A/N: Draco watches Scorpius just be carefree and wonders if he was ever that way. He definitely didn't stay that way.
Submission for:
Team Competition: Post-Hogwarts. Draco. "People are pretty strange"
Russian Roulette: Genre - Angst
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Draco watches his son run about his backyard and he marvels at how carefree and innocent he is. He is happy his son can afford to be himself. He is happy his son can just let go and run about without fear. He was born into a life of freedom, a world that Draco's generation fought for and barely survived. Draco counts himself lucky to be given this opportunity to have a life with his son.
He closes his eyes and he can remember when he was younger, running in this very yard. He remembers running through his mother's flower garden and always wanting to climb the large apple tree near the back of the property. But was he as carefree as his son? Was he as happy as his son was?
When he was five, he didn't know of the danger that loomed just under the surface of his everyday life. He didn't know that there was once a Dark wizard who threatened to take over the world. He was only concerned with getting into mischief with his little boy hands. Fear and danger only extended as far as the darkness in his bedroom closet at nights.
But as he grew older, that picture perfect life began to fracture. He started to hear the whispers between his parents when he was just out of earshot. He noticed the way his father would sometimes freeze if he happened to ask a particularly triggering question about their opinion on muggle-borns before being told to return to his studies.
The dream was completely broken when the Dark Lord returned in his Fourth Year. People are pretty strange when they want to believe something. The Ministry purposely denied what they saw directly in front of them, preferring to live in the dreamworld, but Draco didn't have that luxury. As one of the Dark Lord's inner circle, Draco knew better. Soon, he was thrust into a world of nightmares and ordered to assassinate one of the greatest wizards at the age of sixteen.
He can feel his heart rate speeding up just thinking about it: the sleepless nights as he tried to figure out the cabinet, the worry for the safety of his mother, the concern for his father rotting in Azkaban prison, the year to follow when the Dark Lord moved into his home, the tyranny of the Death Eaters at Hogwarts, the torture of Granger on his hardwood floor.
"Daddy!" his son screams as he jumps into his lap, startling Draco out of his thoughts with a gasp. He schools his expression into something of slight surprise instead of pure terror at the thoughts that were quickly flying out of his mind.
His son doesn't know about the world that existed before. His son is innocent and pure. His son is perfect.
"Hey, Scorp," Draco says with a smile as he nuzzles the boy's soft blond head.
The boy squirms a bit in his father's arms but accepts the love all the same. "Come play with me!" Scorpius screams as he jumps off and runs.
Draco laughs and follows after his son, reliving his childhood as he runs about his backyard, through his mother's garden and wanting to climb the large apple tree. The past is gone and now Draco is looking towards the future with his son.