Title: A Twist in the Story

Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ginny and Ron Weasley.

Word Count: 2,917

Date Published: July 23.

Through the barrier that has existed for so long of Platform ¾, a small dirty-blonde eleven year-old entered with a wince. And once he reassured himself that he did not in fact crash into the bricks, his silvery eyes opened and they took in the magnitude of the train that rested on the tracks—the Hogwarts Express.

With an instant flood of excitement, he pushed the trolley that contained all of his belongings a few more inches into the platform; trying to get a better view of the train through all the bodies moving in all directions.

"Scorpius?" A warm voice came from behind him, halting him before he lost himself.

Despite the voice that gave him both comfort and sometimes a twinge of fear, the boy remained still. The sight of the Hogwarts Express was unreal to him. It was everything from the train, to the students he'd get to meet, the excitement in the air that mixed with the September's fog that added to the magic of this moment.

"It's amazing," he breathed as he sensed someone behind him now.

"Its a train," another voice spoke.

"Its Magic." Scorpius turned around to find his parents standing protectively behind him. He looked at his mother first, loving the way her warm brown eyes stared back at him affectionately and with understanding at what he meant. And then, after receiving a nod and a smile from her, he turned to the man that was clutching onto his mother's hand. His father stood tall, his face pale and pointed, and his silver eyes looked unimpressed.

Frowning in a disapproving manner at her husband, Scorpius' mother flashed him another smile. "What your father meant, dear, is that you'll be far more impressed with the magic that happens in Hogwarts."

Snorting silently, his father decided it was best to nod at that. "Yeah, what she said. Though, let's be honest here, you most likely won't even notice it. Because, again, let's be honest, you'll have your eyes glued to some book."

"Draco!" His mother's glare intensified.

"I was kidding, Hermione." Scorpius' father looked at his wife innocently, dodging the smack she wanted to give him. "I'm just simply saying that boy has inherited your brains. He'll be so caught up with his studies he won't even try and wander the halls of Hogwarts or attempt to explore the Forbidden Forest."

Gaining a slight look of fright, Scorpius asked, "isn't that why its called the Forbidden Forest, though? Because it's forbidden to go in there?"

Draco smirked at his son. "Of course not. It's loads of fun, actually."

"Draco Malfoy," Hermione Malfoy began with his scolding tone, her next attempt of a smack on her husband's arm actually happening, "are you trying to get my child killed?"

"Again, Hermione, I was just joking," her husband said with a frown, rubbing his arm. "Women, son, I'm telling you," he added with a huff, his smirk on once more.

Grinning, Scorpius stared at his parents for a few silent seconds; trying to make a mental-note of them. The thing he loved about his parents was that they were always fighting—and sure, that sounds horrible and unhealthy, but most of the time it was harmless; it was who they were. The bond that tied his parents together was not so evident to the naked eye upon first glance, but it was there once you pushed past their bickering. It all made sense, and one was able to see how they completed and fed off one another.

Besides, Scorpius loved to see their arguments most of the time. It was amusing to watch his father—a man who was always so composed, so witty and unnerving—shrink away from his wife's brown glare.

So with the amusement he got off of it, he asked too innocently, "are they all like that, dad?"

"Most of them are mental, but then there's your mum. She takes the nutter-award, actually," Draco told his son like if he was stating a fact he found in a book. "Don't look so surprised, Scorpius. Did I ever tell you she kidnapped a dragon when she was seventeen?"

"What?" Scorpius asked in complete bewilderment, his eyes wide. "You're lying. Really?"

Narrowing her eyes like it was accustomed, Hermione shook her head at her child. "I did not kidnap a dragon, Scorpius. Your father exaggerates. I just set it free in a dire need."

But with their son still looking astounded and pleasantly surprised, Draco said, "told you. Insane, she is."

Hermione rolled her eyes at both boys in front of her. And deciding to return her husband's clear milking of something she did ages ago, she chose to embarrass him too as she flashed him his oh so famous sneer. "Did you know that your father was transfigured into a ferret?"

"A ferret?" Scorpius started laughing loudly, enjoying the moment of the little snippets of the past he was getting from them.

They hardly ever told him about anything from when they were young. They were careful in what they told him, in how they answered when he had questions of who they used to be before he was born; before they fell in love. His Grandmother Narcissa had once told him it was best to not push them, that they'd tell him whatever they thought was suitable for him to know.

However, as much as they wanted to keep him in the shadow of their past lives, Scorpius was not stupid not to know that whatever it was that the past held, it wasn't happy memories. And even though he did have curiosity over it, all he was thankful for was that they were together now. That somehow that awful past had pushed them together, that had given him Draco and Hermione as his parents.

