Meet the Parents in which Scorpius is not his father, a harry potter fanfic

I'm back! I apologize for the long wait-it's been a very busy month and a half. I truly wanted to get part one finished before this, but got sidetracked. Hopefully the monstrous size of this chapter makes up for the wait! It turned out to be a lot longer than I expected, but I felt that certain things needed to be addressed.

As promised, this is the first companion piece to I Hate You. This chapter takes place during the summer between Rose and Scorpius' sixth and seventh years, towards the end of their internships. (If you haven't read I Hate You, you should still be able to follow along-Rose and Scorpius have transitioned over the years from rivals to close friends, and are at this point teetering on the brink of something more. If you haven't read I Hate You, though, it would be a good idea to read that story to get some context.)

Thank you to all those who left reviews on I Hate You; I appreciate your support and enthusiasm! This chapter is dedicated to twilight4ever and Celtic Ice Dragon, both of whom wrote reviews that were especially encouraging. Virtual brownies to you both. :)

Thanks as always to the amazing BeanerWeasley and Iloveplotbunnies, both of whom take time out of their crazy schedules to read over my stories. I appreciate you both so much.

Without further ado, here is Part One of Meet the Parents. Enjoy!

Part One

:in which Scorpius is not his father and Rose channels her mother:

His summer internship with St. Mungo's was almost over when Scorpius realized something that should have registered long before.

His parents had never met Rose, and vice versa.

Oh, they had caught glimpses of each other over the years, he knew—that fated first day on Platform 9 ¾, for starters, when Rose's dad had pointed him out to her and Scorpius had wondered who the redheaded girl staring at him was before his father had told him.

However, despite Rose and Scorpius having become friends nearly two years before, and the years of intense rivalry and sparring before that, Rose and his parents had never been formally introduced.

With typical Malfoy determination, he decided he had to rectify that oversight as soon as possible.

After all, Al had met his parents on numerous occasions—he was a frequent guest at the Manor during holidays, although he never spent as much time there as Scorpius did at the Burrow.

That was another thing—Scorpius had met Rose's parents years before, well before they put aside their rivalry and became friends.

Normally, Scorpius might feel a bit of smug satisfaction at having even the slightest advantage over Rose, but not in this situation. His feelings for her aside, she was fast becoming one of his closest friends. It helped that they already knew each other so well from years of pushing each other's buttons, but Scorpius was quickly finding that he truly did enjoy spending time with her—and not just when he was teasing her.

No, Scorpius wanted his parents to meet the girl who was his sparring partner, best friend, and the young woman he loved all rolled into one. And he wanted her to meet his parents for similar reasons.

When his mid-morning break rolled around, Scorpius sent two letters via owl—one to his mother and one to Rose.

Mum,

I realized this morning that you and Dad have never been properly introduced to Rose. Forgive my lapse of good manners; I truly don't know why it has taken me so long to bring her to meet you.

I realize that it is short notice, but is there any way that we could include Rose in our family dinner tomorrow evening? I could meet up with her after work and we could Apparate straight to the Manor. Don't think you need to put on a fancy production like you do for your dinner parties. Rose doesn't care for ostentatious events and will be more comfortable at a normal dinner.

I will owl her to ask if she would like to come, but I know she wants to meet you. Personally, I think she's looking forward to any embarrassing stories that you are bound to tell, because she can then hold them over my head for the rest of our lives. I know you won't be able to keep from telling anything embarrassing about me, but please try to refrain from mentioning my more ridiculous stunts. I'll never hear the end of it otherwise, and I would like to maintain some dignity. I can't do that if you and Rose gang up on me.

Please let me know as soon as possible if dinner with Rose is okay for tomorrow night.

Scorpius

And then:

Rose,

In a lapse of my usual good breeding, I seem to have forgotten to introduce you to my parents. It doesn't seem right to me that Al has gotten to enjoy the company of my parents when you haven't, and so I wanted to ask you if you would like to come over to the Manor for dinner tomorrow night. I've owled my mum to ask her if it's all right to have you over, but I'm sure she'll say yes. Unfortunately, she doesn't get enough chances to spread embarrassing stories about my childhood, and since I've deliberately held them from you (except on those occasions where you were present or directly caused my humiliation), she's apt to want to fill you in. I've asked her to censor her stories, but won't hold her to it. It's times like these when her Slytherin side truly shows.

At any rate, I would love for you to meet my parents and to show you my home. It's a lot quieter than the Burrow, that's for sure—you can actually hear yourself think there. If my mum agrees, it will be a simple dinner, just the four of us.

Let me know your answer as soon as possible. Hope your day at work is going well.

Scorpius

Within an hour, Scorpius had received answers to both of his letters:

Scorpius,

Your father and I would love to meet Rose. We had actually been wondering when you were going to finally make introductions; if you hadn't by the time school started again we were going to take the initiative and introduce ourselves at King's Cross. We both know you wouldn't have wanted that.

Tomorrow night will be fine for dinner with your Rose. It will be a low-key affair, as requested, although I can't promise not to tell any embarrassing stories. I will, however, refrain from showing your baby pictures. A shame, really, since you were such an adorable little boy.

Your father would like me to add that her parents may not take kindly to the invitation since it regards her coming to the Manor. I know he told you about what occurred here when Rose's parents and her uncle were…detained, for lack of a better word. You know, and I know, that he has changed and that he regrets his actions during the war, but Rose's parents may not. They may approve of her friendship with you, but coming to the Manor may be something that they cannot condone, for understandable reasons.

I am not saying that we would not welcome Rose; I am trying to prepare you in the event that her parents want her to decline the invitation. She may be of age, but from what you have said of her I don't think she would want to go against her parents' wishes. If that is the case, we would be glad to meet Rose at a neutral site.

Your father also wants me to tell you that you will probably hear from one of Rose's parents regarding the invitation to dinner—most likely her mother. If that is the case, your father would like you to express his regret for those events that took place so long ago and generally make apologies for his crass behavior during their years at Hogwarts. (Why he cannot say it to her face, I have no idea; we see her at various Ministry functions, and no matter what your father may think, I don't think Hermione Granger-Weasley is about to hex him in front of all the Wizarding world for merely apologizing. But that stays between you and me, darling.)

Try and let me know by the end of the work day if Rose will be joining us for dinner tomorrow night. We are looking forward to meeting her, regardless of the venue.

Love,

Mum

Scorpius shook his head at his mother's mention of his baby pictures. He would rather those not see the light of day; he had a reputation to maintain, after all, and Rose would never let him hear the end of it if she caught sight of any of those pictures.

He sobered, however, when his mother brought up the idea that Rose might not be able to come after all. It had never crossed his mind that she would not want to come to the Manor, or that her parents would be against it.

His father had indeed told him of the events at the Manor during the spring of his seventh year when Rose's parents and Harry had been captured and taken to the Manor. Scorpius could tell that his father had glossed over the events as much as possible, for his son's sake as much as his own.

Scorpius could remember waking up as a little boy and hearing his father suffering from nightmares. When Scorpius got older, Draco had told him that the nightmares resulted from the horrible, unspeakable things he had seen and experienced during the war, but hadn't elaborated much. Scorpius had known that his father had been involved in the Second Wizarding War, had been on the wrong side for much of it, and had defected along with his parents at the last minute.

When Scorpius was sixteen, Draco had sat his son down and recounted more of what had led him to his involvement in the war. Draco explained how his initial eagerness to follow in his father's footsteps had cooled to apathy and later disgust soon after receiving the Dark Mark, and how he had only stayed to protect his family. He had seen no other way to survive. Draco further said that some of his nightmares involved Voldemort returning, coming for him and his parents, and brutally killing his parents before finally killing him.

Scorpius knew that the fear of threats to his family formed the bulk of his father's nightmares, but earlier that summer, he had learned of another source of his father's nightmares. His father had again sat him down, saying he hoped Scorpius would forgive him for what he was about to say.

Scorpius had been utterly shocked when his father had told him how Rose's parents and her Uncle Harry had been captured and brought to Malfoy Manor for questioning, how Draco had deliberately (cowardly, in his terms) not confirmed the identities of his three classmates, not wanting to aid the torture that was surely coming but not wanting to help them escape for fear of retribution on himself and his family. Even worse was when Draco had then quietly told his son that Hermione had been tortured by his aunt, and he had stood by and not done a thing.

