sure to be spectacular.
The invitations had gone out a few weeks ago. The last responses had all arrived a week ago. It was a good thing Malfoy Manor was big enough to host over a hundred witches at once, because she was expecting that and some uninvited guests as well. Hermione had responded with an affirmative plus three. As soon as the paparazzi finds out the British Minister of Magic's family is attending at her former nemesis' home there won't be a paper worth its salt unrepresented, and the Daily Prophet had already RSVP'ed for Ginny Weasley, plus two.
It had, of course, made 'Ria bite the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing out loud over the breakfast table. She headed outside to see about the quidditch field she was hoping to shame the old gang into playing on. The teams weren't exactly what they used to be, since quite a few of the members were dead, but Krum, George, and Maximus had all confirmed attendance and she was sure some others would step up for the chance to play with 'He Who Lived.'
The field needed to be set; she raised her wand, closed her eyes, seeing what she wanted, and demanded: "Ludum constructione!" The moon and star theme was maintained in neutral black and silver. 'Ria had momentarily hesitated over the black but since it was her husband's signature color she'd decided that if someone wanted to suggest the former death eaters were still in mourning that there'd be no appeasing them anyway. Besides, the alternative was night sky indigo and silver-gold, which were not Draco's favorite because Voldemort had liked them. Not that many people knew that, but Narcissa still turned her nose up at anything that reminded her of 'that monster' in her home. Few people can turn a nose up like Narcissa Malfoy nee Black.
She felt the magic settle, gasping as she staggered a little, blinking her grey eyes open to see her will enacted upon the landscape. The pitch was outlined, the stands stood stately, tall, and luxurious, and the baskets gleamed, differentiated by black or white stripes wrapping around the silver. The banners draping the stands were undifferentiated silver stars on black velvet. There was no reason to incentivise people to take sides.
She might not be known as the Brightest Witch of her generation but she'd blown the N.E.W.T.'s out of the allegorical pond. Transformations had always been simpler than potions, she smirked. They were also more energy costly, making them less valuable in an open market, and she'd had another reason for studying potions like her life depended on it.
Draco probably wouldn't even notice the effort put into the party's preparations. He might enjoy the spectacle. He would have noticed anything less than the best. He would thank her because that was part of the noble oblige, but he had not been raised to see effort, only results. So, her results were excellent.
Steadying her breathing, she turned back to the Manor. It was already black and white. Superficial decorations weren't going to cost her anything in comparison to the staggering work of the field. The house elves were already displaying the food, setting out the tables with champagne fountains and crystal flutes, and arranging the flowers. Draco had finally approved her white lily hybrid, the normal ones gave him a headache. These star shaped wonders practically glowed in the dark. They were thematically perfect.
Stolling up the walk, she flicked her wand and globes of space on silver stalks rose out of the ground along the path, no two the same. She smiled at a tiny rendering of the horsehead nebula. It was going to look even better at night.
The elves were completing the garland hanging, inside and out. The lilies hadn't lent themselves readily to being flash-grown-and-frozen but she'd eventually perfected that, too. She might have started working on the party days after his last one; a quiet, family affair that hadn't seen anything more exciting than a smile. He had taken her to the arctic to watch the aurora borealis in extravagant comfort for her birthday and while he'd said he didn't want anything big, that had shown to be another one of his smooth lies.
He wasn't going to be disappointed by her again.
Paris. If all a sentence needs to be complete is a verb, a whole idea, a capital first letter and an end mark than that certainly worked. Scorpius could remember the last time he'd been to Paris with his parents but apparently his father felt like being a little more ostentatiously extravagant this time. Scorpius was used to spending large sums of money but the boat they'd hired was fully staffed by scantily clad women, the stops they'd made had involved a 1945 limousine, and they'd patronized every store they'd entered. Though, in one of them Draco had simply walked up to a pretty, bright eyed clerk, asked her what she would want, and bought it for her. The tennis bracelet meant nothing to the Malfoy's. It was probably more than the girl made in six months. She had cried in gratitude. His father had smiled.
Scorpius didn't think his mother would care, but if the store hadn't been a muggle one the wizarding tabloids would have. He didn't quite know how to feel about it. The power to affect someone so strongly while caring so little was a little disconcerting, narcissistically intoxicating, and probably shouldn't be mixed with drugs or alcohol. His dad wasn't going to remember her in a week but she would probably give that bracelet to her granddaughter.
"Are you upset that Mother sent us out for the day?" It was dangerously close to what he wasn't supposed to talk about but he didn't want to find out in the middle of the party.
"No." Draco paused just long enough that a smooth lie dropped from the list of conversational options. "Well; perhaps, I'm a little peeved she wanted us out of the house all day. It means she's planning something, you're in cahoots and can't tell me, and I'll probably have to act surprised later. I love your mother but sometimes her ideas are a bit much." He smiled gently at his son to soften the words.
