"I could kill you Scorpius." I tried to be forceful but I was more tired.

"Do you want me to deal with him?" Astoria asked.

"No, I will." I looked over at Scorpius, slumped over in the armchair. His mother had found him outside, curled up on the rug by the front door. She had to practically drag him in. It was clear he was flat out drunk and falling asleep at the minute.

"Come on you." I pulled him off and just decided to carry him up the stairs into his room, he mumbled nonsense as I did. I put him down on his feet and pulled his sheets back and sitting him down. He used the last of his strength to curl up and pull the quilt up around him.

I sat down on the beside table and looked down at my son. He was in his teenage trouble phrase at the moment and driving me mad with it. And this was the second time in the last three weeks of the summer holiday that he had gone out drinking again. He was only fourteen, he shouldn't be drinking yet. Girls were next and I knew he had a crush on a girl at Hogwarts called Summer. But for getting up to something with a girl was safe for the moment, he was holding himself out for Summer.

I was going to have to meet Summer but I didn't know a way to do that. I didn't know her parents and it wasn't like Scorpius ever brought her here. I would have to convince him, somehow, because no girl was going to get her hands on my boy without meeting me first.

I reached across and stroked his hair back. He looked so innocent in his sleep, like he was my little boy again.

His eyes fluttered open and I smiled gently. "Hey baby."

"Not a baby." Scorpius mumbled.

"You're always be my baby." I told him, running a hand through his hair.

"I feel sick dad." He does look a bit white, which as my son he would be naturally pale, but in that department he took after his mom's bronzed skin.

I conjured a sick bucket just in time as Scorpius puked. "This is what happens when you drink." I sighed as I got rid of it after he was done. Scorpius, finally spent, relaxed and fell back asleep.

I shook my head and stayed there, looking over my sleeping son. I removed myself from the room, when I felt tired but didn't go to my bed, I went back downstairs and pulled off a bottle of scotch from my stash. I rarely drank myself, other then when I needed it and with my work being very demanding of late, I found myself bringing out the scotch more. Astoria was my opposite, the kind who drank for fun and often went out with her friends clubbing.

She was a friendly person, one who loved to socialize with a group of people and liked to lavish herself. Her work wasn't demanding as much as mine and so had the more time to have fun.

When Scorpius was home, I'd spend most of my free time with him, when he wasn't off with his friends. And when he wasn't, my work and my wife were enough. School friends I had fell out of contact with and I hadn't bothered to make friends after. So I may be a loner but I had a family and they were all that mattered.

Mattered now. My life didn't much before.

I shake my head. I will not think of that.

I rolled up my sleeve, staring at the horror. I closed my eyes to not relive that day in that small dark apartment. Trying not too.

"Dad!"

I jumped at the horrified scream of my sons. "What's wrong?"

He's staring at my arm, with the sleeve rolled down. I tried never to show it, not around Scorpius anyway.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I, I was sick again. I needed a drink and- dad what happened?"

"You were not meant to see that."

"But I have! How did that happen?"

"You know." I said shocked, looking down. "Voldemort."

"Please." Scorpius scoffed. "Don't act stupid, I know how the dark mark happened. That's not a dark mark though, dad. And I'm pretty sure that Voldemort wouldn't burn his mark."

"You have no idea what Voldemort would do." I snapped, yanking my sleeve down.

"Dad who did this?"

"it was an accident."

"What, you just fell into a fire that singled out that mark?" Scorpius twisted his mouth. "Please, stop fucking lying."

"Don't you swear at me, go to bed now. You're still drunk, sleep it off."

"I'm not." Scorpius came closer, I turned away from him but he took hold of my shoulder and pulled me around to him, taking hold of my arm. He went to pull it back up.

"Get off me." I pushed him away from me.

"Draco!" Astoria snapped. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" She barely just about caught Scorpius before his face met the floor, with her wand, as she stepped into the room.

I rushed forwards, scooping Scorpius up in my arms. "I'm so, so sorry Scorpius. I didn't meant to push you that hard."

"Get away from him Draco."

I cradled his head to my chest and looked up at Astoria. "It was an accident. Do you really think I would push my son?"

"Draco I know you wouldn't."

"Then what the fuck are you worried about?" I snarled, lowering my lips to Scorpius's head. "I am so sorry son, forgive me."

I pulled back and sat Scorpius up, my arms still around him. "Scorp?"

"It's okay. I don't have to forgive you for anything. I grabbed you, you just reacted, and pushed too hard. It's fine dad."

"No it's not. I could have killed you."

"Dad." Scorpius shook his head. "Don't. I didn't, no don't dad." He kissed my cheek and wiped away the tears.

I rested my head against his. "I love you, so much."

"I love you to, dad."

I stood up and offered a hand to Scorpius, Astoria had gone. "Come." I motioned towards the sofa, Scorpius sat down beside me.

"I burned the mark." I told my son. "I'm sorry for snapping at you for it, I just, don't like to think about that time."

"Why did you?"

I resisted the urge to look down and looked my son in the eye. He deserved to know the truth. "After the war, I was a mess, dad was trying his best but he wasn't always the best of father's before and mother had left him. One day, I had a vivid flashback and dad wasn't there to calm me down, so I lost it. The fire was on because it was a cold winter day and I just, couldn't stand having that mark on my flesh. So I went over to the fire and stuck my arm in it. It hurt, so bad, but I sucked it in because I wanted the mark gone. And then it just stopped hurting, I felt nothing and my arm was burning. Dad came in then, ran over and took me away from the fire."