Scorpius couldn't believe that his father could have been so unfeeling; he knew that he and Rose's mother had been bitter enemies, but surely he didn't condone torture. Scorpius said as much to his father. Draco had looked hurt for a moment at his son's reaction, but quickly pulled the Malfoy mask back over his features.

"Scorpius," Draco had said, looking resigned, "That was one of the turning points for me. No matter my attitude towards Rose's mother and her friends, I have never had a stomach for violence. My aunt was insane and bitterly cruel, and even I knew that she had crossed the line after I saw Granger's blood spilled and it didn't look any different than any other blood spilled during the war. It took me a while to realize it, but by that point I was tired of war. It had taken its toll on me and many in my circle, and I just wanted to be a normal teenager and not have death hovering over myself and my family.

"I sincerely regret my actions—or inaction, as the case here may be—and hope you will be able to forgive me. I have tried to become a better man for your mother's sake—and for yours."

Scorpius had pondered his father's words and finally spoke. "I don't see why you need to ask for my forgiveness. I wasn't there. I think you would be better off asking forgiveness from the people most closely involved. This is a lot to take in, though. It's hard to reconcile the man I know with the boy you were then.

"And yet—you're still okay with me being friends with Al and Rose and the rest of the Weasley-Potters?"

Draco sighed and looked like a great weight had been dropped from his shoulders. "It would be too hard to ask for forgiveness now, I think. I suppose after all, I'm still a coward in many ways. However, I have no problem with your friends. From what you've said of them, they are good people. I am just glad you have found better friends than I ever had as a teenager. Thank you for attempting to understand, Scorpius."

Remembering that conversation with his father made Scorpius realize that inviting Rose over may have not been the best idea. It was still hard to imagine that his father had stood by and watched as his classmate had been tortured, but Scorpius knew that his father had done his best to turn his life around after the war had ended. He never asked his father, and he knew that Draco would never confirm his suspicions, but he wondered if Draco had asked for his son's forgiveness as a way to start forgiving himself.

However, the invitation to Rose had already been sent, and her answer came soon after the letter from his mother.

Scorpius,

I would love to meet your parents and see your home. Al has nothing but good things to say about your parents but thinks your home is more akin to a museum than an actual home. I suppose I shall just have to come and decide for myself. Al tells me you have an enormous library…

You do know, however, that I'll have to check with my parents just to make sure it's okay. I may be seventeen, but for some reason they still like to know my plans—that is, if I have any outside of work and family events. Honestly, they were traipsing around England at my age, on the hunt for artifacts that would end the war; you would think that letting me go to a friend's house would be no big deal.

I can't wait to hear your mother's stories. It's about time I had something on you, since you have heard so many stories about myself when I was younger. (I still haven't forgiven Uncle George for telling about my first time on a broomstick.) This will just make us even.

And honestly, Scorp, it doesn't take much to be quieter than the Burrow, at least when we're all there. I think the only place louder than the Burrow crammed full of Weasley-Potters and various friends is a stadium at the Quidditch World Cup.

I sent an owl to mum and am waiting for her reply. I'll let you know what she says as soon as I receive her answer. Hope work goes well for you too. I can't believe our internships are almost over!

Rose

Scorpius was in the middle of finishing one of his last tasks before lunch when one of the receptionists flagged him down, saying an urgent message had just arrived for him.

Hoping that his family and friends were okay, Scorpius tore open the note. It was from Rose.

Scorpius—

Mum owled me back and wants us to Floo to her office on our lunch break. Apparently she has some concerns about me going to the Manor. If your superiors have a problem with letting you leave the hospital, Mum says to tell them that Hermione Granger-Weasley has urgent business with you. They're not likely to go against the word of a member of the "Golden Trio" and Ministry official. Plus, you know what she's like when she's angry. That should be enough reason to come to her office.

Rose

At first, Scorpius was relieved that nothing was wrong with his family and friends, but Rose's statement that her mother had concerns with her visiting the Manor was not welcome. He knew the Weasley-Potters had accepted him and liked him, but apparently what had happened decades ago at the Manor still weighed on the mind of Rose's mother, and probably her father as well. Scorpius didn't blame Hermione for her apprehension, but surely she knew that Scorpius was not his father, and that he would never let harm come to Rose if he could help it.

Scorpius' supervisors did initially have a problem with him leaving the premises, but invoking Hermione Granger-Weasley's name quickly changed their tune. After thanking them and promising to return as soon as possible, Scorpius made his way to St. Mungo's Floo network.

He was more nervous about what Rose's mother might say in their meeting than he was upon going to Hogwarts. He didn't think that Rose's mother would forbid them from being friends, but he also hadn't thought of the possibility that inviting Rose to the Manor would dredge up bad memories for Rose's parents, so what did he know?

Luckily, he made it to Hermione Granger-Weasley's office in one piece. He was glad that Rose hadn't thought to owl her father about his invitation—he knew he wouldn't have made it out of a meeting with ex-Auror Ron Weasley in one piece. Ron had warmed to Scorpius more than the young Slytherin initially thought he would, but Ron's loyalty to and love for his family was legendary, along with his temper. Scorpius knew that Rose's father wouldn't believe him if he said that thoughts of Rose's parents' association with the Manor hadn't even crossed his mind when he had asked Rose to come over. Really, dealing with Rose's mother would be the lesser of the two evils—at least Hermione Granger-Weasley had a reputation for being logical and pragmatic, less apt to fly off the handle than her husband.

Scorpius knocked on Mrs. Granger-Weasley's door, and heard her tell him to come in. Rose was already there, and he briefly smiled at her, not willing to risk a hug before he knew how Rose's mother would react. "Mrs. Weasley," he addressed the older woman, inclining his head. Rose's mother did prefer to use a hyphenated version of her name in her professional life, but Scorpius had learned years before that she didn't really mind being addressed as Mrs. Weasley when among family or family friends—except when the Weasley-Potter clan was all gathered together, when addressing one woman as Mrs. Weasley might get the attention of all the other Mrs. Weasleys present. Scorpius just hoped that he still counted among the group of family friends. Plus, even though Rose's mother had repeatedly attempted to get him to call her by her first name, his upbringing required that, at least for this meeting, he should address his friend's mother by her married name.

To his relief, Hermione smiled at him. "Scorpius, how many times do I have to tell you? Please, call me Hermione. Mrs. Weasley just sounds so old—don't tell Molly that—and besides, there are just so many Mrs. Weasleys that sometimes it's just easier to listen for my first name when being addressed."

"I'm sorry," Scorpius said, "but my father always stressed the importance of politeness, especially in difficult situations. It's a hard habit to break."

Hermione snorted, indicating to Scorpius just what she thought of him mentioning his father and politeness in the same sentence, but then sobered and nodded. "Please, sit, both of you."

Rose gave Scorpius a tentative smile before sitting down. Scorpius sat in the chair next to her, facing Hermione across her broad desk. Scorpius didn't envy anyone who faced this formidable woman when accused of wrongdoing. He hadn't committed a crime, and yet facing the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was terrifying. He was determined not to show it, though, and managed to adopt much of the Malfoy mask—although he figured that Rose could sense his apprehension since she knew him so well.

Across from them, Hermione rubbed her palms into her temples. Looking up, she addressed Scorpius. "I want you to know, Scorpius, that none of my concerns are meant to reflect badly on you," she began. "You've been a friend of my nephew's for years, and more recently, my daughter. You've been to the Burrow countless times, and you must know that you're always welcome there."

Hermione's face looked a little wry as she continued. "You may have been a prat to my daughter over the years," she said, causing Scorpius to glance at the floor, feeling abashed, "but for the most part, it has always been a fairly good-natured rivalry. Except for a momentary lapse in your fourth year,"—here Scorpius knew the tips of his ears were turning red in embarrassment and residual shame—"you have never lowered yourself to the maliciousness that your father was continuously capable of. You are not your father, Scorpius, and I know that. I know you would never hurt Rose. However, for some reason, the thought of her going to the Manor—although under vastly different circumstances—just doesn't sit very well with me.

