I Know You
September 1st
Scorpius Malfoy waved a final time to his parents as the train pulled out of the station. Ginny Weasley-Malfoy and Draco Malfoy waved back before smoke obscured them.
Scorpius sat down in his cabin and closed his eyes. For the first time in six years he was going to be on his own. He missed his brothers and his sisters already. But Teddy had taken a position at Hogwarts this year and he was more than happy to spend the rest of his scholastic career taking with Teddy as his Potions Professor.
"Is this seat taken?"
He looked up as a pretty girl with Weasley red hair and the prettiest brown eyes he'd ever seen.
"Not at all," he said, gesturing for her to take a seat.
She flashed him a bright smile and took a seat opposite. "Sorry to burst in like this but my brother and cousins are being obnoxious."
"Brothers can be like that," he said dryly, thinking of James and Albus back in Japan. He could only imagine how hard it was to be his half sister Lily, what with four older brothers trying to babysit her all the time.
"You have any?" she asked.
"Three," he replied, though Teddy was only an adoptive brother.
"One's enough for me," she said. "He's a year younger than me and he acts like he knows everything."
"I would have thought that he did," he said through a smile.
She giggled, an appealing sound. "By the way, are you a new student?" she asked.
"Transfer from Japan," he said.
Her eyes went wide as saucers. "Japan? What's it like there? Are you a native of Japan? Do you speak English? Or is this a spell? Are you-"
He laughed and held his hands up. "One thing at a time. One question at a time, please."
"What's your name?" she asked.
He grinned at her. "Scorpius Malfoy. What's yours?"
"Rose Weasley," she replied and he stared at her.
September 5th
"It feels like you're trying to boil lobsters in here."
Ginny giggled and glanced at her husband through the steam in the bathroom. "You knew I liked hot baths when you married me."
"Beloved, this is like, ninth level of hell hot. It's not natural."
She arched her back, her breasts and stomach peeking out of the water. "Is that so."
"Not that I'm complaining," he said.
"You're worried about Scorpius," she said matter of factly.
"And you aren't?"
"Draco, lover, he is fifteen."
"Exactly. I was the exact same age when I fell in love with you."
She sat up, grabbing a wash cloth and her body wash. There was a slight splash behind her and Draco took the cloth from her. He sat on the edge of the bathtub, up to his knees in hot water, and began lathering up her back.
"You're going to ruin your pants," she told him.
"Worth it," he said, kissing her neck.
"I know you're worried about Scorpius, but he has six uncles, six aunts, countless cousins and Teddy there to watch over him."
"It's the uncles I'm worried about," Draco said. "I'm pretty sure none of them have forgiven me for stealing you away."
"Well, you did take me to the opposite end of the world," she pointed out.
"Do you regret it?"
"Not even a little."
September 10th
"Hey!"
Scorpius looked back as Rose trotted over to him, a happy smile on her pretty face.
"Hey back. What can I do for you?"
She put a finger in his chest. "You're going to help me practice."
"Aren't you already on the Quidditch team?" he asked. Somehow he'd managed to find out everything about her in the past few days.
She made a face. "As a Chaser." She said Chaser the way most people said masturbating albino Greek.
"How horrid," he commented, feeling his father's smirk edge up his lips.
"There's an opening for Seeker," she clarified. "I know I can make it. Besides, there's a few openings on the Slytherin team and you'll need all the practice you can get if you're going to make it."
"I beg your pardon? I'm so good it will cause you to fall to your knees and worship my amazing plays."
She laughed. "And you're modest too. I love that."
He rolled his eyes. "C'mon, cuz. Bet you Teddy will let us onto the pitch tonight if you want."
She squealed with delight. If Draco or Ginny had been there, they would have immediately recognized Ron's over-exuberence for Quidditch.
September 12th
Scorpius rubbed his shoulder and tried not to fidget as he waited for his name to be called.
"Scorpius!"
He looked over his shoulder, not terribly surprised to see Rose sticking her head out of the fireplace. Like her mother, she was an incredibly gifted witch and there wasn't a place in the castle that she couldn't get into if she didn't want to.
"You're getting filthy," he told her.
She disappeared for a second then emerged fully from the soot soaked fire place.