I studied the fire, my body shivering from the nightmare I relived. I cried and wiped my hand across my eyes and all I could see was that horrible thing, on me. The crawling sensation burst over my skin and my mind stabbed at the memories.

"No." I screamed, clutching my arm and digging my nails in. "Get off me. get the fuck of me." I struck my arm in the fire, it't blazing heat seared my skin but I had to have it gone. I held it in, while sucking up the pain. The fire whipped around the arm, and I could see the dark mark disappearing.

I smiled and the painful feeling of the fire disappeared, I felt numb and it was burning the mark away. I smiled wider.

"Oh god Draco." I blinked to see my father running towards me, yanking me away.

"Is it gone dad? it's gone, isn't it?"

He didn't say a thing, he just picked me up and we were flying, flying and my world went black.

I woke up to a hospital, a bandage wrapped around my arm with the mark. My dad was on the chair next to my bed, when he saw I was awake anger blazed in the eyes but he looked so sad. "Daddy? Don't cry."

"Draco, I'm here." He came forward and knelt beside my bed, stroking my face. "What possessed you boy?"

"Is it gone dad? The mark?"

He sighed. "You burned your arm Draco, they've eased the pain and the burns are not dangerous. But you've flayed the skin there badly, you're going to have the burn for the rest of your life."

"I'm sorry dad."

He shook his head. "Draco, I'm sorry but, you're going to have to stay in the hospital."

"You said it's not dangerous, though?"

"No it isn't. But they've seen the cuts, son. They know you're self harming and your going to have to go to the psych ward."

"No dad, don't let them. They kicked us out of their world, they can't do this. Take us away, say that we aren't wizards no more, that we're joining the muggle world."

"No Draco. You need this help."

"No. I won't go."

"I can't help you Draco, I've tried. You need professional help."

"No don't. I swear, I won't do it, ever again. Just please don't send me there."

"I'm sorry."

"No." I screamed and cried at the same time. "Don't leave me here!"

"I'm sorry." He said again and motioned for healers to come my way.

"No." I screamed. One started to say a spell to knock me out and I threw myself off the bed. They soon grabbed me, I tried to fight them. They were stronger then me and pulled me back on the bed. I twisted around my body for my dad. "Dad don't let them. Daddy!"

He just stared down at his feet, his blonde hair falling like a curtian around his face. And then the healer spoke and I was under.

Scorpius wrapped his arms around me. "And they helped?"

"Yes." I smiled. "They helped me Scorpius. It's where I met your mom, she was one of the nurses there, a trainee. She helped me and I fell for her. When I went back home to dad, I was better and stayed in contact with Astoria and then she broke the news that she was pregnant. I was so happy but scared, I was a wreck slowly getting better, how could I look after a child? But Astoria smothered my fears, we moved in together and a month before you were born, she insisted her son would not be a bastard. So we married and then we had you."

I smiled at the bundle of joy that was placed into my arms, all those years ago. A memory, that I gladly welcome. I unwrapped Scorpius's arms from around me and wrapped my one arm around his shoulders. He soon fell back on my chest and I stroked his hair.

"And then I came along?" Scorpius prodded.

"Yes. And then you came along and I had never been so happy, then when I held you in my arms. All my bad past, I welcomed it so long as I had you. Your mother was the one working and she only had so long with maternity leave but I didn't mind, looking after you was such a joy. I documented everything and fretted if you were out of my sight, for even a second. Your first smile and your first steps were all for me. You grew older and started to be able to do things for yourself, I was so proud each time. You went through a bratty stage when you were a toddler but we got through it quickly.

We lived in the muggle world as I had grew used to it when me and my father had been exiled. I felt safer there and no one knew me there. I kept my wand and still did magic, but I never visited any place of the wizarding world. Your mom was adamant that you would go to Hogwarts and I agreed, it was up to you, which world you wanted to live in. Dad convinced me to send you off to a primary school, to get used to being apart from you, when you were five. I agreed but the day you went I hated it but dad convinced me to let you stay. At first you didn't like it but then you started too. And anything that made you happy, I was game for. I needed something to distract me from it though so I started to work for a law firm. I only started to climb up the ladder though, when you went to Hogwarts, when you would be even longer away from me."

"You would never do it again?"

"God no. I would never, I couldn't Scorpius. I have a good life now, maybe work can get stressful but I have a brilliant dad, a wonderful wife and my son, who means the whole world to me. I will never get like that, ever again."

"I'm glad."

"Me too."

"You miss me like crazy, when I go to Hogwarts dad?" Scorpius looked up at me.

"You know I do."

"Dad, can you promise me something?"

"Sure."

"If you feel that low or if you have a nightmare can you come to me wherever you are or at least contact me. I want to look after you too dad."

I chuckled. "Of course, hearing from you will make it all better."

"I'm glad." Scorpius yawned.

"Okay time for bed mate." I hauled him up and he leaned against me, exhausted as I took him up the stairs and put him back to bed.

"I love you dad." Scorpius said as I walked towards his door. I stopped and leaned against his doorway.

"Love you too son."

Companion piece to Mistakes and Changes.