Blame it on the Bunnies
Something was amiss.
Molly Weasley smiled and cooed over the tiny, knitted booties that Angelina had unwrapped – just as all the women at the baby shower were doing. But her finely tuned mother's intuition was tingling with warning that, somewhere in or near the house, there were children engaged in mischief.
The women once more gasped in appreciation at a little pink confection of a dress that Angelina now lifted to show them. "Little girl things," she said, and sighed happily. "They're all so adorable."
"And so much easier to find than cute little boy things," Hermione said. "I have to admit – I had much more fun shopping for this shower than when you were pregnant with little Freddie."
"Of course, that could have been the lunch break we took at that darling café – and the bottles of wine," Astoria reminded her. "That definitely made the afternoon segment of the shopping excursion vastly more entertaining."
Angelina smiled wryly. "Well that explains this, I suppose." This time the garment she lifted from the gift box was black and silky and would in no way fit her current, very pregnant form.
Ginny laughed. "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. We thought George would appreciate something to look forward to after the baby is born. Hermione picked it out, by the way."
"Oh no!" Hermione insisted, but was smiling. "That was all Alicia and Katie."
"Guilty!" the two former Gryffindor Quidditch team members said simultaneously amidst the laughter of the assembled Weasley women and friends.
"Mum," Ginny said, noticing that her mother, brow furrowed, had risen and was making her way out of the living room. "Can I get something for you?"
Molly gave a distracted wave. "Just checking on the children, dear," she murmured as she left the room.
Ginny sighed. "She can't just sit and relax. Even when we have family gatherings here at my house – or any of yours – she has to be up doing something."
"That's Molly," Angelina said. "Just let her go. She'll see that Harry and George and the rest are keeping an eye on things, and she'll be back in a few moments."
Molly headed to the back garden first. It was a perfect early autumn day and there had been talk of flying. Sure enough, a glance skyward found Harry, Ron, Draco and Bill racing around in some odd version of a game of Quidditch. She quickly dismissed that group to take in the others sitting around the large garden of Harry and Ginny's home in Godric's Hollow. Arthur was in deep conversation with Neville and Percy. George was lounging upon a blanket, watching the group in the sky and snuggling with a napping three-year-old Freddie. Katie's husband, Lee Jordan, sat with him, obviously discussing the action aloft.
The children were running about, engaged in a variety of activities. James and Louis were crawling in pseudo-stealth along the ground with Frankie Longbottom, waiting to ambush unsuspecting gnomes. Lily, Hugo and Lucy seemed to be chasing each other about, each holding tightly to a plush toy bunny. This was not unusual for Lily. She was completely enamored of rabbits, and family and friends had indulged her love for them, gifting her with toy bunnies for all occasions. Finally, Molly located Rose standing not too far from the house with Percy's eldest daughter, also named Molly. They, too, were clutching toy bunnies and seemed to be having a very serious conversation – for six-year-olds, anyway.
Molly swept her gaze once more around the garden. Just as she ascertained that Albus and his best friend Scorpius Malfoy were missing from the group, a squeal drew her attention to Lily Luna. The bunny – the one that Molly had assumed was one of the girl's plushies – had jumped from her arms and was hopping somewhat awkwardly away. Hugo placed his bunny down beside Lily's and laughed in delight as the small, apparently live, animal took short hops toward its fellow. Molly knew that Lily had a plethora of plushy bunnies – but she was also quite certain that the Potter family pets did not include any live ones. Harry and Ginny were adamant that, at four years old, Lily was still too young for a real bunny.
Molly returned her attention to her two older grand-daughters, looking more intently at the rabbits they held in their arms. Sure enough, Rose and young Molly appeared to be holding live bunnies, not toys. Though the sudden appearance of all these real rabbits was odd, Molly's more immediate concern was locating the conspicuously absent Albus and Scorpius. Just at that moment, Rose looked up and noticed her grandmother approaching. The mixed look of guilt, alarm, and determination further convinced Molly that there was something afoot – and that made the absence of Albus and Scorpius that much more suspect.