"I just came by to wish you good luck," she said, waving her wand at the ash on her robes.
"Thank you."
"Scorpius Malfoy?"
He looked to the Slytherin Captain then back to Rose. She looked ready to say something but shrugged and just punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Knock 'em dead," she told him.
September 15th
Rose set aside her essay and looked out the window. Beside her Hugo glowered at her. He'd inherited Ron's mind when it came to most of their subjects (with the exception of Potions, much to Ron's chagrin) but he had Hermione's work ethic. It was quite the opposite with Rose. She could write an O level essay in ten minutes but it was rare that she felt inclined to do so.
It drove Hugo nuts which was why he insisted on weekly study sessions.
"Rose, I know you can't be done," he said.
She looked down at the essay. "Yeah, I am."
"I don't believe it," he replied.
"You can read it if you want."
"I will," he said, snatching it up. She slid his essay over to her and absently began going through it for mistakes.
"It is really unnerving when you do that," he told her, glancing at her over the top of her own essay.
She shrugged. "I'm bored."
"Yeah, I guessed," he told her.
She made a face at him then looked up as Davis Krone, the captain of the Gryffindor Team, came over.
"Hey, Rose. Congrats."
"On what?" she asked.
He handed her a red arm band. "You made Seeker."
She squealed in delight and lept to her feet, throwing her arms around Davis.
Davis chuckled then caught sight of Hugo's glare, which was much like Ron's glare, only multiplied eighteen fold.
He gently dislodged Rose. "Practice meets next Friday. You better be on time. Slytherin has a new Seeker and word is he's pretty good."
"Who?" asked Hugo, who couldn't bear to not know something.
"Scorpius Malfoy," Davis said.
September 16th
Scorpius yelped as Rose punched him in the shoulder. "You brat," she said.
"What?" he demanded.
"You didn't tell me you made the team."
"I wasn't aware I had to," he said.
"Yeah. Now we're going to have to go against each other."
"Now who's keeping secrets?"
She blushed in annoyance. "I made Seeker."
"You know what this means," he asked.
"What?" she asked, feeling a trifle stupid for having to ask.
"We have to celebrate," he said. "Hogsmeade. This weekend. The Hog's Head. Three. Don't be late."
September 19th
"You are awfully bossy for a new kid," Rose said, taking a seat opposite Scorpius.
He grinned at her. "You're the one that showed."
"Dare I refuse?" she asked, looking at the menu. It was decorated in a cute pattern of chibi witches and wizards on brooms.
His grin widened then he looked past her to the waitress.
"Scorpius Malfoy! As I live and breathe!"
He rose fluidly to his feet to hug the pretty waitress. "Hello, Any. How have you been?"
"Married, lil' man. How have these past years been treating you?"
"You know. As good as can be expected. Here, let me introduce my step cousin," he said.
Introductions were made and orders were taken. Any waved to him then darted off to take some more orders.
"Do you just know everyone?" Rose asked.
Scorpius laughed. "She used to waitress here when I was growing up. Dad brought me in here a lot. Now enjoy this. We both have cause to celebrate."
She smiled back at him. "Thanks, cuz."
September 23rd
Teddy Tonks was in love. He stared happily at the pretty girl with the pale blond hair. Her hair was fairer than Draco's and long.
"Professor Tonks? Are you paying any attention?" she demanded, looking up at him and flicking her hair over her shoulder.
He gave her his most charming smile and assured her that yes, yes he was. Just because he was paying attention to the way her hair fell on her neck and shoulders, didn't mean he wasn't paying attention to what she was saying.
"Then what'd I just say?" she asked in a tone that reminded him errily of Aunt Ginny.
Crap. What did she just say?
Something about Potions. No he couldn't just say that. Could he?
"The Potions curriculum," he answered.
A disappointed look flitted across her pretty face but she nodded. "Professor Slughorn followed the OWL and NEWTs guidelines. As his aide, I have to recommend that you stick to them."
He transferred his attention from her neatly trimmed fingernails to the papers before him. He scanned them quickly and frowned. "Half these potions are out dated."
"Which ones?" she asked, leaning over.
Holy crap. She was even cuter up close.
