Disclaimer: Albus, Scorpius, Draco and Harry all belong to J.K. Rowling.
Notes: Just a quick Valentine's Day story that I wrote between writing chapters for Twelve (Almost) Fail-Safe Malfoy Rules. Happy Valentine's Day!
Getting Along
"I just want you to get along," Albus told his dad with a sigh.
He glanced at his dad as the two of them walked through Hogsmeade in the direction of the Three Broomsticks, on their way to meet Scorpius and his father at two o'clock.
Albus had originally suggested to Scorpius that they all meet at Madam Puddifoot's, but Scorpius had been rather reluctant, reminding Albus a few weeks ago that as the next visit to Hogsmeade for Hogwarts students would take place on Valentine's Day, he highly doubted that their fathers would tolerate an afternoon of heart-shaped confetti and happy couples, so they had decided on the Three Broomsticks as a compromise.
He couldn't help but notice that there were dark circles under his dad's eyes, and he looked paler than usual. Albus felt a flicker of worry as his dad stifled a yawn; he had last looked like this a couple of years ago in the aftermath of the divorce, when he had attempted to distract himself by working long hours, bringing work home, not getting enough sleep and consequently pushing himself to the point of exhaustion.
Albus really didn't want him to go back to that frame of mind again, and he hoped that at the very least, an afternoon at the Three Broomsticks with Scorpius and his father would provide him with a distraction from whatever it was that was causing him to lose sleep.
"Albus," his dad sighed in return, "Mr Malfoy and I do get along…well, as best as can be expected, anyway, given our history-"
"Getting into arguments every time the two of you are in the same room and threatening to hex each other at the Weasley Christmas Party does not count as getting along, Dad," Albus corrected him, trying not to sound too anxious. He really wanted the four of them to have a nice afternoon, and he knew that it wouldn't help if he got too nervous, or if his dad arrived at the Three Broomsticks in a bad mood.
He was already nervous enough, what with Scorpius smirking slyly all the time as though he knew something that Albus didn't, and also with Rose constantly raising her eyebrows pointedly at him whenever they had classes together and he mentioned anything about his dad to her, the exact same way that she used to look at him in fifth year when he and Scorpius were still trying to understand their feelings for each other and she had known all along. It was the look that said that she waiting for him to work out the solution to an unknown problem, even though she already knew the answer.
"It's just, it's really important to me -and Scorpius- that you at least try to get along with Mr Malfoy," Albus explained for what felt like the fourteenth time. In any other circumstances, he wouldn't have minded too much about the rivalry, and it hadn't bothered him very much during his first few years at Hogwarts, when he and Scorpius had first become friends. But now that he and Scorpius had finally admitted that the bond that the two of them shared had grown into a lot more than friendship, and they had officially decided to become a couple a few months ago at the start of sixth year, it suddenly seemed essential that their fathers could at least learn to have adult conversations with one another.
Albus felt himself blushing as he thought about Scorpius. Even though they had been friends for more than five years, this new level to their friendship still felt so different; good different, but definitely a bit terrifying as well. They were only in the very early stages of their relationship, but Albus already had a feeling that this was serious, and that they would be together for a long time.
However, he also had a feeling that their relationship would be a lot more difficult if their fathers couldn't put their rivalry to one side. He and Scorpius had experienced enough problems at Hogwarts due to their unexpected friendship and the opinions of certain Hogwarts students about the Malfoy family, and he really didn't think that they needed to create any more unnecessary issues.
"I know, Al," his father reassured him, patting him on the shoulder. "I know how much this means to you both, and I promise I'll try."
Albus tried his best to smile. The strange thing was that his dad and Mr Malfoy actually seemed to have a lot in common, once they stopped bickering, and Albus was sure that they could be friends, one day, if they could both just stop being so stubborn and overlook their past and their family history.
Besides, Albus had a feeling that deep down, his dad felt lonely. He didn't seem to have many friends outside of the Weasley family, and Albus's aunts and uncles were often busy with work, and he and James and Lily were getting older now and starting to make plans for their lives after Hogwarts.
He thought that it might be nice, if his dad could find a friend outside of the family to keep him company.
"Father," Scorpius sighed, "could you and Mr Potter at least try to get along today?"
Scorpius glanced at his father, who was sitting opposite him at a table in the Three Broomsticks, the two of them waiting for Albus and Mr Potter to arrive. His father had been checking his reflection in a nearby mirror, but he turned around to respond to Scorpius's question.
"Potter and I have learnt to tolerate each other, Scorpius; I think that's probably the best that you can hope for, given the circumstances."
"Getting into arguments every time the two of you are out in public together and shouting at each other on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at the start of the Christmas holidays does not count as tolerating each other," Scorpius informed his father as he folded his arms and raised his eyebrows.
"Scorpius," his father drawled, "I have always been very supportive of your friendship with Albus and the Weasleys, and I am very pleased that you and Albus are so happy together, but I think that you are being ever-so-slightly optimistic if you think that Potter and I are also going to start strolling around Hogsmeade like best friends…"
Scorpius sighed again and wondered (not for the first time) if this meeting really was such a good idea. He had been the one to suggest drinks with his father and Mr Potter this afternoon, so he knew that he would most likely get the blame if there were any serious arguments.