The two boys, fast friends since their first meeting at Miss Periwinkle's School for Magical Youngsters, were inseparable. As often as they allowed her – six-year-old boys having very little use for six-year-old girls – Rose was their accomplice in whatever mischief they tended to get into. Though she was undoubtedly every bit as intelligent as Hermione, Rose also had Ron's knack for finding trouble. Molly was certain that Rose would know the location of the missing boys. And her mother-instincts told her that the bunnies were somehow connected to the two young wizards.
Little Molly, wide eyes noting her grandmother's imminent approach, shifted the bunny in her arms so that she was holding it behind her back. Unfortunately for the little girl, that made it possible for the bunny to escape her grasp. It jumped to the ground and began to hop away. Rose's whispered "Get it!" was clearly audible, but poor little Molly was frozen. All she could do was watch as her grandmother bent and picked up the animal.
The bunny iwas/i, after all, a toy. Molly looked closely at Rose's rabbit and saw that it, too, was just a plushy. The bunnies had been charmed in some way, though, so that they moved about like real rabbits. Fortunately, they were not as fast or agile as real rabbits, or the children would not have been able to hold on to them. Obviously, the Animation Charm on the toys had not been very skillfully done. Her thoughts once more turned to Albus and Scorpius. Though most people would have dismissed the thought that two six-year-old wizards might have anything to do with an Animation Charm – poorly-executed or not – Molly had raised a rather infamous and precocious set of twins. She had learned that it was unwise to dismiss anything when magic and determined young wizards were involved.
"Where are Albus and Scorpius?" Molly asked Rose. The little girl's big brown eyes held a hint of defiance along with the evident guilt. Her lips pressed together – though the quivering of her bottom lip was noticeable. "iWhere/i are Albus and Scorpius?" Molly repeated.
Little Molly broke and ran, making for her father. Rose spared her cousin a brief, resentful glance before finally answering her grandmother. "Upstairs in the nursery," she muttered grudgingly. "Trying to fix all the bunnies."
Molly's eyebrows shot up. "They're trying to animate iall/i of Lily's plushy rabbits?"
"Nooo," Rose said, slowly drawing out the word as if to delay a full confession. "They're trying to turn them all back, but the bunnies keep hopping away all over the place."
Molly turned on her heel, ignoring Arthur's call. Evidently young Molly had spilled the beans to Percy, and he and Arthur were now trotting toward the house. They'd catch up, she reckoned. She swept into the house and by-passed the living room to hurry up the stairs toward the nursery. Ginny had noticed her passage and leaned out into the hall to call after her mother. Once again, Molly ignored the inquiry in her determination to find the young mischief-makers. Reaching the top of the stairs, she saw a pink plushy bunny take a small, tentative hop out of the nursery door. She bent to scoop it up and heard the others on the stairs behind her. By the time she entered the nursery, Molly was flanked by Ginny and Percy, with Arthur close behind.
The large playroom had initially served as the nursery for all the Potter children. When James had turned five, the boys had moved to an adjoining room they still shared. Now, even Lily had her own room – also adjoining the original nursery. The large room housed all their toys and the children could often be found playing there. It was furnished with well-worn, but comfortable chairs and a matching sofa. One corner held a puppet theatre where Harry would often entertain the children by magically maneuvering a variety of marionettes. Over the years, he had created several puppets during his spare time in the workshop of his wand store.
Molly and her entourage halted within a few paces inside the room, amazed at the sight they beheld – and perhaps just a little afraid of stepping on rabbits. The room was literally crawling – or, rather, ihopping/i – with little plushy bunnies of all sizes and colors. Along with rabbits of the expected white, grey, black, and spotted combinations of those colors, there were the honey-brown ones. There were several of these because they were Lily's favorites. But there were also a variety of colors not natural to actual bunnies: red, blue, pink, green, orange (Cannon's orange, of course) and even the patchwork one that Molly had created from her quilting clippings.
"Are those all of Lily's rabbits?" Harry asked from the doorway. Evidently news of the bunny crisis had risen up to disturb the Quidditch game. Harry, Draco, and Ron all crowded the doorway looking wind-blown and – like all the other adults in the room – perplexed. "I didn't realize she had that many."
"Because iyou/i never help to pick them up," Ginny said, glancing at him over her shoulder. She knelt to collect a pale lavender bunny. It wiggled a bit, but she had no difficulty gathering it up. The rabbits were all moving, but many seemed barely able to do so. It was as if the magic animating them was, perhaps, beginning to wear off.