And that was a miracle, his Grandmother Narcissa would always tell him. She always told her grandson that their love, their relationship was what saved her son's life. That the love and light that Hermione Granger gave to Draco Malfoy was something that Narcissa Malfoy would always be grateful for; amongst the birth of her only grandchild.

Scorpius knew that it was true, that gratitude his grandmother always expressed. He could see it all the time in her blue eyes when she looked at his mother, when she hugged her warmly, when she apologized and apologized after years.

"He was such a natural bouncer too," Hermione added, laughing mockingly at the frown her husband was giving her. "And the fluffiest, as well."

Draco crossed his arms. "It wasn't funny, alright. It was the most, downright embarrassing thing that could be done to a bloke."

"Embarrassing—"The moment the Malfoy family was sharing was interrupted by a voice coming from a short distance. It was a voice that Scorpius didn't recognize and one that Draco and Hermione hadn't heard in years. "Embarrassing was when she slapped you in Third Year and you ran off like a little girl scared out of her knickers."

And standing there, a small smirk tugging on his lips, was a man that held the hand of a little redheaded girl as he looked calmly at the family. Harry Potter. A man that neither Mrs. or Mister Malfoy had seen in almost twenty years.

At the sudden silence that pierced through them, Draco pulled his son's trolley a few steps back, giving the people that'd just arrived some space. And as he did so, Hermione gravitated those steps back with her husband and son automatically—her body synced with her family's.

"—Dad!" Ending the silence and emerging out from the barrier, a dark-haired boy with Harry's intense emerald eyes stalked towards his famous father, heaving in frustration. "Dad, James is doing it again! Tell him to leave me alone!"

Sighing, Harry shook his head at his boy. However, it was the little girl stuck to his hand that spoke to the clearly infuriated boy. "Just ignore him, Al," she said firmly.

And as she spoke, Hermione studied the girl quickly. She looked to be around eight, had amazingly red hair, deep brown eyes—the exact replica of a childhood Ginny Weasley.

Despite the all-knowing tone in which his sister seemed to be speaking with, Albus ignored her when he looked at his father once more. "I will hex him to next year, dad."

"OW—Mum! Alright! OW!" Looking up once more to the barrier that was spitting out people, the Malfoy family saw another dark-haired boy emerge out; a redheaded woman pulling him by the ear. "Let go, woman! This is abuse, you can't do this!"

Smirking despite the flash of the past, Draco snickered as Mrs. Potter—who clearly was once Ginny Weasley—pulled harder on her son's ear. "You just don't learn, James. How many times do I have to tell you not to pick on your brother? You're supposed to be helping him!" She tugged once more. "You just love torturing him. There will be nothing wrong if he's—" She stopped, her eyes finding the three figures in front of her husband.

And at the distraction, James wiggled his way free.

"Hermione?" Ginny gasped, her tone in a murmur. "Hermione Granger! Merlin, I haven't seen you in ages!"

As the redheaded woman began to slowly approach, Draco glanced at his wife; watching as a smile appeared on her face instantly, her eyes watering a bit. "Ginny," Hermione had barely managed to say as they both embraced.

Draco pulled his son and his trolley a few more steps back, not wanting him to be hit in case there was some girlish squeals from the two old friends.

But having to know better that his wife was not a squealing type, Hermione pulled away gracefully from the redhead. "It's Hermione Malfoy now, by the way," she told the redhead.

And at the smile Hermione had cast to the blonde man next to her, Ginny blinked back to her own husband; both sharing a look. "Malfoy, you say? Well, didn't see that coming." She looked back at them, extending her palm out to the man. "But then again, we did read it on the Daily Prophet some years ago. Rita Skeeter had a field day with that one."

"Most people didn't believe it, despite her dedication," Draco said blankly as he shook Ginny Potter's hand politely. "They actually believed it was a hoax, wedding reception and all."

"Well, of course they thought that," Harry Potter approached a little closer. "Her best friends weren't at her wedding," and though his voice held a twinge of resentment, of anger, he stretched a hand out to Malfoy.

At the line that the Chosen One had taken, Hermione broke. Something inside of her snapped—or sort of came to life as she couldn't hold in the wave of nostalgia and she launched herself like a cannon ball to the dark-haired man. Her arms tight around his neck, squeezing him with desperation. "Oh, Harry!" She cried in their embrace. "I've really missed you! I missed all of you—Ron and every Weasley!"

Patting his old friend's back, swallowing his own knot of nostalgia, Harry inhaled that familiar scent of wisdom and friendship. "We miss you too, 'Mione. But, honestly, who runs off like that?" He pulled back a few inches, staring deep into the woman's brown eyes. "You left without a word. You didn't say anything, not even a clue that you were thinking about leaving. You just left a note, telling us you'd be okay...After that there was nothing. You hid."