"Your eyes!" she said suddenly.
He reached up to touch them. "What?"
"They're...I thought they were blue."
"They are," he said.
"But...but they're pink now."
He smiled at her and concentrated on his hair which suddenly shown bright green. She laughed suddenly. "That's cute. You're a weird one, Teddy," she said, but there was respect in her tone.
"I know, Victoire," he said.
September 25th
"Weasley, Malfoy, pair up."
Rose looked up in surprise from her notes. Scorpius wandered over to her seat and set out his kit.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
He looked down at his ingredients. "I was going to start our potion."
She sighed in disgust and took the knife from him. "You'll never get a decent result if you cut the tubers that thick. And I thought you Malfoys were good at potions."
He leaned on the table, watching her hands as she sliced and diced.
"Common misconception. Where'd you hear that?"
"My dad talks about your dad all the time."
"Favorably, I hope," Scorpius sniffed. He leaned in and began separating the pieces into separate piles. Some would be added in a minute and the others would get added later.
"Um...he tends to call your dad 'that rotten bastard what stole my baby sister and dragged her to the other side of the world'. He tries to Floo to Japan about once a month to bring Aunt Ginny back."
Scorpius grinned. "I know Dad says Uncle Ron isn't the brightest thing out there, but I'd imagine he could figure out the International Floo system."
"Oh, he can," she said, adding some of the roots. The potion simmering in their cauldron flared bright red. "Luckily Mum steps in and reroutes the Floo system to bring him back to the house. Dad usually keeps it up for like an hour then settles back down."
"Your mom can reroute the Floo system?" he asked, respect creeping into his tone.
"Mum can do anything," she said proudly.
"Must be where you get this from," he said, pointing to their potion which was looking perfect.
September 30th
"I'm not particularly fond of this plan," Teddy said, scowling at his assistant's back.
Victoire Weasley tossed him a pretty smile. "You wanted to change the curriculum. To do that we need to have enough of the ingredients for all the students in case they don't have their own. To do that we need to go shopping."
If she wasn't so pretty, he never would have gone along with this.
"Fine," he said, pulling out his money bag. She gave him her father's grin, a slow, almost feral thing that had drawn Fleur and countless other girls to him over the years.
Teddy was not immune to that grin.
Half an hour later...
"Can we go yet?" Victoire demanded. "We've been in here for hours!"
Teddy looked at the clock. "It's been thirty minutes. How the hell do you survive being a woman if you don't like shopping?"
"It's different with Mum," she said. "She just storms into a store, grabs like ten things and pays."
"She doesn't try them on or anything?" he asked.
She smiled. "She doesn't have to. She has this sixth sense that draws her to things that fit her or whoever she's shopping for. It's a gift."
"Did you inherit this gift?" he asked.
"Take me clothes shopping and you'll find out."
"But how can you not like shopping for potions ingredients?" he asked. "I mean, you can just smell the various potions you could create here."
"God, you're like a potion groupie," she said.
"I'm a professor," he reminded her. "I get paid to like potions."
"That is true," she conceded.
"And, anyway, I'm finished," he said.
"Thank Merlin," she said, helping him gather their ingredients. They walked up to the check out.
"It can't be that much!" Victoire cried when she saw the total.
"Sorry, ma'm," said the clerk, sounding anything but. "I even put in the Hogwarts discount."
"I got it," Teddy said, plopping a handful Galleons on the table.
"Where did you get that much?" she gasped.
He shrugged. "Uncle Draco may not actually be my father or even related to me but he sure likes to pretend."
October 3rd
"I cannot believe that my daughter is going to Muggle school," Draco said for perhaps the tenth time in as many minutes.
Cissa Andrea Malfoy giggled and clung to her father's leg as he and Ginny prepared for the art show. Cissa, a precocious six year old and the youngest of the Malfoy clan, was currently enrolled in the most prestigious elementary school Japan had to offer. From her papers, it seemed Cissa excelled in fingerpainting and reading.
Ginny slid a green sapphire earring into her ear. The earrings had been a present from Draco for tonight. She was used to extravagant gifts at the drop of a hat and the green sapphires did set off her hair nicely.
"Would you rather teach her the basics yourself?" she asked him.