"Where are Albus and Scorpius?" Molly asked once more. She had been momentarily distracted by the rabbits, just like everyone else. But her original reason for coming to the nursery was to find the two likely suspects and she returned her attention to that purpose. "Rose said they were in here."
Ron bent for a moment and came back up with his daughter in his arms. He stepped forward, careful not to crush anything small and furry. "Do you know where they are, Rosie?" he asked. Now that the game was up and consequences were imminent, Rose clung to her father, regret running in large tears down her face. She shook her head adamantly, though.
"They were here before," she said in a pitiful tone. "With all the bunnies."
"Why are we looking for Scorpius and Albus?" Draco asked.
Draco and Harry both had to incline their heads toward the little girl to hear her whispered response. "They charmed the bunnies."
This gave pause to every single adult in the room – even Molly, who had suspected a connection. Draco recovered first and turned to Harry. The two men shared a look that spoke more of paternal pride than concern. Ginny caught the exchange and rolled her eyes – certain that, if they'd been standing closer to each other, there likely would have been a high-five exchanged.
Ginny stepped forward with a huff of exasperation that expressed her impatience. "Albus!" she called out. "Scorpius!" Ginny knew that the two were probably hiding, knowing they had been caught – but she thought calling out to them ought to at least be tried first. Since no one else had apparently thought to do so, she called out once more but received no answer.
While Percy returned downstairs to inform everyone else of the situation, the other adults had begun to cast iFinite/i on the toy rabbits, ending the Animation Charm. They quickly discovered that one spell was not enough – iFinite Incantatum/i had to be cast on each of the toys to end the charm. Bunnies were gathered, the charms on them ended, then they were stacked on the couch and chairs to separate them from those still moving around on the floor.
Arthur had opened the door to the room that Albus shared with James. He leaned forward into the room to check inside, but the boys did not appear to be there. Still-animated bunnies had gathered at his feet, so he had some difficulty closing the door again. Harry and Draco were working diligently on bunny-corralling duty, having been joined by Ginny and Astoria. Astoria had also tried calling out to the boys once she had reached the nursery and been made aware of the situation. She seemed a little more surprised when Scorpius did not answer than Ginny had been when her attempts to call to the boys had produced no results. Molly had peeked into Lily's room, but – though a few more rabbits had been located – Albus and Scorpius were still missing.
Hermione had made her way up the stairs and she and Ron were in quiet conversation with the sniffling, repentant Rose. Ron still held her in his arms, as she finally began to explain what had happened. "Harry," Ron called out, "where's the wand for the puppets?"
Harry, picking up a black-and-white-spotted bunny, gave him a perplexed look and said, "With the puppet theatre."
Molly, Ginny, and Astoria moved as one to the curtained puppet stage in the far corner of the room. Ginny pulled the cord to draw back the curtains. The wand was, indeed, to be found there – along with two unconscious boys. Albus and Scorpius lay on the floor, curled close under the stage area of the theatre, their hands entwined around the wand. Several small rabbits surrounded them, as if standing guard over the boys.
The mothers knelt quickly, the rabbits scattered, and Molly called for someone to bring Alicia. Alicia Spinnet was a Healer and, fortunately, she had managed to re-arrange her shift at St. Mungo's on this day in order to attend Angelina's baby shower.
As Ginny carefully extricated the wand from the boys' hands, Astoria asked, "Where did they get this wand? Is it one of yours?"
"It's not an actual wand," Harry explained, stepping forward. His concerned gaze fell upon his son as he continued to explain. "It's just something I created so the children could activate the puppets on their own. That's the only magic it has."
As Alicia pushed her way into the room, Draco – who had stepped forward so that he, too, could see the boys – glanced at Harry and said, "You're a wandmaker, Harry. If you made it, it iis/i an actual wand."
Discussion of the wand halted as Alicia examined the two young wizards. Both seemed to stir a bit, as if they were being roused from a deep sleep. "Alright, from what Percy told me, these two have apparently been casting some magic well beyond their level of magical maturity. I need to know the particulars." As she began to cast diagnostic spells, Hermione started the explanation of events.