"...What did she hide from, dad?" Looking away from the exchange, Scorpius looked at his father with questioning.

"Dragons," Draco said with a small wink, but then pushed him forward a few centimeters. "Potter," he called, all of the famous family turning to him, "this is our son, Scorpius."

Tearing her eyes away from her old friends, Hermione was back her family's side. "He's our pride and joy," she said like a typical mother, her eyes shining as her past met her present.

Ginny smiled the boy, studying him and seeing the mixture of Hermione and Malfoy in him. "Honestly, Hermione, he's a true little Malfoy," she said as she noticed the intense grey eyes on the boy.

Giving himself a second to tell himself that the redhead did not mean it as an insult, Draco smiled politely and muttered a, "thanks." Apparently, there was no need to remember the things that happened years ago. Curious they had to be, of course, of why his family was his, but that was alright. Draco knew that if his younger-self could see the same scene, that he saw that his wife was none other than Harry Potter's best friend, he'd send himself straight to St. Mungos.

"These our are children," Harry began after he shook his old friend's hand. "This is James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna."

"James, Al, and Lily for short," the little redheaded girl corrected, flashing them all a smile. "Oh, you're going to Hogwarts, are you? That's great!" She added as she looked at Scorpius now.

The blonde Malfoy boy nodded. "Yeah. My first year."

"Mine too!" Al Potter interjected, looking relieved that he met someone in his situation.

And catching on to that, James rolled his eyes and scoffed at his little brother. "Wicked, little Al. Now you have someone to sit with. Because Merlin knows there's no way I'm sitting with you all the way to Hogwarts. I've got a reputation to maintain and girls to impress."

"James is a Third Year," Ginny explained, frowning at her eldest.

Smiling to himself, Scorpius couldn't help but to look just as relieved as the Potters' youngest son. He didn't really think he was going to make friends any time soon, something about him being hard to approach by the inherited scowl his mother teased him about. But now he had—and he hadn't even boarded the Hogwarts Express yet.

"We should probably go on already, don't you think?" Scorpius asked Al.

Al nodded, but his eyes lingered back to the barrier. "Agreed, mate, but I'm waiting for my cousin. She's a First Year too, but she's late. No doubt my Uncle Ron has tied her down or locked her away."

"Ron has a daughter?" Hermione asked, brows raised.

Instantly, as the words slipped, Draco and Harry both looked at the brunette woman. "Does it matter?" Her husband asked despite himself. He was jealous, possessive even, and he didn't care. Even though it had happened years ago, he couldn't help but to remember that his wife once had a brief relationship with the redheaded man in question.

Hermione aimed her risen brow at her husband, eyeing him sternly. She could see it in his face, that doubt. It was always there. She was just never going to understand how Draco just assumed things were about to fade, like if they were just something that he'd come up with inside in his head. It wasn't a doubt that she loved him, it was doubt that she was entirely his by free-will and because it was destiny.

A little amused and smug at the clear jealousy on the blonde's face, Ginny cleared her throat. "Yeah. Ron—"

CRASH.

"OI!" Splattered on the floor now, after someone so rudely collided into his trolley, James clutched to the cage of his owl as he glared murderously. "What the bloody hell was that?"

Standing sheepishly by the trolleys was another redhead girl who looked thoroughly embarrassed as she pulled her trolley away from the other. "Sorry, James. I lost control."

"You could have killed my owl!" James shouted at the girl, but quickly looked down at the cage he was holding tightly. "Hedwig! Are you alive, girl?"

A glowing white, beautiful, little-winged creature hooted in response and Hermione and Harry shared an amused look; another memory.

"Honestly, James," the girl frowned, disliking the tone she was being shouted at. "Who stands in front of the barrier, you menace?"

"Me, you troll!" James argued as the owl fluttered around her cage.

Shooting her son a warning stare, Ginny looked at the girl impatiently. "Rose, dear, where's your father?"

"Mum's trying to keep him from crying. Again." Rose told her aunt, looking annoyed. "She says she doesn't want to be embarrassed. You remember how he got when Grandmum Molly threw us that goodbye party."

But before Harry or Ginny could explain what their niece was talking about, coming out of the barrier, Hermione and Draco heard a clear and known, "come on, Won Won." And out came another couple. "Rosie is a big girl now. You honestly didn't expect her to stay at home all her life, did you?"

"A father can dream! I don't want my baby girl being chased by hormone-driven gits!"Ron Weasley, looking older and shabbier since the last time Mrs and Mister Malfoy saw him, stood sadly holding on to his wife's arm. A woman that they had once known as as Lavender Brown.

"Oh, Ron. She's a girl. One day she will have a boyfriend, get married, even!" Lavender told her husband. "And besides, you know that Hogwarts is important to her. You can't keep her home-schooled forever."