Draco looked down at his baby girl and winced. Cissa had the attention span of a gnat with severe ADD.
"Fine. Let's get this over with," he sighed.
Ginny smiled, pleased to have won yet again.
Some several hours later...
Draco Malfoy was positively glowing. "Well that was productive," he said.
Ginny smiled at her husband. "You're just happy because Cissa is doing better than Hirono's son."
"Is it my fault that my daughter is a mad genius?" Draco sniffed. Artoro Hirono was the only man in Japan who was richer than Draco and Draco resented it. Fortunately he didn't care about that sort of thing. Which was why he had made Cissa's teacher extol his daughter's virtues over and over and over again. In front of Hirono.
Cissa was talented, Ginny would give her that. She had a general concept of proportion and composition. Sure, her people were pretty one dimensional, bare steps above stick figures, but they had the grace to them that one would expect from an artist of twelve or so, not a six year old.
She reminded herself to talk to the teacher and make sure they didn't push Cissa. She loved her daughter and did not want to see painting ruined for the little girl.
"There's an owl following you," she told her husband suddenly.
Draco, still wrapped up in the praise that had been showered on his daughter, took a moment to digest what she'd said. He turned and held out his arm to the bird. He took the letter. Ginny gave the bird a treat before it flew off as Draco read the letter.
"What is it?"
"Your step son has yet to grasp the time difference," he said.
She smiled at him. "Good news?"
"Teddy is smitten with his assistant, Scorpius is enjoying being a Slytherin. Oh, your niece seems to be in danger of having to fend off the Malfoy charm."
"Which niece?" she asked.
"Sounds like Rose," he said. "Good at everything but lazy."
"Ah, the perfect mix of Ron and Hermione," Ginny said. "Hermione did tell me that Rose was much like that. Somehow I think she'll survive."
"You doubt the Malfoy charm?" Draco demanded, sounding affronted.
"Not at all," she said. "It got you me, didn't it?"
"About that. Ginny, I hate to tell you this, but I've had you under a love potion for the past seven years."
"I always wondered," she said, going on her toes to kiss him.
October 6th
Teddy tossed back hair that was now in his eyes. Stupid emotions, he thought. His appearance depended on his emotions or, on the rare occasion he could control it, his ambitions. Right now Victoire was having a negative effect on him.
"Your hair is cute like that," she said.
"Thanks," he said. "But it's getting in my way."
"Here," she said and waved her wand at him. Locks of his hair fell to the table then disappeared in a shower of glitter.
"I've never seen hair do that before," she mused, looking in fascination at the few specs of glitter that remained.
"Metamorph thing," he said. "We don't leave any traces. After it gets separated from us, our hair and other body parts turn into that stuff and vanish."
"Wicked," she said.
He chuckled. "You've been hanging with Bill too much."
"Well he is my father," she said with a haughty little sniff.
He laughed and reached for the Mandrake root.
October 10th
"Draco, I don't see why we had to come all the way over here," Ginny said, hitching Cissa up on her hip.
Draco gave her a look. "This is our son's first Quidditch match, darling and we should be here to support him."
"Scorpius has been playing Quidditch for almost ten years. This is not his first match or even his first school match."
"But it is his first Hogwarts match," Draco said.
"You just want to see Slytherin finally beat Gryffindor," she returned with her usual knack for these things.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that," he sniffed.
"Uh, huh," she said with a smile.
"Aunt Ginny! Uncle Draco!"
Ginny and Draco turned in the direction of the hailing voice to see Teddy waving to them from the Slytherin side. They walked over to join him. A stunning blond, perhaps eighteen, sat beside him, looking like she wished she was elsewhere.
"Don't like Quidditch, Victoire?" Ginny asked sympathetically.
"No," the blond replied. "Thank Merlin that Dad was into safer things."
"Like blowing up bank vaults," Teddy replied.
Victoire shot him a look.
"Can we all agree to disagree and watch my son kick Gryffindor's ass?" Draco asked, eyes glued to the pitch.
888
"Well at least he caught the snitch," Ginny said several hours later.
"But they lost," Draco groaned.
Ginny repressed a giggle and kissed her husband's temple.
