Author: elenorecanard
Title: Blessing
Rating: PG-13
Summary: They weren't seeking anyone's blessing.
Author's Notes: Um…yeah. This all came from the simple image of a man with his arm around a woman. How all of this developed, I don't know. You'll have to ask The Children, I suppose.
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, unfortunately, but they're fun to play with!
…:::…:::…:::…
The house is cold. Not lacking heat, the radiators work just fine, but totally lacking warmth. It's just a house, not really a home. Certainly not a home to him. I'm starting to understand now why he hates coming back here so much. I suppose that's partly my fault too. Of course, he hated it here before me, so I suppose I've only served to make it worse, not to instigate it. Now, sitting in this parlor waiting for his parents, is completely different from yesterday. Yesterday there was excitement and joy and love. Now, he seems hardened some how. His eyes aren't the soft grey they usually are. Now they look like steel.
I've heard stories about his family, of course, from him, and from my parents, but I've never met them. He chose to stay at Hogwarts during holidays until we started getting serious, and then he always came home with me. Of course it took some adjusting for my family. His father and mine hated each other for years, still do, actually. But even Daddy was able to set that aside when he met Scorpius. Daddy saw he was kind, and completely different from his father, and apparently, saw that he loves me, and even Daddy accepted him. No one expects Draco to do the same. Not even Scorpius. But Scorpius feels he owes it to his mother to come here and tell them in person, estrangement notwithstanding. And when we're finished we'll be able to go back to the Burrow, where Grammy will no doubt have tea and biscuits waiting for us.
The door opens and Scorpius stands. I follow suit. His parents enter the room, first his father, then his mother. I've only ever seen Draco Malfoy at Kings Cross Station. I'd never realized how closely Scorpius resembles his father. I feel as though I'm simply looking at an older version of the man standing beside me.
"Scorpius," his father drawls. "What brings you home after so long." He eyes me, not bothering to hide his disdain.
Scorpius notices and wraps his arm around me, resting his hand on my hip. I can feel his heat penetrating the cold that his parents exude and I feel myself melt into his side.
"Mother, Father. This is Rose Weasely. My fiancée."
Even Draco's snort of derision is elegant. "Not if I can help it," he says, stepping
forward, playing his wand between his fingers.
"You can't," Scorpius tells him.
"No son of mine will take up with a blood traitor. I forbid it."
Scorpius laughs. "Well, it's a good job we didn't come for your blessing then, isn't it?"
"Tell me then, Scorpius, what did you come for?"
"I had some ridiculous notion that you might want to know about your grandchild," Scorpius's words betray his pride, and my own heart warms.
The feeling only lasts an instant though, because Draco laughs loudly. "Is that it? You got a whore pregnant and you think you're doing the honorable thing? There's nothing honorable in marrying her, Scorpius."
In a flash Scorpius steps in front of me, draws his wand and levels it at his father. His voice is dangerously low. "Don't you ever speak that way about her again."
"Come now, step aside, Scorpius," Draco aims his wand over his son's shoulder. "We'll take care of the child, and the girl and you can go back to your disappointment of an existence."
"Rose, go home." Scorpius says no more than that. I don't move, except to pull my own wand from my robes.
"I'm staying with you." I tell him.
"How touching. She's stupid, just like her idiot father," Draco laughs.
Scorpius starts to throw a hex in his father's direction.
"Enough." Scorpius's mother interrupts, speaking for the first time. "Draco. Put your wand away."
I'm surprised when he obeys. I lay my hand on Scorpius's arm and he lowers his wand as well, but doesn't hide it away in his robes. Neither do I.
"Get out of my house," Draco hisses with the same low voice Scorpius used moments ago.
Scorpius takes my hand and leads me back out into the snow. We're almost to the gate when his mother's voice rings out across the courtyard, barely distinguishable from the peacock's cry. We stop and wait for her to come to us.
"How long have you been engaged?" She asks.
"Four months." Scorpius doesn't volunteer any more information.
She looks at me. "When did you learn about the child?"
"Yesterday." I answer, knowing this will likely be the only words I exchange with my mother-in-law.
She takes Scorpius's hand and presses something into his palm. "These belonged to my parents. Your father doesn't know you have them." She says pointedly.
Scorpius nods. "Thank you," he whispers, and bends to kiss her cheek.
She takes my hand, squeezes it gently. "Take care of the child. They are precious." I nod.
Scorpius's mother turns and leaves us without another word.
When we are outside the gates, Scorpius wraps his arms around me, and Apparates us both just outside the Burrow. He kisses me slowly and smiles.
"Mother gives her blessing," he says, and opens his hand to reveal two shining silver rings.