"I told Rose of my…experiences at the Manor earlier this summer. I'm assuming your father has informed you of the events that transpired as well?"

Scorpius nodded at Hermione, then turned to Rose. "You knew about what happened, and yet you still want to be friends with me?" He was shocked—if hearing the story from his father had upset him, he couldn't imagine what Rose's reaction had been.

Rose nodded at him, squeezing his hand. "You're not your father, Scorpius."

Scorpius nodded in return, closing his eyes and releasing a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. Rose's hand slipped from his, and he missed the contact, but she kept two fingers on his wrist as a silent form of support and reassurance.

He looked at Hermione and spoke again. "Are you saying that you won't allow Rose to meet my parents?"

Hermione looked at him quizzically. "I'm not saying that at all, Scorpius. If your request was just to have Rose meet your parents, I would have given my permission gladly. Your father and I may have been enemies, and he was absolutely horrible during our school days, but if he has raised such a fine young man as you—even though I'm sure your mother had a large hand in your development—then I must admit that the man has most likely changed. Plus, as a Ministry official I know that your father—both your parents, really—have helped the Ministry on occasions, and from what I have seen of them both, neither of your parents seem to ascribe to Pureblood ideals. I've met your mother, Scorpius, and she seems like a very kind, capable woman. Rose meeting your parents was never the problem; the problem lies with the Manor."

Scorpius was astounded at Hermione's pronouncement, and it seemed Rose was, too, from the gasp he heard from beside him. He knew that his mother and Rose's had crossed paths a few times in the years since his parents' marriage, but he hadn't realized that Rose's mother no longer seemed to hold as much animosity towards his father as she used to. Time and distance, it seemed, along with the experiences of war, had allowed their animosity to cool.

"Thank you for clarifying," Scorpius began, not really sure how to express his thoughts. "My father has changed. He told me he wanted to be better for my mother and me, and he has done all he could to distance himself from his past actions and beliefs. He and my mother don't ascribe to Pureblood ideals at all. They may like to live comfortably, and enjoy that they are able to, but neither of them believe that Purebloods are superior to everyone else. I don't know that my mother ever really did, and I know that my father hasn't believed in that ridiculous notion since he was about my age. If you can believe it, I think he'd rather remain out of the limelight. He'd rather spend time with my mother and me and a few old friends than venture out into the Wizarding world. He doesn't like the scrutiny that his name still brings."

Hermione nodded. "From what I remember, he never did like having his motives for things picked apart or questioned. Back then, it probably was a reminder that what he had always believed in wasn't true. I'm glad that he and your mother no longer cling to the old ideals. There was far too much of that when we were in school, and I'm glad to see that it's being eradicated now that you and Rose are in school. There will always be pockets of bigots, I know, but things are definitely better."

"My mum did say that she and my father would be glad to meet Rose somewhere neutral. They're looking forward to meeting her. I think my mum wants an excuse to tell embarrassing stories about me when I was a kid, but they do want to meet her. If you and Mr. Weasley don't want Rose to go to the Manor, then maybe we can work it out so we can meet at a restaurant…"

Hermione looked at Rose. "I haven't told your father yet about the invitation. You can imagine what his response would be." Scorpius could tell that Rose was thinking along the same lines that he had, because she looked very nervous and nodded almost timidly.

Hermione then turned back to Scorpius. "I wanted to first give you a chance to say why you think bringing Rose to the Manor would be a good idea. This is a totally different scenario from my last…experience with the Manor. Rose is not me, and you are not your father. If you can convince me that Rose's experience would be vastly different from my own, then I'll give my permission, and deal with Ron's reaction this evening."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Scorpius said, sighing. He hadn't expected this kind of chance to defend his home and family any more than he already had, but in retrospect it was just the kind of thing that Hermione would do, since she was all about justice and fairness.

Plus, it was as good a time as any to make apologies on his father's behalf.

"I'm not exactly sure how the Manor looked when you were there, but I'm sure it looks and feels a lot different now. My father has closed off the…drawing room," Scorpius said, not knowing how to describe the room in any other way. He noticed Hermione's flinch but trudged on. "Honestly, I think he would have razed that part to the ground if he could have, but he didn't dare think about it until after my grandfather died, and by then he realized that the house itself probably wouldn't take kindly to part of it being destroyed. The house is…knowledgeable, in some ways," he said, noticing Rose's look of confusion. "It seems to know what is going on inside and out at all times. Powerful magic. I don't think my father wanted to get tangled up in such a mess, plus I think leaving that area of the house standing yet closed off is a reminder of what happened and why things needed to change.

"I remember when I was little, waking up in the middle of the night to my father having nightmares. He told me that the nightmares mostly involved Voldemort coming for his family and then him, but when he told me about the…events that went on at the Manor while you were there, he let it slip that sometimes, those events give him nightmares as well."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she gasped. She quickly composed herself, though, and motioned for Scorpius to continue.

"When I asked my mum if Rose could come over, she wrote back saying that you and Mr. Weasley might not take kindly to me asking, and I must admit that I hadn't even thought of the connection between you all and the Manor when asking. She understood where you were coming from, and I think my father did, as well. He told my mum to tell me to expect to hear from you after asking Rose. He also said that if I did meet with you to discuss the situation, that I was to tell you that he regrets his actions during the war, especially during that night, and to generally apologize for being an enormous prat during school. I don't know why he can't just tell you himself—maybe he's afraid you'll hex him," he said, deliberately leaving out the fact that his mum thought so too. He was a Slytherin, after all, although a very different breed.

Hermione laughed at his last statement. "An apology from Draco Malfoy—never thought I would get one of those, even secondhand. Tell your father thank you—I know that must have been hard for him to say, even indirectly. I accept his apology. And I'd only hex him if he deserved it," she said, looking slightly smug.

Scorpius grinned at Hermione's expression—she looked just like Rose when she was trying to one-up him. He inclined his head. "I appreciate it. My father definitely has his faults," he continued, "but he is a good man. He is good to my mother and me—he would do anything for us. He has tried his best to overcome his past, and I think he's largely succeeded. He might not express it to the same extent that my mother has, but he wouldn't want to make Rose—or you and your husband, for that matter—uncomfortable if she came to the Manor. He's actually highly amused by the fact that I'm friends with Rose—and with Al, too. He's just glad I've made good friends while at Hogwarts.

"Plus, you know I would never intentionally hurt Rose. I'd never put her into a situation that I thought would be hurtful or damaging to her. I may love to tease her and bicker with her, but I don't want to hurt her. I value my life too much," he said, chuckling.

Hermione smiled slightly. "Thank you, Scorpius. Rose?" she said, turning to her daughter. "What do you think about the whole situation?"

Scorpius was surprised that Rose had stayed silent throughout his and Hermione's conversation. Knowing her, however, her ever-active brain was probably hard at work processing and deciphering the conversation and its implications. Scorpius had often wondered why Rose hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw, but her next statement proved why she hadn't.

"I would like to go to the Manor, Mum," Rose said, shocking Scorpius and Hermione as well. It really shouldn't have been as surprising as it was—she had been sorted into Gryffindor, after all. "I want to meet Scorp's parents, regardless. Meeting them at the Manor would show good faith that they have changed, however. You're always telling me that it's important to forge ahead—to not forget what happened during the war, but not to let it overshadow everything we do.

"Plus, Al has been to the Manor bunches of times, and he's just fine. You know Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny wouldn't have let him go if they thought there would be a problem.

"Also, Al says they have a magnificent library—that's incentive enough to go on its own, don't you think?"

Once again, Scorpius was impressed by Rose's debating skills. He couldn't help but feel a little smug at the slightly Slytherin bent of her last sentence. Everyone who knew Hermione and Rose knew that they couldn't resist a library.

Hermione, it seemed, was impressed by her daughter's powers of persuasion as well. She nodded and smiled at her eldest child, practically glowing with pride at her daughter's steadfastness and assertiveness. "Very well," she said. "You may go to the Manor."

Rose turned to Scorpius and grinned widely at him, and he grinned back. Hermione wasn't finished, though. "I do have a couple of stipulations, however."