"According to Rose, the younger children were playing here in the nursery. Hugo began to tease Lily about all her toy rabbits and the fact that she's not yet allowed to have a real one." Hermione glanced at Ron with a look that did not bode well for young Hugo once all this was sorted.
"And let me guess," Harry said. "Albus didn't take kindly to Lily being teased."
It was Rose that spoke up then. "Albus got really angry and told Hugo to stop." She faltered a bit when all the adults except Alicia turned their attention to her. "Then Scorpius said that he would make Lily a real bunny."
"So… he took this wand – the one used to 'activate' the puppets," Alicia looked pointedly at Harry before continuing, "and somehow conjured enough magic to cast a charm to, more or less, animate the toys?" She shook her head. "No wonder he's exhausted."
Astoria gave a soft cry, grasping her son's hand. "He's exhausted his magic?"
"No," Alicia assured her. "He's iphysically/i exhausted by the amount of magic he had to use to charm the rabbits."
"What about Albus?" Ginny asked, her hand curling around Harry's where it rested on her shoulder. "He must have been involved, too."
Alicia finally turned her attention to Rose, stern expectation on her face. "They did this together, didn't they?"
Tears started to well up in Rose's eyes again, and they fell down her face as she nodded her head to confirm Alicia's suspicions. "Scorpius said they needed a wand and Albus said they could try the one for the puppets."
"But that shouldn't have worked," Harry insisted. "That wand doesn't actually animate the puppets – it just activates some pre-determined motions I created for them to perform. That way the children can enjoy the puppets even if Ginny or I aren't up here to create a whole show for them."
"Obviously, it did work," Draco said. "But it must have taken both of them to do it."
"Uh-huh," Rose said. Now the words began to tumble from her. "Scorpius tried first and then Albus said that maybe he could do it since it was a Potter wand, but that still didn't work. And Hugo said they were stupid and they got angry again. Then they grabbed the wand together and pointed it at one of the bunnies and it worked." She took a deep breath and, once again realizing that every adult in the room was watching her, hid her face against her father's shoulder.
"Well, I suppose we can find out why they decided against stopping with just one rabbit later," Alicia said. "I really think they'll be fine, but I wouldn't mind having them overnight at St. Mungo's just in case." At the stricken looks of all four parents, Alicia hurried to add, "It's just a precaution. The… scope of this incident makes it not your typical instance of accidental under-age magic. And the age of the wizards," Alicia shook her head, "I honestly don't know how they managed to pull it off."
"Enough magic between the two of them, that wand to focus it, and sheer, stubborn determination," Molly said, speaking up for the first time in a while. "Don't think I haven't seen ithat/i sort of thing before." Arthur chuckled a bit, but quickly reined it in when he realized no one else was laughing.
"If you really think they need to go to St. Mungo's, let's proceed with that," Draco said.
Alicia gave another firm nod and rose to her feet. "I'll go ahead and make arrangements." She paused and, speaking to all the parents, said, "It's just overnight. Don't worry." Then she was off down the stairs to the Floo.
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bTen Years Later/b
Albus Potter sat quietly at the base of his favorite tree – itheir/i favorite tree – looking out over the lake at Hogwarts. He was far from alone, however. Much of the student population had seemed determined to spend what was possibly one of the last pleasant days of early autumn outside the walls of the castle. With lunch time now approaching, though, most of the students were beginning to make their way back towards the school. Albus peeked again inside the basket that the house-elves had packed for him (being the offspring of Harry Potter indeed had its benefits) and hoped that Scorpius would arrive soon. Albus assumed he must be taking extra time to clean up after the Ravenclaw Quidditch practice. At just the thought of it, Albus could vividly imagine the scent of Scorpius fresh from the shower, and it caused something to flutter inside him. He could feel a blush rising on his cheeks.
A movement along the low bushes to his right distracted him from his idistracting/i thoughts of his best friend. Albus turned to see a small brown rabbit frozen there, trying not to be noticed. He smiled at the small animal. "Don't worry," he said to it. "I won't bother you. I like bunnies." He allowed himself a quiet chuckle at the truth of this statement. Albus had a special appreciation for rabbits going back to a certain autumn day when he was six years old.