He had convinced Albus that now was as good a time as any to get their fathers to try to have civil conversations with one another, and also that it would be a good opportunity to make the most of their fathers both being in Hogsmeade at the same time as him and Al. They didn't get to see their parents very often now, what with their parents' workload at the Ministry of Magic and his and Albus's ever-increasing piles of homework. Scorpius was glad that his father had decided to move to Hogsmeade this year, as it at least gave him a few afternoons during the school year to spend time with him.
However, Scorpius also had an ulterior motive for this meeting, which he hadn't shared with Albus. Over the past year or so, he had noticed the ever-so-subtle glances that his father always threw in Albus's dad's direction in between their arguments, and the looks that Mr Potter always threw right back at him, when he thought that nobody was looking; and also the way that he always seemed to discreetly find ways to bring Harry Potter up in a lot of conversations, and the way that he was currently adjusting his robes and checking his reflection in the mirror again, as though he really cared about how he looked when Harry Potter arrived at the pub. Scorpius had therefore been forced to accept the fact that their inability to leave one another alone whenever they were out in public, coupled with their shared intense glances, could mean that that their emotions towards one another ran a lot deeper than those of rivals.
Rose also seemed to agree, and she was something of an expert when it came to people's emotions; so, for the past few months, Scorpius had secretly been planning ways to encourage his father and Mr Potter to spend time together away from their family and friends, in the hope that by spending more time alone with each other, they might finally acknowledge the fact that they had other feelings, apart from dislike.
A few of years ago, Scorpius would never have been so relaxed when it came to trying to set his father up with somebody. At first, he had been so upset and angry about his parents' divorce, and he had hated the idea of either of them meeting anybody else; but, now that he was a bit older, it was becoming more obvious that his father was rather lonely on his own, and Scorpius really wanted him to meet people and to socialise more, especially now that he was living alone.
He was fully aware that if anything actually happened between the two of them, it would no doubt add another element of awkwardness to his new relationship with Albus, but he felt like he would be able to deal with that if and when it happened, as long as his father was happy and Albus was okay with the situation.
"Just promise me that you won't try to hex him again," Scorpius told his father as the pub door opened. He was already looking forward to later in the afternoon, when he and Albus could go to dinner, and it would be just the two of them.
"I won't make you any promises that I can't keep," his father replied with a smirk.
Albus arrived at the Three Broomsticks with his dad just after two o'clock.
He glanced around the room nervously, hoping that the Malfoys wouldn't comment on their tardiness.
Scorpius was the first to get up from the table to greet them, and he winked at Albus as he approached.
Albus felt himself blushing bright red in embarrassment. Scorpius could still make him feel nervous with a touch of the hand or a nod or a wink.
He noticed Scorpius's father rolling his eyes at the two of them as he approached. Albus already knew that Mr Malfoy always reacted this way around couples, and he couldn't really blame him for his cynicism; he had heard that his divorce a few years ago had been particularly unpleasant, and Scorpius had never mentioned anything about any other relationships for his father since then.
As Albus let Scorpius pull him in for a hug, he noticed that his dad and Mr Malfoy nodded at each other in greeting. The gesture was polite, but not overly friendly.
"You look nice," Scorpius whispered to him, and Albus blushed all over again.
"So do you," Albus replied.
"You hair looks terrible," Albus heard Mr Malfoy drawl whilst he looked his dad up and down with an obvious expression of disapproval.
He was about to say something in his dad's defence-he knew from experience how difficult it could be to get Potter hair to look presentable- but he was sure that Scorpius's warning glare at his father would be enough for now.
"So do your robes," his dad retorted, and Albus directed his warning glance at him, instead, all the while ignoring Mr Malfoy's comments about designer robes and their unique material.
The four of them sat down at the table, with Albus sitting directly opposite Scorpius and their fathers also sitting opposite one another. The two older men still seemed to be staring at each other, as though silently challenging the other to throw the next insult.
Albus still felt inexplicably nervous, and he was glad that Scorpius was here to distract them and to lead the conversation by asking everybody what they wanted to drink.
Albus saw his dad yawning as he ordered his drink.
"What's wrong, Potter?" Mr Malfoy asked. "Not been sleeping well? Has something been keeping you up all night?"
For some reason, his dad looked a bit uncomfortable at Mr Malfoy's comment, and his cheeks definitely looked quite flushed, but before Albus could ask him what was wrong, Scorpius jumped into the conversation again: "How about those Quidditch results last Saturday?" he asked, and Albus grinned gratefully at him for providing another distraction.
"Oh yes, where were you last Saturday, Potter?" Scorpius's father asked with a smirk as Scorpius sighed in exasperation.
"What do you mean?" his dad replied, looking slightly taken aback, in spite of the hint of a challenge in his voice.