Rose groaned a little, and Scorpius grew nervous. "First, Rose, I want you back home at a decent time. You might not have to work the next day, but I don't want you crawling in at two in the morning. Who knows how your father would react if he heard someone suddenly Apparate into the house in the wee hours of the morning. Also, I want you to be on your best behavior. I won't have Draco Malfoy thinking that I can't raise my children to act civilized.

"And Scorpius, please make sure that my daughter gets home. I don't want to wake up on Saturday morning and find that Rose has seen fit to move into your library."

Scorpius laughed; Rose might want to do exactly that when she saw the Malfoy's library. Rose looked a little put out, but finally chuckled.

"Thank you, Mum," Rose said. "I appreciate this, more than you know."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Scorpius echoed. "I know it can't be easy to agree to this. Thank you for your vote of confidence."

"You're welcome, both of you," Hermione replied. "Now, run along; you'll want to grab a quick bite before going back to work."

Rose and Scorpius stood, Rose going to hug her mother and Scorpius shaking the older woman's hand. "Rose," Hermione said as they were leaving. "Let me tell your father about this tonight, will you? I think it will be better coming from me."

Rose nodded, and the two left.

The next day went by in a blur. Rose had sent Scorpius a quick note confirming their dinner plans, which relieved Scorpius. Hermione must have been able to calm Ron down long enough to make him see sense—either that, or he hadn't wanted to disappoint Rose and his wife. Either way, Scorpius was glad.

Rose had told Scorpius to meet her outside of the Daily Prophet offices just after she got off, and to let her know if something was going to keep him longer. Luckily, his shift ended at the normal time, and he Apparated to meet Rose as soon as he could.

She was waiting for him just outside the office doors, standing under the awning to keep out of the sun and lingering summer heat. Her face lit up when she saw him. "Scorp!" she yelled, running to give him their now customary hug.

"Hey, Rose," he said, hugging her tight. "How was your day? Ready to go?"

"It was great," she said. "I've got some good news, but I was going to wait to tell you until we got to your house."

He noticed that she looked a little distracted—she was fidgeting, twisting her hands together. "What's wrong, love?" he asked. Hopefully she wasn't having second thoughts about coming to the Manor.

"This is going to sound silly, Scorp, but I just hope I look all right. I know you said it was just going to be a low-key dinner, but I can't help but feeling that I should look a little more put together than just work clothes. I usually don't care this much about my appearance, but every time I've seen your parents they have always been dressed to the nines. You are too, most of the time. I can't really compete with that."

He was surprised to say the least—just as she had said, she usually wasn't this concerned with her appearance. She was obviously anxious to make a good impression on his parents, but she needn't be worried. He was confident that his parents would find her charming and wonderful, just as he did.

"Don't worry, Rose. You look great."

That was an understatement. She was wearing dressy shorts that showed off her shapely legs and a sleeveless, dark green sparkly top with strappy sandals. She looked lovely, if a little nervous and flushed from the summer heat.

"My parents will love you; just be yourself," he continued. "They'll be able to notice if you're trying too hard, and while they will most likely give you the benefit of the doubt if you do, things will be much better if you just relax and be yourself."

She nodded absently, trying to compose herself.

Scorpius knew just how to bring back the confident, witty Rose he loved. Hopefully she could recognize on some level what he was doing and not get too angry with him.

Although, an angry Rose was much preferable to a nervous one. An angry one he knew how to deal with.

"Although," he drawled, causing her to look up, a suspicious look spreading across her face at his tone. "Are you trying to celebrate Christmas in July, wearing a green top with your red hair? You might want to watch out, or someone will come and spirit you away to become one of Santa's elves."

Her lips pursed and she huffed, but her eyes were sparkling at the promise of banter. "If they do, I'll just tell Father Christmas himself that you deserve nothing but coal, Mr. Top-of-the-Naughty-List."

He chuckled; his Rose was back. He couldn't help making another crack, though. Something about her just made him want to tease her every day for the rest of their lives, sneaking in hugs and maybe, eventually, kisses whenever possible.

"On second thought, maybe your green shirt is a subconscious way of trying to fit in with a group of Slytherins? Don't worry, love, we don't bite."

She rolled her eyes at his silliness, but her mouth was quirking upwards in a half-smile. "And honestly, my little mongoose, we should be scared of you, what with your immunity to snake wiles and venom," he continued, referring to her Patronus.

He was rewarded with an outright laugh and teasing grin. "You're right to be scared of me, my dearest wolf. Come on; let's descend on your den of snakes, shall we?"

He smirked at her, loving her sharp wit and how she called him her dearest wolf. In lieu of answer, he snaked an arm around her waist and quickly Apparated them away from the streets of Wizarding London.

They landed about a quarter of a mile away from Malfoy Manor. Scorpius wanted her to see the grounds and the outside of the Manor. The Malfoy ancestral home was nestled in the plains of Wiltshire, and on a clear day, one could see for miles around. There weren't many neighbors, which was preferable, especially after the end of the war. The Manor stood in the middle of the grounds, slightly imposing with its Gothic/Victorian façade.

"It's beautiful," he heard Rose whisper. "There's so much space—it makes me feel so small."

"I used to feel the same way, too," said Scorpius.

"Well, we can't all be over six feet tall, Scorpius Malfoy," Rose griped, scrunching her nose in annoyance.

He chuckled. Rose's small stature often annoyed her, but he knew not to underestimate her. Her powerful right hook had taught him that long ago.

"I can't believe how huge the Manor is," said Rose as they drew closer. "Al was right—it does look like a museum. It looks much too big to be comfortable for only two or three people."

"Sometimes there are three or four people in residence—my grandmother Narcissa lives here for about half the year. She's not here now—she likes to spend part of the summer on the Continent with friends or here in England with her sister, my aunt Andromeda. But yes, the house is huge. We only occupy one side of the house. I used to get lost sometimes when I was really little."

"I think it's large enough to house all the Weasley-Potter cousins in their own individual rooms, without having to share. Is it?" asked Rose.

Scorpius chuckled again. "I think so, with a little room reassignment. We'd stick you in the library, of course." He squashed the part of him that protested that on the off chance that Rose and the rest of the Weasley-Potters (or just Rose by herself, for that matter) came to visit him, he'd want her to stay in his room. With him. Preferably in his bed.

Rose huffed at his last statement, but he knew that once she saw the library, she'd never want to leave.

He quite liked the idea of her staying at the Manor permanently, but he knew it was foolish. She cared for him, certainly, but he didn't think she loved him the way he loved her.

Yet.

Soon enough, they reached the Manor. Scorpius quickly entered, pulling Rose by the hand. "Mum! I'm home!" he called. He knew that she knew he was bringing Rose, but he couldn't help but say proudly, "And I've brought someone I want you to meet."

A tall brunette woman appeared quickly, exiting a hallway to their right. She was elegant and refined, but exuded warmth as she approached Scorpius and Rose. She smiled at Rose before reaching over to hug Scorpius. "Hello, Scorpius, darling, did you have a good day at work?" He nodded absently as his mother stepped back, waiting to be introduced to Rose. He smiled.

"Mum, this is Rose Weasley, my good friend. Rose, this is my mum, Astoria."

Astoria Malfoy, née Greengrass, smiled at Rose again, offering her hand. "Welcome, Miss Weasley. I'm delighted to finally meet you."

Scorpius watched as Rose took his mother's hand. The polite but sincere greeting seemed to have done much to calm the vestiges of Rose's nerves. "I'm glad to meet you as well, Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for having me."

Astoria nodded. "Of course, Miss Weasley. It's our pleasure. My husband and I are both so glad you could come, especially considering the…circumstances. Your mother had valid reasons for concern; my husband and I would have been glad to have met you somewhere in London, but we're pleased you chose to come to the Manor."

Rose nodded in return, looking a little flustered. Astoria took notice and quickly changed the subject. "I hope you like pasta, Miss Weasley. That will be tonight's main dish. The sauce is specially prepared by myself from tomatoes and herbs from my garden."

"Pasta is one of my favorite dishes, so I'm sure that whatever you have to offer will be delicious," Rose answered, obviously glad for the change of topic. "You have a garden, Mrs. Malfoy? I didn't see it when Scorpius and I walked up."

"Oh, yes, it's a wonderful, large garden. It's on the other side of the house from where you came in. There has always been a garden here, but Draco expanded it as a wedding gift to me. If you would like to see it later, I would be glad to show you."