Ron snorted sadly. "Want to bet?"

At the dramatics and emotions flying in the air, Draco Malfoy rolled his eyes at the interaction and was quickly bored. "Scorpius," he called his son, "let's go find you a compartment. It's time to go."

Scorpius shot his eyes open in horror, looking upset.

"Draco, let him find his own compartment," Hermione turned to her family instantly. "He's going to sit with Harry's son. I'm sure they won't have a problem, they don't need your help."

Listening to Mrs. Malfoy, Al nodded as he went to stand by Scorpius. "And my cousin Rose will be sitting with us, as well. Don't worry. She'll maul whoever doesn't let us sit down."

"Malfoy—" At the mention of his daughter's name, Ron had turned away from his wife and spotted that blonde enemy back when he was eleven. And beside him there was her, Hermione Granger. They were holding hands, perfectly molded into one another, breathing in and out in the same rhythm, even.

Hermione Granger, Ron mused as silence rang among them. She used to be this annoying, know-it-all, brilliant, beautiful girl who used to be his best friend, his girlfriend, his first real love. How things have changed, he thought as he felt a pang of some sort of jealousy, of resentment and hatred as he watched them together. No doubt that the dirty-blonde boy was their son.

Despite that however, despite that flicker of longing and nostalgia, Ron knew he would never give up what he had now: his wife, that made him incredibly happy, and a daughter, who he loved like no one else.

"Weasley," Draco greeted after a few seconds, giving him a polite nod.

Clearing her throat at the unmissable tension in the air, Ron's daughter pushed him back a few steps as she flashed the Malfoy family a smile. "Hello, I'm Rose," she introduced herself quickly.

Scorpius nodded, a flicker of a shyness in his eyes. "Scorpius," he said gently.

"Nice to meet you," she blushed, but shook it away. "We better get going, Al. The train leaves in five minutes."

The parents quickly turned to their own kids and began to say their goodbyes. After a few kisses and lectures that were distributed, some were a little more ready to let them go for a year.

"...You have nothing to worry about, son," Hermione whispered to her son, clutching his hand tightly. "With Albus and Rose you'll find true friends. I wouldn't be surprise if we'll see a lot more of them in the years to come."

"Why do you say that, mother?" He asked her.

Hermione and Draco gave each other a small glance, one smiling and one rolling his eyes. "Instinct," his mother said.

Draco rolled his eyes again. "...Just don't get too friendly with the Weasley girl, alright?"

"Draco!" Hermione slapped him beside the head; getting an amused two-thumbs up from the Potter couple at her forever the same scolding methods.

"Ow!" Her husband winced. "I heard Weasel say it first! It's only natural I pass out the information!"

"Honestly," Hermione huffed, "some things never do change."

The Potters, the Weasleys, and the Malfoys watched as their children headed towards the train in a row of three. They could hear echoes of instant conversation, words that seemed to roll out like they'd known each other forever. The bond of friendship already growing between them.

Draco looked at his wife, and as those warm brown eyes looked up to stare into his grey ones, he felt the love he felt for her burn in his chest. In all his being. Some things never did change, he had to admit that.

"What do you say we make Scorpius a sibling?" He whispered to her ear as he leaned down towards her.

Hermione blushed as she swatted him, this time playfully. "Shut up," she told him—and he obeyed as he pressed his lips onto hers.

"Hermione, Malfoy." They tore apart as Harry called them. "I guess this is goodbye."

"—For now," Ginny interrupted his husband, correcting him. "We should get together for tea some time. I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing each other a lot more often." She looked back to the children boarding the train. "What do you say?"

At the clear mistake he'd said, Harry amended himself by adding, "we're not going to take a no for an answer."

Taking another second—because his original answer was a big, fat NO—Draco nodded. "Sure. That sounds nice, Potter. Thank you."

Harry smirked. "It does, doesn't it?" And he punched Malfoy on the arm lightly.

"Oh!" Lavender bounced lightly on her feet excitedly. "We can have it at our house! We just got the garden redone!"

Ron started to groan. "Bloody hell," he snapped. "We have not gotten our garden redone! This just gave her an excuse to fly in that bloody designer. I'm never going to hear the end of this!"

"Sucks to be you, " Harry and Draco said together, a leer on both their faces.

"Owl us whenever you want, Ginny. It'll be our pleasure." Hermione looked quickly to her husband. "We got um….something important to get to now. It was nice seeing you. "

And with goodbyes lingering in the air between the Golden Trio and old house-mates,the clear and unbreakable love between them still there, Draco took his wife's hand again and led her away.

Like he said before, things might not change, some things will just always be the same. But as he walked with the former Hermione Granger, hand in hand, leaving the memories of the Golden Trio behind and going towards their home, he realized, this was definitely a twist in the story.