The Bunny Incident, as it was forever referred to by those present that day, had no long-lasting ill effects upon the two young wizards. By the following day, Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy were back to being two energetic, mischievous magical boys. They had discovered something, though, that would never be forgotten: individually, they were very magically talented. Together, they could be a magical force to be reckoned with.
They were discouraged, when they were young, from combining their magic again. The adults had all conferred – at length – and decided that the boys must make certain that they each developed as they were meant to – on their own. So Albus and Scorpius never again combined their magic. At least, not when anyone was around to see it. They didn't do it often, but certainly enjoyed the feeling of getting away with something forbidden when they did. There was a breath-stealing excitement to it that was irresistible. To their credit, the two boys managed, most of the time, to refrain from the temptation to combine their magic. They saved it like a special treat, something for only the two of them.
When they were finally able to attend Hogwarts, things changed. Both boys were avid students, appropriately Sorted into Ravenclaw, and took full advantage of the massive library to learn all they could about combining magic. Their earlier attempts to try to glean knowledge – which for the most part consisted mainly of trying to subtly question Albus' Aunt Hermione – had always resulted in admonitions for each of them to develop their own magic and warnings against trying to combine. With the opportunity to do their own research, came a renewed determination to investigate the possibilities – and indulge in a bit of the forbidden. What adolescent boys could resist that?
With each progressing year, the boys learned more and began to feel more confident in the act of combining their magic. Both Albus and Scorpius felt certain their research indicated that the benefits of occasionally combining their magic far outweighed any possible harmful effects. So, they had begun to experiment more and more. Having read and re-read all the available information in the library at Hogwarts, the boys had decided to make this year, their sixth, the year they began to compile all their own documentation in preparation of one day publishing a new book on combining magic.
A shadow fell across him, and Albus looked up to find his cousin Rose standing over him. Her red curls looked a bit wild and windblown – but the fact that she was practically plastered against Finn McLaggen indicated perhaps another source of her disarray. "Gorgeous day, isn't it, Albus?" Her voice had a breathy quality and Albus couldn't hide his grin. Rose was a renowned heart-breaker, but seemed quite attached to this current suitor. He was fairly certain that, at first, her interest had been based more on the negative reaction of her parents when the McLaggen name had been mentioned. Rose had always been just a bit defiant – a quality that he and Scorpius both admired in her. But she'd actually kept Finn around for a month or so now and was showing signs of becoming truly smitten. Since McLaggen seemed to fully reciprocate her interest, Albus had no problems with him. He just wanted Rose to be happy.
"Brilliant," Albus agreed. He couldn't resist a smirk as he added, "You look as if you've been enjoying it." Rose actually blushed, much to Albus' delight. Finn, however, looked as if he didn't appreciate the teasing.
"Um, yes," Rose said quickly. "We're just going in to lunch. Want to come with?"
"No thanks," Albus said. "I'm waiting for Scorpius."
"Here's your boyfriend now," Finn said, just as Scorpius appeared beside the group.
Albus and Scorpius exchanged a very brief glance, matching color filling their cheeks. Rose clutched Finn's arm and began to pull him away. "Bye, Al. Scorpius. We'll just be going." As they hurried away, Rose immediately began furiously whispering to Finn. His reply of "But I thought…" was clearly audible in the silence that had fallen between the two Ravenclaw boys.
Albus was the first to regain his composure and moved to the picnic basket. "About time, Scorp. I'm starving." He began pulling containers from the basket and looked back to find that Scorpius had settled himself against the tree. "Hey! I was sitting there."
Scorpius seemed to wilt with obviously feigned fatigue. "Come on, Al. Practice was brutal. I'm tired iand/i starving." Albus just rolled his eyes, and Scorpius sent him a devilish grin.
After that, the long-standing, comfortable parameters of their relationship seemed restored and they began to discuss the Quidditch practice as they ate what the house-elves had prepared. Albus listened avidly to Scorpius' animated description of the antics of the team's practice. Though Al loved to fly – being the child of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley made that a given – and followed Quidditch with interest, he'd had no inclination to try out for the team. With James playing for Gryffindor and now Lily for Slytherin, the Potter family seemed adequately represented on the pitch.