"I'd like that," said Rose. "And please call me Rose. What kinds of things do you grow? And you said you made the pasta sauce yourself?"

"The garden is broken into different sections—vegetables, fruit trees and bushes, herbs, and flowers. I tend the garden throughout the year—it has always been a favorite hobby of mine. Scorpius used to be quite the helper when he was little," she said, smirking at her son, who was shaking his head. He didn't think his mum would start telling stories about his childhood so soon.

"Mum, Rose hasn't even been here five minutes and already you're telling her embarrassing stories."

"There's nothing embarrassing about helping your mother, Scorpius," said Astoria. Turning to Rose, she continued. "He loved to come out and plant seeds in the spring, although he liked playing in the mud a little too much for my taste. When he was about two, he thought the worms were noodles, and he tried to eat one."

Scorpius blushed a shade of Weasley red while Rose laughed loudly. However, his mother wasn't finished. "When he was about six, he got so mad at the birds that were trying to eat the apples that he spent an entire afternoon devising a bird trap. He told me that the apples were for him and daddy, and them alone."

Rose laughed even more. "Scorp, you never told me about this! I bet you were just an adorable little boy," she said, apparently enjoying seeing him so embarrassed and flustered. "And I guess this explains why you're so good at Herbology," she added.

"Scorpius was very adorable. And he has turned out to be an excellent gardener. He has his own plot, which I tend while he is at Hogwarts.

"To answer your other question, Rose, yes, I do prepare my own sauces and other meals. I enjoy cooking—it's not that different from Potions. While I always hire a house elf or two for extra help when throwing parties, normally I prepare meals for my family. Much of the time, there are just two or three of us here, and it's easy enough to prepare meals for such a small number.

"I hope my husband comes down soon—he's been looking forward to meeting you as much as I have. We've heard so much about you."

It was Rose's turn to blush. "Oh, I hope it's all been good things," she said, apparently not knowing what to do with the fact that Scorpius talked about her to his parents quite often.

"Well, for the past couple of years, it's all been good things," a deep voice drawled from the stairs. "Before that, I'm not at liberty to say."

As if on cue, a tall man with an unmistakable shock of white-blond hair descended the staircase. It looked as if Scorpius had managed to find a Time-Turner and that his own self from twenty-five years into the future was coming towards the three in the hallway. The resemblance between father and son was that acute, down to the angles of their faces, their walk, even their drawl. He nodded at Scorpius and smiled affectionately at his wife, then turned to Rose.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Weasley. I'm Draco Malfoy." The older man looked faintly amused as he offered his hand to the young witch.

To Rose's credit, she didn't falter at the sight of her family's former nemesis. Taking Scorpius' father's hand, she said clearly, "Likewise, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you for having me."

Draco simply inclined his head towards Rose before clapping Scorpius on the shoulder and saying hello to his son, moving to take his wife's hand as she led them into the informal dining room.

Dinner started off well, with Rose immediately praising Astoria's homemade sauce. After a few minutes of merely eating, Astoria asked Scorpius how his day had went.

Scorpius grinned. "I have some news," he said, and everyone focused on him. "The Head Healer called me into his office today and told me that he and the rest of the staff have been impressed with my work the last few weeks. He said that my hard work has automatically secured me a spot in Healer Training after I graduate from Hogwarts. I'll still have to fill out the application and everything, but it's more a formality than anything."

"Scorpius, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you," said a beaming Astoria.

"Congratulations, Scorpius. You've earned it," intoned Draco, raising his glass in salute to his son.

"Scorp! That's absolutely marvelous! I told you that you shouldn't worry about getting in," exclaimed Rose, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you," Scorpius said, nodding towards his parents and Rose.

"You were worried about getting into the program?" asked Astoria.

"Well, it is highly selective. The Healers usually choose one or two interns who they think hold a lot of promise and automatically place them in Healer Training, if they still want to pursue Healing as a profession after Hogwarts. There were so many interns this time that I really didn't know if I had a shot," Scorpius explained.

"And I told him not to worry, that he worked harder than anyone there. He's driven and determined, and he's passionate about his work. Scorp, you were a shoe-in for an automatic spot. And you got it! I knew you would," said Rose, smiling smugly.

Scorpius knew his parents were eyeing him and Rose. "Thanks, Rose," he said. "It feels good to know that I have everything lined up post-graduation. Now I can relax," he said to the rest of the table.

"You can't let your grades slack, though, Scorp. Automatic spot or not, you still have to maintain your grades," said Rose.

"Wouldn't dream of slacking, Rosie. I'm aiming for a clean sweep of you in Potions," Scorpius drawled. He had beaten her in Potions every year by a considerable margin, much to Rose's chagrin.

Rose made a bit of a face at him, then grew silent. The four of them returned to eating, but Scorpius noticed that Rose had a contemplative look on her face. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she mused over something.

Draco seemed to notice Rose's thoughtfulness as well, for he asked, "Miss Weasley, is something not to your liking?"

Rose shook herself, coming out of her thoughts. "Oh, no," she hurriedly assured both Draco and Astoria. "The food is absolutely delicious."

"Something is on your mind, then. A question, perhaps? Please, ask away." Draco seemed as cool and unruffled as ever, but Scorpius could tell that his dad was slightly apprehensive at the thought of Rose asking him a question. Scorpius didn't think that she would ask his father something gauche or out of line, but he wasn't prepared for what she did ask.

"There is something…I don't mean to be rude, but I have to ask," Rose began. At encouraging gestures from both of Scorpius' parents, she spoke again. "Mr. Malfoy," she began, turning to face Scorpius' father. "This may seem like an odd question, but earlier this evening, you seemed to know who I was immediately—whether because I look like my parents or because you knew I was coming, I'm not sure. However, you went ahead and introduced yourself to me, when it should be obvious to whoever knows Scorpius and meets you that you're his father."

Scorpius blanched. "Rose!" he hissed. Of all the things to ask…he knew she understood the etiquette of introductions, but she seemed to not understand why Draco would state the obvious upon meeting her. His father had obviously recognized her on sight, and probably would have even if he hadn't known she was coming, due to her resemblance to both her parents. She didn't mean her question as a slight, Scorpius knew; she was just simply curious, as she usually was.

He was brought out of his musings by something that was more surprising than Rose's question: Draco chuckled. The former Death Eater and current head of the Malfoy family actually chuckled.

"And you are definitely your mother's daughter," Draco said to Rose, still slightly chuckling. Scorpius snuck a glance at his mother; she looked amused, but curious. Scorpius really didn't know what to think.

"Mr. Malfoy?" asked Rose, who was beginning to blush, realizing that her question had made things awkward. "I'm not sure I understand."

Draco smoothed his features once more, but Scorpius could tell that his father was still amused. "I am sure, Miss Weasley, that you know of your mother's bravery and intelligence." At Rose's nod, he continued. "However, your mother also always had the infernal quality of questioning practically everything she came across, especially when it was something where the nuances escaped her. Always on a quest for knowledge, that Granger," he mumbled. "You seem to have inherited that trait from your mother, along with your looks."

"And her right hook," Scorpius mumbled, unable to keep from commenting.

Draco chuckled again. "Yes, that too. You and your mother have a knack for putting the Malfoy men in their place, especially you, Miss Weasley." He looked at his wife, who looked very much amused at the conversation taking place, and his eyes softened. "Luckily, now I have my lovely wife to put me in my place." He smiled at Astoria, raising his glass to her. She laughed quietly and returned his smile.

"Miss Weasley," he began again, turning to Rose, "My introduction was merely force of habit; I was brought up to politely introduce myself in situations such as these."

Rose nodded, and mumbled a slight apology.

"Don't apologize for curiosity, Rose," said Astoria. "It's a very useful trait. I didn't know your mother in school, being two years younger than her, but of course we all knew who she was. Curiosity certainly helped her and your father and uncle, didn't it?"

At Rose's nod, Astoria continued. "I have met your mother at various Ministry functions, Rose, and she seems like a very intelligent, capable woman. The Wizarding world is lucky to have her."

Rose smiled slightly. "She is. Thank you."