"Oh." Scorpius sometimes forgot that his father had survived living with one of the most monstrous legilimen of wizarding history. "She loves you too."
Draco really smiled at that. His son was so much sweeter than he'd ever been. "I know. She really can be rather impressive when she wants to be. You have tall shadows to climb out from under." He scruffed his son's hair because he knew how annoying it was and it was his birthday.
"You don't really expect me to do anything as spectacular as start a war or rehabilitate endangered species, do you?" The son didn't seem to even notice the rough handling of his delicate, spun platinum hair, gaze staying low. No fussing there.
"No, but I would like you to do something." Draco blinked at the teenager; "You are discovering for yourself what you love, right?" That's what the golden era was supposed to be about, right?
"Sure, sort of. Well; maybe, I'm learning what I don't love. Not everyone finds something they really love doing." Scorpius was regretting starting this heart to heart. So far, all he really knew about himself was that he liked girls, Rose in particular, he liked Al, and he liked how good at quidditch he was. Beyond that, things got rather hazy. Even his own parents, he loved them but he didn't know if he liked them.
Draco wasn't sure what he wanted to say to that. He knew he'd never have been so flippant with his father. Scorpius didn't even seem aware of the self-indulgence of his words. "I think it's customary to find something worth living for if you can't determine what you want for yourself." It was a little like Lucius but, the good part, the part he'd loved.
"Sure; I'm just still learning about things worth living for." They'd arrived at Cafe Marly, Draco's preferred place to brunch near the Louvre. They sat at their usual table,Draco decided against pushing more at this moment. Bonding with his son didn't involve interrogation and he was feeling self indulgent enough to prefer discussing pleasantries instead.
"How's quidditch practice been? Are any of your opponents future professionals?" He'd admitted, on Scorpius' birthday, how much he regretted not getting to play against Ginevra while at Hogwarts. Rose wasn't her aunt, Albus wasn't his mother, but James was showing great promise. There was little as thrilling as competing against a truly masterful rival. He had to admit that his crush on Harry had made the whole situation rather awkward. Pansy still teased him about that snitch embarrassment.
"Great!" Scorpius' enthusiasm was appropriate for a teenage boy. "James Potter is the best seeker but Angi Wood is determined to play keeper professionally. I'm really a reserve seeker this year but Zabini's graduating this year so I'm making the most of it." His tea and fruit arrived accompanied by Draco's French 75 and lemon curd croissant. The senior's second course was going to be even richer: coffee with Bailey's and eggs benedict. While his son finished his omelet breakfast with tarragon, marjoram, and feta he'd clean his palette with a plain glass of champagne. Draco's appetite had almost disappeared after the war but he could still make himself eat a few bites of the muggle equivalent of fine dining.
Half way through his omelet Scorpius ordered a chocolate croissant to his father's internal delight.
The early guests arrived ostensibly to help but probably to get a jump on the booze and to determine who she was expecting so as to gossip if they reneged. She wasn't giving the gossips the satisfaction but the alcohol was literally flowing. Everything was ready, even the tower, and she was dressed in a spectacular yet modest gown that made her look like a dazzling piece of the night sky. Long sleeves draped extravagantly to the floor, the jewel neckline was contrasted with a plunging back that complemented her stunning diamond pendant, an engagement gift from the Malfoy's, and the robe's hemline swished upon the floor, hiding dainty silver faux ballet slippers.
"Darling, I had missed your familys' party's; I'm so glad you finally felt like celebrating again." The nasal sound of the purebreed's voice suggested too much went up her high nose.
"You honestly didn't think I'd let Draco's forty fifth pass unnoticed, did you dear?" Astoria was more of an alto than a soprano but sarcasm tended to come out either high or low and there was only high ground left after such condescension.
She quickly turned back to the door, gratefully welcoming more guests.
In New York shopping is an interactive display of history in the making. Bloomingdale's, Barney's and Tiffany and Co., Victoria's Secret, and Saks 5th Avenue could not be walked to since Draco despised the filth of American cities. Scorpius wondered if he'd merely never noticed how much his father drank before or if he was indulging himself because it was his birthday and shopping wasn't his favorite activity.
"I think you're old enough to know this one, despite the fact that you won't be able to practice it outside of school jurisdiction for a little longer." Draco slyly pointed his wand at the champagne bottle, "Toxikonlos." A single bubble popped anticlimactically. "Have a glass." Draco turned back to people watching out the tinted windows.
Scorpius slowly acquiesced. Great. Headache tomorrow.
"You won't have a headache tomorrow because you aren't getting drunk today. That spell's the only way for you to drink around your mother." Draco drawled without looking at his son.