October 17th
"AGAIN!" Keeton Lassiter bellowed.
Scorpius lounged on the bench as the rest of his team flew drills. He'd gotten the snitch and Keeton, their captain, had decided he didn't need to practice.
For lack of anything better, he had decided to hang out and watch. His dad had sent him a long letter, mostly complaining about the rest of the team but there had been enough praise that Scorpius didn't blame his dad. Ginny had also sent him a letter, though it had less to do with Quidditch.
"Hey."
He looked over in surprise as Rose sat down.
"Should you be here?" he asked.
She gave a little shrug. "Probably not. But what's Kee gonna do? Kick me out?"
"Good point," he said. "So what are you doing here?"
"My room has a good view of the pitch. I saw you guys practicing and thought you looked bored."
"I can't be more than a speck from your room," he said.
"Quite right," she said. "But a sad looking speck."
He laughed. "Thanks. I think."
"So how do you plan on passing Potions? Teddy may be your cousin and your head of house, but I doubt he's just going to let you ride through on my tail coat."
"Coat tails," he corrected with a smile.
"Whatever. How are you so sucky at potions?"
"Japan's curriculum focuses more on independent study. You can concentrate on whatever you're good at. I was good at flying and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I can probably kick your ass in a fair duel."
"That sounds like a challenge," she said happily. "Dueling club meets Wednesday afternoon in the Great Hall."
"Prepare to have your ass kicked, Miss Weasley."
"ROSALIND DAIRINE WEASLEY! GET THE HELL OFF MY PITCH!"
Rose turned to face Keeton who was scowling at her.
"Still not impressed that you know my middle name, Keeton Dallas Lassiter," she said but got up. "See you later, Score. Hope to see you on Wednesday."
He waved her off then turned to face Keeton who had transferred his glare to his seeker.
"Scorpius, no fraternizing with the enemy on the pitch."
"Unless I'm spying on them, right?"
Keeton grinned. "Well, yeah."
October 21st
James Potter-Malfoy sat across from his biological father. He really wanted to leave but he and Albus and Lily had promised their Mum that they'd try to keep in touch with Harry Potter.
James didn't really like his father. Maybe it had to do with so many memories of the break up, Mum crying herself to sleep when she thought they weren't paying attention. Then the whole thing with that Artaz guy which wouldn't have been a problem if Harry were still with her.
James tried not to to let his distaste show. He was sixteen and it was time for him to take a second look at his relationship.
"Hey, Dad," James said.
"James. How are you doing?"
"Good. I'm graduating a year early," he said.
"Great job!" Harry cried. "Bet your Aunt Hermione's proud."
Auntie Hermie was proud. She'd helped him with his entrance interview and because of that he'd gotten into about fifteen different colleges. Mum and Draco were super proud too.
"Yeah, she is," James said.
October 27th
"Expelliamus!" Rose yelled, flicking her wand at Scorpius.
"Protego," Scorpius drawled. He was much, much better at dueling than Rose. She didn't have Ron's temper and she kept a level head but she really refused to back down or acknowledge when she was far out matched. Scorpius had adopted Ginny's cool head under pressure and Draco's inventiveness.
"Ugh," Rose said, dropping her wand and running her hand through her hair. "That sucked. Can we go again?"
"Rose, we've done this like fifteen times. Someone is going to start wondering why I'm spending all my free time in here with you."
"Tell them we're shagging," she said. "I want to get this right."
"You're sounding like your mother."
"Go to hell," she said, her tone happy and conversational.
"C'mon."
"What?"
"We're going to take a break."
"What kind of break?"
"Have you had dinner?" he asked.
Her face went blank and he laughed. "C'mon, Red. Let's get some dinner."
"What are we having, Silver?" she asked, falling into step behind him.
"Ever had sushi?"
(A/N: There we go. The start of the fic. It's mostly gonna be from Scorpius' point of view. Again, expect epic chapters, just like in To Love a Princess. I do apologize if some of the chapters are delayed, but I do want to cover two months per fic. I also promise to do my best to get some good DG action in each chapter and some Teddy/Victoire.
Also HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! Lots of love to all my reviewers!
(P.S., this chapter is eight pages long so NO whining about it being too short. I won't hear it!)