When both boys had eaten their fill, Scorpius helped Al repack the basket. Their hands accidentally brushed within it, and they each froze. Albus felt his heartbeat quicken. It was a common reaction these days when he touched Scorpius. Or saw him. Or merely thought of him. They had always been close – so much so that the term 'best friends' hardly seemed adequate. But within the last year or so, Albus had begun to feel something deeper for Scorpius – and definitely more physical. It was new and a little frightening – especially when he dared to consider that he might be alone in what he was feeling. He risked a glance at Scorpius and was simultaneously thrilled and relieved to find a telling warmth reflected in his gaze.
"Want to do some magic?" Scorpius asked. The question had been almost a whisper. The low, slightly husky tone of Scorpius' voice seemed to add a new depth to the feeling of doing something forbidden.
Albus was unable to gather enough breath to answer properly, so he just nodded. Combining magic meant aligning their wand hands – which meant being close. He watched as Scorpius moved away to settle once more against the tree. As Scorpius drew his wand and set it aside, he patted the ground in front of him, between his legs – inviting Albus to sit there. Albus moved forward and sat in front of Scorpius. They both faced the same way, and Albus – as he had countless times before – leaned back against Scorpius. He reached out with his right hand, entwining their fingers and, as one, they reached for Scorpius' wand.
"What spell?" Albus asked. Not that he cared. The thrill of sitting this way against Scorpius actually surpassed the excitement of combining their magic.
Scorpius indicated a pile of leaves and said, "Let's make them fly." They raised the wand and each sent a thought that raised the leaves and sent them circling in the air. They could do many simple spells wordlessly – a benefit of combining their power.
Scorpius huffed a joyous laugh so near Albus' ear, it caused him to shiver. Scorpius' left arm slipped around Albus' waist, and his hand came to rest on Albus' abdomen. They lowered the wand and the leaves wafted slowly down to the ground. Albus watched them, wondering what would happen next. He was certain that Scorpius would be able to feel his racing heart and hoped it would be attributed to the magic-sharing. As the last leaf fell to the ground, Albus realized that an answering heartbeat pounded a quick cadence against his back.
"What McLaggen said earlier," Scorpius whispered into Albus' ear, again tickling him. "Am I… am I your boyfriend, Albus?"
Albus leaned his head back against Scorpius' shoulder, allowing him to look into his friend's bright grey eyes. He saw hope there, mixed with trepidation that reflected exactly what Albus was feeling. Long wisps of blond hair fell around the handsome face Albus knew as well as his own. Their mouths were almost touching. He thought it likely that Scorpius would feel the words he would speak against his lips. No other answer came to Albus, than the words he had been longing to say. "Scorpius, you're my everything."
A brilliant smile broke upon Scorpius' face. He reined it in almost immediately, however, and the tip of his tongue slipped out to moisten his bottom lip. He continued to hold Albus' gaze as he moved the minute distance that separated them and brought their mouths together. The kiss was sweet and soft, at first just the lightest brushing of lips.
Albus reveled in this new sensation, but couldn't resist long before deepening the kiss, pressing his mouth more completely against Scorpius'. A wild current of delicious electricity seemed to whip through him – a feeling rivaled only by the thrill he felt when they combined their magic. Albus couldn't help the delighted laugh that escaped him at the thought that it was Scorpius with whom he would share both those sensations. Scorpius, forever.
Soon, smiles and laughter made it impossible to continue the kissing. Scorpius brought his other arm up – the one still entwined with Albus and the wand – to tighten the embrace that held his best friend, his boyfriend, close against him.
Not long after, the other students began to emerge from the castle, once again seeking the warmth of the day. By this time, Albus and Scorpius were kissing again. They were able to ignore the wolf whistles and catcalls of students passing by their favorite spot. They had, after all, honed the ability to maintain keen concentration during their years of learning to combine their magic. So, though they were cognizant of others passing by, shouts of 'About time!' and various other attempts to draw their attention, they simply chose to ignore all of it and focus only on each other.
What they seemed to be completely unaware of, however, was that two small brown rabbits had emerged from the low bushes nearby. As the boys continued to explore the joys of kissing one another, the bunnies hopped about them, inexplicably drawn to this new magic that Albus and Scorpius were finally making.
The End