Written For:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Gardening
Spring Task - Write about starting anew.
The Golden Snitch: The Great School Bake-Off
Apple Pie Cupcakes: Character: Scorpius Malfoy / Word: Entice / Setting: Hogwarts pumpkin patch (Hogwarts, Ravenclaw)
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Around the World in 31 Days
Syria - Word: Sorrowful
New Hope
Scorpius sat in the pumpkin patch and tried to not let sorrowful eyes watch the laughing families as they ran around nearby, ignoring the lone Slytherin.
Family Weekend was a relatively new thing for Hogwarts. Magical parents came to the school to spend the weekend with their children. And if the parents of Muggle-borns wanted to attend, special glasses had been manufactured so they could see the castle.
Scorpius didn't have anyone here, though. At one time, both his mum and dad would have come. His mum was dead, though, and his dad...
Scorpius bent his knees and rested his chin on top of them.
His dad wasn't right these days. It was like losing Astoria had broken him in a way that the war hadn't been able to. Scorpius hadn't even asked Draco to come, but lately, all his dad did was stare at the wall. He didn't think Draco even remembered he had a son most days.
Albus had invited him to spend the day with the Potters and Weasleys, and the idea did entice him. But although Scorpius had better relations with them now than when he and Albus first became friends, he didn't want to intrude on their time together.
Albus needed time with his family without Scorpius being a pathetic tagalong.
"Hello, Scorpius."
Scorpius looked up and blushed at the sight of Lily. She really was quite pretty. And smart. And nice. "Hi. Shouldn't you be with your dad and mum?"
"I volunteered to come get you."
Scorpius averted his eyes. "You didn't have to. I already told Al that I wasn't interested in spending the day with your family."
"But Scorpius—"
"No, Lily. Your dad is here, but mine can't be bothered. Now go away and leave me alone!"
"But Scorpius—"
"No, go away! Mind your own business and stop bothering me!" He hid his eyes in his arms and didn't look up until he heard the receding footsteps. He felt a bit guilty for yelling at her, but Lily's persistent optimism wasn't something he needed right then.
The sound of leaves crunching underfoot made him believe Lily had brought reinforcements. He kept his eyes averted as he said, "Go away, Al."
"Wrong person."
Scorpius's head shot up at the sound of a cultured voice. "Dad?"
Draco looked at the ground and cringed before he carefully sat down in front of him. "Do not tell anyone I sat on the dirty ground. I do have a reputation to maintain."
Scorpius didn't smile. "What are you doing here?"
"It is Family Weekend, isn't it? I've never missed it."
"That was when Mum—" he swallowed and didn't finish his sentence.
"I know. Mum was still with us last year. Truthfully, I wasn't going to come. I forgot about it. If it wasn't for Harry Potter ranting at me about being a lousy father, I might not have showed up."
"Why did Al's father to do that?"
"It seems your best friend has noticed how sad you've been lately, and he deduced the reason for it. I know I haven't been a great father since your mum's death. I might have lost my wife, but you lost your mother, and I should have been there for you instead of mourning in a pond of self-pity."
"Al helped me."
Draco laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad he was there for you. I never thought I would be grateful to a Potter, but I am grateful to him as well as Harry for making me see what I was doing. I should have been a proper father for you."
"You were hurting," Scorpius tried to excuse his father's actions.
"And so were you."
They fell silent.
Scorpius finally asked, "So, what now?"
"Now, we start living again. I start going back to being your father, and we work on getting on with our lives. Astoria wouldn't want us to spend the rest of our days in limbo without her."
"A new start?" Scorpius asked.
Draco pulled Scorpius into a hug. "A new start."
xXx
(word count: 679)