Something dawned on Astoria just then, and her eyes widened. "Please excuse our bad manners, Rose. We've been talking about your mother quite a bit, and I'm sure you grow tired of hearing people talk about her to you?" When Rose acknowledged that Astoria was right with a blush and a nod, Scorpius' mother continued. "Well, then, Rose, tell us something about yourself. Scorpius tells us that you are an intern at the Daily Prophet?"

Rose smiled and relaxed, visibly glad for the change of subject. "I am—I work in the crime department. I mostly check facts, fetch files, and copyedit articles, but it's a foot in the door, and everyone seems pleased with my work so far." She turned to Scorpius. "I meant to tell you, Scorp—the department manager told me that he wants to meet with me early next week to review all of my work so far, and I'm pretty sure he was hinting that they want to hire me after graduation."

"That's brilliant, Rose," Scorpius said, and his parents echoed his praise of her. "They'd be fools not to hire you. From what you've told me, you run circles around everyone in that department—you outwork even the reporters who have been there for years! You know it, and I know it, and I'm sure the department head does, too. Plus, you're bound to have already made a list of things you'd like to change in the department."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "List? What list?"

"Oh, come on, Rosie, don't deny that you've made a list of all the areas where the department can improve. Merlin, Rose, you've probably made a list of all the things the entire paper itself needs to fix!"

"I may have thought of a few things that the crime department could stand to change, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to shove them in everyone's face right at the beginning. I'm still just an intern; no one's going to listen to me."

"Rubbish. Your work commands respect, or it should, if anyone in that department has two brain cells to rub together."

"Miss Weasley," Draco interrupted. "What kinds of changes would you like to pursue at the Prophet?"

"Well," Rose began, "For years, journalism has been a shell of what it should be, at least at the Daily Prophet. Too many reporters cherry-pick facts and deliberately withhold others to manipulate a story to make the public view an event or a person in a specific light. I'm tired of that. The public needs to be presented with all the facts. They deserve the whole story. I aim to give them the whole story—told in an engaging but factual way."

"That's a worthy goal, Miss Weasley," Draco commended, and Astoria nodded her agreement.

"Thank you," Rose said.

"You see? That's why you're such a great candidate for a reporter job—you understand the issues and are determined to correct them. Besides, I thought you would love to go in there, wand blazing, and set things to rights," Scorpius said, grinning.

"It doesn't matter if I want to go in there and change things, this is not the right time. I've only got a week left of my internship. And Scorpius, I thought you told me last summer that going in with wands blazing wasn't the way to effect change."

"I did," Scorpius said, "But that doesn't mean that seeing you charge in like a Muggle warrior wouldn't be funny."

"I bet you'd find it funny," Rose said, grumbling. "But I wouldn't, not if it cost me a job."

"I doubt that they would fire you or refuse to hire you based on a list of things you wanted to change. Tell me, Rosie, what's the first thing you would change? Changing the aim of the paper from a money- and fame-hungry Daily Profit to a voice-of-the-people Daily Prophet, as the name intends?"

Rose laughed, catching his pun. "Touché, Scorp. I'd settle for first getting them to acknowledge all sides of a story before jumping to conclusions. No point in proclaiming yourself a prophet for the people if you aren't representing all of the people."

Scorpius nodded. "So how would you go about changing things? Instead of going in, wand blazing, would you sneak around making small changes—a kind of subterfuge of sorts? How very Slytherin of you, Rosie."

"Scorpius!" she exclaimed in protest. "I do not sneak around when it comes to things like this. I don't enjoy pranking people like James and Fred do."

"Who said anything about pranking?" Scorpius said, affecting a wide-eyed, innocent look. "Although, I bet a box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes would be just the thing to liven that newsroom up."

"Don't you dare send me a box or get any of my relatives or friends to send me one, Scorpius Malfoy," Rose said, making sure to include as many people as she could in her ban. Knowing Scorpius, he'd send a box with someone who conveniently fell outside of whatever restrictions she had placed and look all confused when she got mad at him, when technically, he had followed her instructions.

Scorpius laughed. "Never fear, Rosie. I wouldn't jeopardize your job. Now that I think about it, you wouldn't be a very good sneak; that bright, crazy red hair of yours would be a dead giveaway."

"Scorpius!" Rose cried. She then turned to his mother, who was opening her mouth to reprimand her son; Draco was trying to hide his snicker. "With all due respect, Mrs. Malfoy, your son can be absolutely insufferable."

"So then don't suffer, Rosie. Enjoy every minute of it," Scorpius drawled, smirking.

Rose turned back towards him, eyes glinting with anger, nose scrunching. She seemed to remember where they were, however, and that her mother had told her not to make a scene.

"Malfoy men can definitely be insufferable, Rose," said Astoria in a calming voice, "but you'll never find anyone more devoted to those they love. That in itself makes up for many of their faults."

Rose mumbled an apology in return, then turned back to Scorpius. "Sorry, love," he said quietly, afraid he'd pushed her too far. "Did I go too far?"

"Nearly," Rose said. "But it's all right. I was getting a little too worked up myself. You have a tendency to do that, you know."

"I do," Scorpius drawled. "But seriously, Rose, you'll make a great reporter. You have what it takes—you see things that the others don't, and they'd be fools to not realize your dedication and ingenuity."

"Thanks, Scorp," Rose said, smiling softly.

The four returned to eating, but soon Scorpius could see Rose's wheels turning again.

"Rose, do you have another question?" Astoria asked.

Rose blushed. "I do, but it's not as ridiculous as the previous one. I merely wanted to know how both of you are involved with the Ministry, since you go to Ministry events. I know neither of you work for my mother's department, or my uncle Harry's either."

"Neither of us are technically employed by the Ministry," replied Astoria. "My husband has assisted them quite a few times over the years; a few years after the end of the war, he decided to give some dark artifacts to the Ministry to be studied in hopes that having an insight to dark magic and wizards might prevent another war. The Ministry has discovered more dark artifacts in the years since, and they have called upon Draco from time to time for his assistance in figuring out what they were used for."

"It is difficult to revisit that period of my life; I would rather forget all that I learned of the dark arts. However, I believe that the Wizarding world—or at least those in charge—should have a working knowledge of such things to prevent war. After the artifacts are studied sufficiently, they are destroyed. I do not want any of those kinds of things in my house. Not only are they inherently evil, but they dredge up too many bad memories," Draco added, looking slightly pained.

"For my part," Astoria continued, "I manage a fund set up by Draco and myself when we were married. I wanted to do something to give back to those hurt by the war, and Draco agreed. We established a fund for the children of those whose parents were killed or gravely injured during the war using part of Draco's inheritance. We assist them with whatever expenses they may have, whether they need help buying school supplies, Quidditch equipment, new robes—dress or regular—or similar needs. We also help them obtain internships and/or employment when they are old enough. It's very rewarding work."

"It is rewarding, helping the children of those I directly or indirectly wronged decades ago. It's a fitting penance, of sorts," Draco said quietly, brow slightly furrowing.

Astoria smiled at her husband. "You are not that man anymore," she said in an equally quiet tone, the atmosphere shifting as both remembered the events of twenty-five years before.

Draco softened again at his wife's calming words. "Due to your influence, my dear," he said, slightly smiling at Astoria, who smiled back.

"It's a wonderful thing you are doing, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, truly. I'm sure you've impacted many lives with your generosity. Makes me wish that I worked for a different section of the paper so that I could write a special article about your fund," said Rose.

Draco looked at her sharply, but not unkindly. "Thank you for your kind words, Miss Weasley, but we do not want any publicity. I, for one, would not welcome the scrutiny that would come with such an article. Some people might…misconstrue our motives."

"And if people need the services that the fund provides, they are quietly contacted. We don't want any fuss. Surely you can understand that, Rose?" Astoria added.

"I can. I've lived under scrutiny from the public my entire life. That may be one reason why I want to become a reporter—I know my parents and uncle grow tired of having their entire lives chronicled in the papers. Sometimes it's best to leave people alone and allow them to live their lives away from the limelight," Rose offered.

"Our point exactly, Miss Weasley," Draco said, and then the conversation turned to a less serious subject.

