Draco frowned, considering his son. "That's nice. You should change before your mother sees you."
The boy sighed in frustration. Why wasn't his father listening? Without making a move to head to his room, Scorpius continued. "Her name is Emma."
"Scorpius, you should really-"
"She's a Muggle!" the child added excitedly. "I've never met a Muggle before. But she was playing in the field!"
Now, Draco was paying full attention. Conflicting emotions flashed across his face. With a sigh, the man pinched the bridge of his nose. "You didn't tell her anything, did you?"
"No, Daddy," Scorpius said quickly. "I asked if she was a witch. She said I was silly, then she asked me to play tag!"
A silence fell between the two. Scorpius watched his father curiously, pale eyes wide as he waited. When the man said nothing, the boy padded across the carpet. A tiny hand tugged at Draco's coat, demanding his attention.
"Is being a Muggle bad?" Scorpius asked quietly.
Draco looked down, his frown returning. He reached down, ignoring the dirt and mess, and pulled his son into his arms. "Muggles are...different," he said carefully, his tone signalling that he wished to drop the subject.
"Is different bad?' Scorpius pressed. His face scrunched up in thought. People were different, he knew. He was just a kid, but anyone could see differences like blonde and auburn, tan and pale. "Mummy is different. Her hair's all dark. But Emma's is like mine!"
Draco laughed, stroking his son's hair as he shook his head. "I used to think different was bad," he admitted, shuddering at the memory. "My father told me it was."
Scorpius' face fell, a frown on his lips. If different was bad, and Emma was different, then Emma was bad. But Scorpius liked her. She played tag and didn't even cheat at it. "But-"
"My father was wrong," Draco interrupted. "Different is okay."
The smile returned to the boy's face. Scorpius looked genuinely relieved. "Good!" he said, beaming. "'Cause Emma said she's bringing her sister tomorrow!"