"Well, according to the gossip section of Witch Weekly magazine, even though you were invited to watch the Chudley Cannons match, you appeared to spend most of the afternoon away from your seat. What happened, were you hiding in one of the Quidditch stadium bathrooms or something?"
"Didn't you mention something about going to watch that match as well, Father?" Scorpius asked with a confused frown, before Albus's dad could respond.
Now it was Scorpius's father's turn to look taken aback. He mumbled something about not being able to make it, before the table descended into what definitely felt like an awkward silence.
Albus sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.
As the four of them finished their Butterbeers, and Scorpius finished analysing the Cannons match with Al, and his father finished bickering with Mr Potter about the latest Quidditch results, Scorpius decided to turn the conversation to more neutral topics, and he started to talk about school and exams, responding politely when Mr Potter asked him questions about his Defence Against the Dark Arts Classes before asking how the professors were.
The conversation then turned to their plans after Hogwarts, and Scorpius talked in detail about how he wanted to undertake further training in potion-making, whilst Albus talked about his plans to train as a Healer.
Secretly, Scorpius hoped that he and Albus would still be together after they left Hogwarts, and also that the two of them could maybe live together. They had spent the past few years sharing a dormitory, and Scorpius was used to having Albus around all the time. He shrugged, deciding that perhaps that particular conversation could wait for another few months.
Albus then asked Scorpius's father how he was getting on at work, and how he liked living in Hogsmeade, and the focus of the conversation shifted to their fathers.
"I'm thinking of moving to Hogsmeade, in the near future," Mr Potter announced, and Scorpius noted that Albus looked slightly surprised by this announcement.
"Really?" Albus asked with raised eyebrows.
His dad nodded. "Well, the house feels a bit empty now, with the three of you at Hogwarts," Mr Potter explained to his son. "And it looks like James will be travelling next year to play Quidditch, and I've been offered more teaching hours at Hogwarts, so it makes sense to start planning to move now."
"My father could help you to find a new flat in Hogsmeade," Scorpius suggested, noticing that his father also looked rather fascinated by this news, and deciding that this might be a good excuse to encourage the two of them to spend time together. "He's lived here for a while now, so he could advise you on the best places to live."
"Oh, don't worry," his father mumbled, sounding smug for some reason, "I'm sure that Potter already knows his way around Hogsmeade."
Mr Potter glared across the table, and Scorpius was sure that the glare was supposed to be warning his father about something, but Scorpius wasn't sure what that something was.
They ordered more drinks, and, noticing that Albus looked rather uncomfortable at another awkward silence and the inexplicable tension in the room, Scorpius reached out under the table so that he could take Albus's hand to reassure him, the way he always did when Albus got nervous.
As he squeezed Albus's hand tightly, and Albus's cheeks flushed red, Mr Potter suddenly jumped as though he had been startled by something.
Both Scorpius and Albus looked at him, but he seemed to quickly regain his composure.
"What's wrong, Potter?" Scorpius heard his father ask, and he noticed yet another smug grin.
The two men glared at each other again.
Scorpius decided that now was probably a good time to take a bathroom break. He got up from his seat, and then, taking pity on Albus, he tugged gently at the sleeve of his robes, getting him to come with him, and hoping more than anything that no duels would commence whilst they were away from the table.
"What in Merlin's name are you playing at?" Harry spluttered, the second Albus and Scorpius were out of earshot.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Potter," Malfoy replied. His innocent widening of the eyes was somewhat contradicted by his devious smirk.
"The comment about sleepless nights? The remark about being out of sight during the Quidditch match? The he-knows-his-way-around-Hogsmeade innuendo? The groping under the table? They're going to work it out!"
"They'll have to know eventually-"
"Yeah, well, I don't want them finding out like this!"
"I hate to break it to you, Potter, but I have a feeling that Scorpius already has his suspicions, and I'm sure that he'll help Albus to come to terms with the news-"
"It isn't going to help matters, though, if you act like a complete prat about it!"
"What would you prefer, Potter? That I blush and bat my eyelids at you and hold your hand under the table?"
Harry opened his mouth to respond, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to put up a very good argument. The insults and the smug smirks that had always made Harry want to hex Malfoy back at Hogwarts now made him want to…well, they still made him want to hex his former rival, sometimes, but they also made him want to do so much more to him, too.
He settled for frowning at Malfoy and telling him to shut up, but to Harry's surprise, Malfoy actually did reach under the table so that their hands could briefly touch. Harry had to remind himself that he was still angry with Malfoy-and also that he was supposed to be a mature adult- to try to stop himself from blushing or grinning shyly.
"Are you staying at my flat again tonight?" Malfoy asked in barely more than a whisper as Albus and Scorpius headed back towards the table.
Harry nodded, in spite of his anger. It was Valentine's Day, after all.
He knew that if whatever it was that they had between them was going to last, then they would have to have a serious talk with their children soon, and they would probably have to take Albus and Scorpius's advice and learn to communicate without arguing; but, for tonight at least, Harry knew that he and 'Mr Malfoy' would be getting along just fine.