Soon enough, dinner was over. Astoria asked Rose if she would like to see the gardens, and Rose agreed, leaving Scorpius and Draco inside. Draco had settled in their small den with a copy of the Daily Prophet while Scorpius hoped that his mother wouldn't spill all her embarrassing stories to Rose. He couldn't help but peek out the window to see if he could catch sight of his mother and Rose. Too bad he didn't have one of those Extendable Ears—one would have come in handy just then.

Draco eyed his son. "Don't fret, Scorp. I'm sure your mother is just having a nice talk with Miss Weasley."

"That's what I'm afraid of," grumbled Scorpius. "No telling what embarrassing stories Mum has drug up!"

He sobered a bit. "Dad," he began, "What do you think of Rose?"

Draco looked back up from the paper. "She is obviously bright and determined. She puts up with your teasing and gives as good as she gets. She's a charming girl, Scorp. I can see why you like her so much."

"She's amazing," Scorpius said, although that one word didn't do Rose justice. "I was going to take her to the library once she gets back, if that's all right."

"Of course," said Draco. "I'm sure she'll love that."

"Getting her to leave the library will be hard, though. When we were younger I used to tease her that she should just pitch a tent in the library and be done with it, she was there so much. Not much has changed."

Draco and Scorpius talked a little while longer, and then Astoria and Rose returned. Scorpius eyed the two women warily, but neither betrayed what they had talked about.

"Thank you for showing me your gardens, Mrs. Malfoy," Rose said. "They were lovely."

"Of course, my dear. Scorpius? Are you going to show our guest around?"

"I was going to take Rose to the library. I know she's never seen a collection quite like ours."

Rose lit up at the mention of the Manor's library, just as Scorpius knew she would. "Oh yes, please!" she said, beginning to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

Scorpius chuckled. Rose looked like a kid in a candy shop. After Astoria asked Rose to come say goodbye before she left, they went upstairs to the library.

After taking a quick peek inside Scorpius' bedroom just so Rose could see it, the two made their way towards the library. Huge double doors greeted them, and Scorpius glanced at Rose out of the corner of his eye. "Remember, now, you can't stay in here forever," he joked.

"Come on, Scorp, just open the doors already!" said Rose, wringing her hands in anticipation.

Scorpius threw the doors open, and Rose gasped at what the large room contained. Shelves upon shelves of books wound their way around the vast space; the shelves on the wall stretched from floor to ceiling, and every inch was covered in volumes of all sizes.

"Merlin, Scorpius," Rose breathed, taking it all in. "It's…" she trailed off, for once unable to express what she was feeling.

"Never thought I'd be able to make you speechless," he said. "Who knew that all it would take was the Malfoy collection of books?"

She swatted at him halfheartedly, eyes still taking in all that the room held. In addition to all the shelving, the room also held a couple of tables and chairs for study and two large armchairs—one in each corner of the wall opposite the entrance—for comfortable reading.

Rose turned to Scorpius, her face beaming in sheer happiness. "Scorp, this is absolutely magnificent! You should have brought me here earlier—I think you have more books than me and my mum combined, which is saying something."

Scorpius grinned back, glad that he could put such an adorable expression on her face. He'd never seen her so happy. "This collection has been generations in the making," he said. When she turned back to stare in awe at the room some more, he gently nudged her. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go on in."

"I don't even know where to start," she admitted.

"Come on, I'll show you the different sections. Our Potions section is bigger than all the others, of course—Malfoys have always been known for our interest in Potions. But we have quite a bit on Charms and advanced theories. There are sections on Charms and Herbology—most of those books belong to my mother. We have a large collection of journals from various Malfoys across the generations, and we even have a small section of Muggle literature. There's a huge section on Wizarding history—"

"Wizarding history?" Rose asked. "Do you have books that aren't at Hogwarts?"

"We do," Scorpius answered, and that was enough for Rose to step over the threshold, dragging Scorpius along.

"Show me!" she exclaimed. He quickly found the section, and she quickly set to work poring over the spines. Every once in a while, she would gasp with delight at a title that particularly caught her eye, and Scorpius couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

"It's a wonder your Patronus wasn't a bookworm," he commented dryly.

Rose looked up at him, scrunching her nose. "Eww. I do not devour books as my sole source of food."

Scorpius couldn't help but smirk—she had walked right into his trap. "Well, then what would you call your habit of getting your nose stuck in a book whenever you have a spare minute?"

She glared at him. "I may metaphorically devour books, but not literally." She looked at him superciliously, as if he was stupid for not recognizing the difference between actually subsisting on pages for sustenance and the figurative sense.

He chuckled. "Well, I suppose the Patronus charm doesn't take all of our traits into account," he said pointedly.

To his surprise, she agreed. "No, it doesn't."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she smirked. "Obviously, it does not, since your Patronus didn't turn out to be a peacock—or a ferret."

He tried to glare at her, but couldn't stay mad. He loved their skirmishes of wit—and he knew she did, too. "Touché, Rose," he merely said.

Scorpius couldn't help but continue the thread of conversation after she had returned to looking at the books. "Although, I still think a dragon Patronus would have suited you just fine."

She snorted, half in amusement, half in irritation.

"Whoa, there, are we getting fired up there, love?" he asked, adapting a wide-eyed, innocent look, as if he had no idea why she was reacting the way she did. "If you're going to shoot flames out of your nose next, please try not to set the books on fire."

She snorted again. "Oh, as if I would ever do that! You know how much I love books."

Yes, he did. "I'm grateful, Rosie. Setting fire to generations of Malfoy books wouldn't be appropriate for a guest."

"I would never destroy something so precious as a book—unless it was riddled with dark magic," she said, eyes sparking as she turned to him. "But I can't promise to not send a lick of fire your way if provoked." She was smirking, obviously enjoying messing with him.

"Why, love, you wound me," he said dramatically. "Do you mean to tell me you love books more than me?"

"Books don't make snarky comments and endlessly tease me," she replied easily.

"Aww, but you love it, Rosie, don't deny it," he said, grinning at her.

She tried to glare at him, but failed just as he had a few minutes earlier. She laughed and turned back to the bookshelf. "Oh!" she exclaimed, catching sight of a well-worn, large tome. "A Wizarding History of Britain," she read the title in awe, eyes growing wide. "Scorp, you should have brought me here ages ago!"

"Well, if I knew I could become friends with one Rose Weasley just by dangling my family's impressive library in her face, then I would have."

"Honestly, Scorp, I wouldn't have befriended you just because you have a wondrous library," she mused, opening the book and scanning the first few pages.

He raised an eyebrow at her, not quite believing her. She caught his glance and said sheepishly, "Well, maybe it would have helped a little bit…"

Scorpius grinned. "I'm going to grab a book myself; bring whichever books you want to look at over to the armchairs. We still have a few hours before you have to go home."

"I don't think just a few hours will be enough in this place," he heard Rose murmur as he walked towards the Potions section.

He was glad to hear it. He wanted to see her at Malfoy Manor more often in the years to come.

Scorpius and Rose settled in their respective armchairs and sat reading for a couple of hours. Scorpius had chosen a book on healing potions, wanting to learn as much as he could before he began Healer training in earnest the following year. He and Rose called out tidbits of information to each other on occasion, and even debated the use of a certain potion, but for the most part sat in a companionable silence.

All too soon, Scorpius became aware that Rose's visit must soon come to an end. It was well after ten o'clock and they still needed to tell his parents goodnight before he walked Rose out so she could Apparate home. However, he couldn't bring himself to remark on the time, not willing to cut the evening short just yet.

A few minutes later, Rose herself became aware of the hour and reluctantly shut her book. "Scorp," she said quietly, and he looked up at her to see her softly smiling at him. "I've had so much fun tonight, and I don't really want to leave, but I think it's about time for me to go home."

He simply nodded and they got up, both heading to put their books back on their shelves. "Rose, wait. You can borrow a few books if you want."

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose…"

"You wouldn't be imposing at all. I know you want to read more in those books you chose, especially that wizarding history one."

"Thanks, Scorp!" Rose exclaimed happily, shifting the small stack of books in her arms.

"Notice I didn't say you could take as many as you wanted," he teased. "Don't want you absconding with our entire collection."

She made a face at him, but laughed, and they went downstairs so Rose could take her leave.