Oh.
"There are a few ways to hide thoughts from legilimen. You can be like Minister Granger, so hard-headed she literally reads as a stonewall, though I suspect that's something one's either born with or not. You can pull the person into what's referred to as a waking dream, wherein you pretty much force your thoughts upon the other person long enough to make them think whatever you want them to, which isn't strictly prohibited but is also frowned upon by Gryffindors and others of high moral caliber." Draco spared his son a lopsided smirk before taking another sip as he gazed away. "My favorite is to layer the thoughts, creating something of a smokescreen for the eavesdropper to get distracted by. It requires vigilance but my god-father, Severus Snape, was a master and taught me himself. I recommend you start with a quidditch game, play it in your head while also internally reciting spells. Make the game much more vivid than the spells. Practice for a while and during your next break we can see how you've improved." Sip.
Because I'll obviously be improved.
"Obviously."
The bubbly was delicious.
Victoria's Secret was a nightmare. Scorpius doggedly tried thinking about quidditch strategy but he knew which train of thought was taking the backseat and which one was riding him heavy. A particularly striking blue number reminded him of Rose with her smart eyes that seemed to see right through him.
"Get it for her, if you like. You've more than enough in your private account saved for that and your next vacation. You should find out if you two are compatible early on in a relationship. A nice way to do that is with presents you'd like her to like." Draco had been a bit of a rake in school. It was no secret that he'd nailed all the Greengrass girls before proposing to the youngest. 'Ria had been the only one to really like him. The others liked parts of him; she wanted him so bad she'd literally bent over backwards on multiple occasions. Malfoy's appreciated devotion.
Well, most Malfoy's appreciated devotion.
"Uh, well; I don't really know her size." Scorpius hedged, paling with a shiver. His father could be inadvertently intimidating. It was a natural consequence of surviving horrors to eventually mature into someone stronger for it.
"Last time I saw her she was a 34B, 34 but at your age you're safer getting one size up. She's probably only going to continue blooming for another 5 years." He couldn't care less about his son's discomfort. They were talking about underwear, not murder.
Scorpius decided it was better to do anything than continue the conversation so he nodded, fished through the silks and lace for the sizes he hoped were accurate, and made his purchase, requesting the complementary gift box without a stutter. He'd figure out a way to ask her if she'd be insulted by such a gift. He'd throw it away if he had to, her friendship was worth more to him. He didn't expect his father to understand that.
"Minister!" Astoria shared a secretive smile with Hermione; "It is a pleasant honor to have you and your family over for this extravagant occasion. Mr. Weasley, I hope you'll play keeper for us. It'd be a special treat for Draco to be able to play with you again." A couple firm handshakes were exchanged.
"I have been keeping up, so to speak. That sounds like fun." Ron's smile was game and his arm around Hermione's waist warm. Rose rolled her eyes at her dad's pun and spared Mrs. Malfoy a short smile.
"Is Al around?" Asking after a cousin the same age as herself was a lot safer than asking about a woman's son that might have a crush on her.
"The Potter's were talking to Mr. Victor Krum in the ballroom, last I saw." Astoria's answering smile was polite and unsuggestive. She didn't glance at the couple in front of her as she mentioned the quidditch star.
"Will Krum be playing, too?" Ron's excitement was authentic.
"I hope you'll help encourage him? Please enjoy the refreshments" Astoria nodded as she stepped around them to welcome another guest.
Rome's sunsets are worth the smell. Draco sighed, ready to retire to a tower but knowing he had many more hours of entertaining ahead. Scorpius continued gazing at the sunset through the kaleidoscope, twisting it about to find an image he preferred before snapping a still of it.
"I thought you got that for me?" Draco teased.
Scorpius lowered the wand-like apparatus onto the table between them, displaying no remorse but recognizing that it was more for himself than his father. "Ready to go home?" He knew it was about that time and there wasn't anything else he could imagine them buying in the western hemisphere.
"Yes; let's."
They returned to great fanfare. Stardust erupted in glowing sparkles all around them, causing Scopius to blink excessively while Draco donned his customary smirking, slit-eyed glare. Astoria walked up to him for a welcoming embrace followed by a lingering yet chastely sealed lip kiss. Scorpius steeled himself, trying futilely to blend into the fireplace, until Draco draped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in for a family photo opp.
Draco waited only long enough to be able to speak over the clapping, after the cheers started tapering: "Welcome, and thank you all. It is truly an honor to be with so many friends and family. It is the golden time to share such joy. Welcome!"
More cheers shook the metaphorical rafters. More smiles beamed in various directions. Another kiss on his wife's beautiful cheek and a bow of the head released his son and moved him and his wife to great the arched brow of his Minister of Magic.