Albus climbed onto the Hogwarts Express, heated after a row with his father. He sank into an empty compartment for Scorpius. About a minute or so later, he walked in.
"Hello, Albus," he greeted in a low voice. Albus could tell he was still grieving over his mother's death.
"Hi."
"How are you?" Scorpius offered. Albus grunted. "What?"
"Nothing"
Scorpius continued to look worried as Albus stared determinately out the window where the green meadows sped across as the train gathered speed.
"My dad and I… had a bit of a row."
"What happened?"
"Well, my parents usually get us gifts the day before we leave for school. He got Lily some fluttery wings or something. James got the Invisibility Cloak."
"What did you get?"
Albus paused.
"He gave me a blanket."
"What?!" Scorpius exclaimed, confused.
"He said… well, he said it was the last thing he had of his mother." Albus kept staring out the window in thought and then continued. "He said, when he was taken to live with his Aunt Petunia, he was wrapped up in it. Apparently, he thought a lot of it."
"Oh," Scorpius commented, understanding growing in his eyes. "That's pretty cool."
"Cool?" Albus sputtered. "What am I supposed to do with an old blanket? Sure, it is something for him, but why give it to me? What am I going to do with it?"
"You are upset because you didn't think it 'practical'?"
"No…"
"Why did you get into an argument, then?"
Albus paused.
"He clearly thought more of it than I did, so I told him to keep it. He kept insisting, but I just told him no. After about a minute, he offered to help me pack. He stared going on about how he loved packing when he was young because he was so excited to come to Hogwarts-"
"-and you didn't like that." Scorpius interrupted, glumly.
"Of course, I didn't like it!" Albus almost yelled. "He kept getting attention because of what a 'great hero' he is, or 'how talented' he is! 'Harry did this.' 'Harry can do that.' Yet here I am, shunned for being sorted in Slytherin and can barely cast a levitation spell! 'I guess he's not like his father, after all.' I never asked to be his son!"
"Did you tell him that?" Scorpius asked anxiously.
"Yes."
"That must have upset him."
"So? It's true."
They sat in silence for a good while, the train shaking lightly as it pulled them closer to Hogwarts. The lady with the trolley stopped by and they got a few handfuls of sweets. They ate quietly.
Finally, Albus looked up and saw Scorpius had a rather sad expression on his face.
"What's with you?"
Scorpius looked up. It seemed to take quite a bit of courage for him to say what he was thinking.
"You didn't apologize for that, did you?"
"What?! Why should I apolo-"
"Albus, listen!" Scorpius asked raising his hands. "I know it hasn't been easy for you since you came to Hogwarts… trust me, because I've shared some of those rumors, glares and snide remarks… but I don't think it was fair to blame him for all of that. Not to mention you rejecting that gift."
"But what-"
"I know you wouldn't have much practical use for it, but it was something important to him and you threw it aside. I think he was trying to show you how much he cares for you by giving you something that meant so much to him."
Albus said nothing.
"And, last of all, Albus…. I don't think your father asked to be Harry Potter. Yes, he's done a lot of cool things, but, keep in mind, he probably felt like he had no choice."
"What do yo-?"
"Someone's life was always on the line when he did most of those things. If they weren't in trouble, I doubt he would have done most of that. I know I wouldn't."
These words stuck with Albus. Deep down, he was sure that he knew those things, but he didn't quite grasp it until Scorpius told him. As their journey continued, he remembered the number of people that lost their lives around that time, and his dad had to watch. Worse than that, part of him wondered if people blamed him for those deaths. Top that off with his own son wishing he wasn't his father, Albus slowly realized how miserable his Dad must be feeling.