Scorpius' parents were still in the den, sitting in companionable silence, both engrossed in books of their own. Astoria noticed Scorpius and Rose first, and promptly put down her book. "Did you enjoy the library, Rose?"

"Absolutely! It's magnificent. Better than the library at Hogwarts, in some aspects, anyway."

"Indeed, Miss Weasley?" Draco asked.

"Oh, yes. No Madam Pince to scold us for talking to loudly or to usher us out after hours. No irritating cousins bent on distracting me. Plus, your collection of Wizarding history is much more complete than anything Hogwarts has."

"I'm glad you enjoyed our collection, Rose. Did you get a chance to look at the section on Muggle literature?" Astoria replied.

"No, I didn't make it that far. There's so much to explore in there—I mostly stuck to the Wizarding history section," said Rose.

"I see. I was actually hoping, Rose, if it's not too much trouble, that you might suggest a few titles to add to our Muggle literature collection? Some of the classics are so well-written and fascinating that I wouldn't mind reading more books by certain authors."

"I'd be happy to. Which authors?"

"I greatly enjoy the works of Jane Austen, for starters. I've read two of her books—one of them was one you let Scorpius borrow last year. I just haven't had time to find the rest of her books."

"Oh, Jane Austen is one of my favorites! I'm guessing you've read Emma, then, since that was the one I loaned Scorp. Which other novel of hers have you read?"

"Pride and Prejudice. It was an excellent novel."

"That one is my favorite," Rose beamed, and Scorpius remembered how animated she had been when talking about Jane Austen the year before. "I suppose I would next recommend Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility. I have copies of both books, if you would like to borrow them."

"I would appreciate that, Rose. Now if I could just get my husband to read those novels…he prefers to stick to Shakespeare."

"Shakespeare is excellent as well, although I like some of his plays better than others. I try to avoid the historical ones—they get so confusing because it seems like all the characters have the same names, and I could never keep them all straight. His comedies are much better."

"I agree, Miss Weasley. His tragedies have a certain allure about them, as well. He was certainly talented and prolific to have written so many works across different genres," added Draco.

Rose nodded in agreement, and Scorpius' parents seemed to finally notice the stack of books in her arms.

Noticing his parents' glance, Scorpius explained. "I told Rose she could borrow a few books if she wanted—as long as she didn't take the entire collection."

"I do hope it's all right for me to borrow these," Rose said.

"Of course, Rose. Enjoy the books," Astoria said simply.

"We won't even hardly miss them, I think. She'll have them all read by the end of the weekend, I think," said Scorpius jokingly.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I do think I can finish at least one, maybe two, by the end of the weekend. But one of these books I may have to borrow for a little bit longer—my mother has been searching for something similar for the longest time, and so I was going to let her read it first before I delved into it. She's talked about this particular subject so much that I became interested in it as well."

"That's perfectly fine, Miss Weasley. I too hope you enjoy the books. Also, if you finish those books and want to read more about those topics, let Scorpius or even myself or Astoria know what you are looking for, and we will do our best to get those books to you. You—and your mother, even—are welcome to borrow from our collection any time," Draco told Rose.

"Really? Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. I appreciate it, and I know my mother will, too," Rose said, grinning. Then she sighed. "Unfortunately, I think it is about time for me to head back home. Thank you again for having me. I enjoyed getting to meet you both and seeing your house, especially the library," Rose continued.

"It was our pleasure, Rose. We are so very glad to have met you at last. You are always welcome here," Astoria answered.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Weasley," Draco added.

Rose nodded. "I will find my copies of those two Jane Austen books as soon as I get home, Mrs. Malfoy, and send them over right away."

"Thank you, Rose. I look forward to reading them."

Rose thanked the Malfoys once again, and Astoria told her to pass greetings along to her parents before giving Rose a hug goodbye. Draco shook her hand, and then Scorpius walked Rose out so she could Apparate back to her home.

"I had so much fun tonight, Scorp. Thank you for inviting me," Rose said softly.

"I'm glad, love. I had fun too. Hopefully you can come over again before school starts again."

"I can't believe we're almost in our last year at Hogwarts. I wonder what the next year will bring," mused Rose.

"No idea, but I'm sure it will be interesting. Never a dull moment with your family," Scorpius said.

"I know. That's one reason I liked coming here—you're not constantly battling for attention and dealing with all the noise. I love my family and having fun with them, but sometimes I want to hear myself think."

Scorpius laughed. "I like how big your family is. Being an only child and not having very many cousins gets kind of lonely sometimes."

"Seems like between the two of us, we get the best of both worlds."

"That we do, Rosie."

They reached a point where Rose could safely Apparate, and Rose threw her arms around Scorpius, hugging him tightly then speaking again. "I just hope your parents liked me," she said quietly.

"Of course they did, Rose," Scorpius said, wondering how she could ever think that they didn't. "My mum will be singing your praises for days, and you even charmed my dad, which is very hard to do."

Rose laughed. "I'm glad. I liked them very much, especially your mum," she said.

They held on to each other for another few moments before Rose pulled back slightly so she could see Scorpius' face. "Bye, Scorp. Thanks again for inviting me. I'm sure I'll see you next week."

"Of course," Scorpius answered, holding Rose close. "I'm glad you came. How does lunch on Tuesday sound?"

Rose said that Tuesday sounded good for lunch, and with a squeeze of Scorpius' hand and a brilliant smile in his direction, she stepped back and spun, Disapparating on the spot.

When Scorpius went back inside the Manor, his parents were still in the den, quietly discussing something. "We're so glad we finally got to meet your Rose, Scorpius," said Astoria. "We hope to see her again soon."

"I'm sure you will, Mum, Dad," he said. "I don't think much will keep her away from that library."

Astoria and Draco both chuckled. "What did you think of her, Mum?" Scorpius asked.

"She's wonderful, Scorpius. She's intelligent and witty, and she holds her own against you. Those things in themselves are enough to endear her to me, but she's also very charming and kind. It's no wonder you love her, Scorpius. She's perfect for you."

Scorpius blanched. He was fairly sure that his parents knew how he felt about Rose, but neither of them had ever voiced their thoughts about it before. "You know how I feel about her?"

"Scorpius, we've known for years. I think I figured out that you liked her before even you did," Astoria said. "You always talked about her, in one capacity or another, first as an annoyance, then as a rival, and now as one of your closest friends. She challenges you, and you need that. You deserve someone who is your equal."

"A Malfoy never settles for less," Draco intoned. "Plus, you willingly set aside your Malfoy pride for her in your fourth year. She obviously means a great deal to you, if you were willing to do that."

"So you approve?" Scorpius asked.

"Wholeheartedly, dear," Astoria answered.

Scorpius sighed. "Thank you. That…means a lot. I know I'm only seventeen, but I already know that she's it for me. I don't want to be with anyone else. I just wish I knew if she felt the same way."

"Scorpius, darling, Rose cares for you a great deal. She was willing to look beyond her family's past experiences with this place and come to meet us on what once would have been considered enemy territory. If she doesn't love you already, she is heading in that direction. Don't give up," Astoria told her son.

"I won't. I'm not going to force her to love me, but I'm going to do everything that I can to show her how much she means to me and how much I want to be with her."

"I don't think you could force Miss Weasley to do anything she didn't want to do. She is definitely worthy of you, Scorpius. You are lucky to have found her at such a young age. I was twenty before I met your mother," Draco added.

"Thank you, Mum, Dad. I'm glad you like her. I think you'll be seeing a lot of her in the future, although whether she comes to see me or the library is anyone's guess," Scorpius joked.

"She'll be here to see both," Astoria said, smiling slightly.

Scorpius certainly hoped so. They still had another year to go at Hogwarts—who knew how much his and Rose's relationship could change in a year's time?

She'd met his parents and had passed the test with flying colors—a rite of passage in any sort of relationship, whether platonic or romantic, but especially for them, with their families' history.

He just hoped he could truly win Rose's heart.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed Part One of Meet the Parents. What did you think about the Malfoys? Were you surprised at Rose's insistence on going to the Manor? Let me know your thoughts on these questions and any other comments you might have in a review!

Next, we'll have a little interlude of sorts, looking a little more about what Draco and Astoria think of Scorpius and Rose.

Again, please don't forget to leave a review! Your comments keep me going!