Softly: Pancakes

by starlightpeddler

Albus and Scorpius had followed their plan very closely for years, and thus far it had served them marvelously. They have a beautiful family and the home they've always wanted, but when a neglected child needs their help, they find themselves unable to turn away. [This ficlet takes place between Chapter 20 of 'Softly' and the epilogue. I recommend you read this before the epilogue

Author's Note: This story takes place in the time between chapter 20 and the epilogue of "Softly." It can be read in any order, but I highly suggest reading it between chapter 20 and the epilogue. It does stand alone, however.

---

"I don't know what to do with her, Scorpius," Ainsley said in their kitchen, clutching a cup of herbal tea with shaking hands. "She won't talk to anyone. She's clearly been abused. Normally I tend to them myself when it's bad, but she won't let any woman near her. I think her mother must have hit her or something."

Albus and Scorpius looked at each other warily.

"We can't adopt another child," Albus said firmly.

"I'm not asking you to adopt her," Ainsley amended quickly. "I'm asking you to foster her until she's in a better state and we can track down her mother. I need to find out who the kid is first and something about this situation doesn't feel right."

Scorpius looked at his husband. He knew they couldn't say no – there was a kid who needed their help and clearly Ainsley trusted them to handle it – but he also didn't want them to bite off more than they could chew.

"What do you think, Al?" Scorpius asked, but Albus had his eyes locked with Ainsley's. Scorpius could see the gears turning in his head, assessing the risks and evaluating how their other children would take it. They were all upstairs asleep – thankfully, their eldest Avery was home from Hogwarts for the weekend before the term picked up – and Albus knew as well as Scorpius did that if they were to ask them, they'd be too excited about the prospect of a new friend to assess whether or not it was a good idea.

"Go get her," Albus said to Scorpius finally. "I'll stay here with the kids."

Scorpius nodded and pulled his robes on over his pajamas. After kissing his husband goodbye, he followed Ainsley into the fireplace and through the Floo to the ministry which was eerie late at night – well-lit but deserted.

"She's in my office with Darren," Ainsley explained, her voice echoing around the cavernous atrium. "I didn't want to take her to the children's home. We might have cleaned it up and gotten it sorted out a few years ago, but it's only suitable if the child is in good health and stable."

"And you think we can help?"

"I think you're my best option since she's terrified of women," Ainsley explained. "You'll see."

They made their way to the Department of Family and Children's Services – an office Scorpius and Albus were very familiar with - both because they had adopted all five of their children here and because Ainsley was head of the department. Scorpius couldn't help smiling at the plaque on the wall as they walked through.

Department of Family and Children's Services

Head: Ainsley Malfoy Potter

They walked through two more doors before getting to Ainsley's office, where a harried-looking young wizard was sitting in a guest chair near Ainsley's desk, and a small girl of around six was curled up in Ainsley's massive leather chair, her arms around her knees in a ministry-issued pair of joggers and a t-shirt. Scorpius spotted the grubby dress she must have been wearing prior tossed onto a seat in the corner.

The little girl jumped when they entered and curled in on herself even further. Ainsley stepped back and stood behind Darren's chair.

"Is everything okay?" she asked her assistant. Scorpius knew Darren was very good at his job – he'd been there when he and Albus had adopted Samuel and Will – and even he looked perplexed.

"Same," Darren said.

The little girl was eyeing Ainsley closely, hiding behind a curtain of dark blonde hair – suspicious and frightened – and ignored Scorpius entirely until he stepped closer to her. At the movement she blanched, and Scorpius held out his empty hands to show that he had nothing that could hurt her. He moved around the desk slowly and her eyes followed his every move until he knelt in front of her chair at a respectful distance.

Scorpius looked into the little girl's eyes and knew he was done for. They weren't the same green as Albus' – his were emerald and hers were a light celery color – but they were close enough that seeing that kind of fear in them twisted something sharp in his chest.

"My name is Scorpius," he said quietly. "What's yours?"

The girl regarded him for a moment before raising her head from behind her knees just enough to speak.

"Charlotte."

Scorpius smiled warmly at her. He took a chance and offered her his hand to shake. He often found that greeting children as one would greet an adult earned their respect faster than anything else.

"It's very nice to meet you, Charlotte," Scorpius said. She eyed his hand suspiciously, but he held it steady, letting her take her time deciding whether or not to shake it. After nearly thirty seconds, she slid her small, bony hand into his, and shook it briefly before withdrawing again.

"Charlotte, my sister Ainsley told me you've had a rough time lately," Scorpius said. He saw a flash of recognition in her eyes – maybe an appreciation that someone understood a bit – and he found it encouraging. "She said that maybe you'd like to come and stay with me and my family for a little while until things get sorted."

The little girl looked between Ainsley and Scorpius a few times, her eyes wide and unsure.

"Ainsley wants you to go somewhere you'll be comfortable," Scorpius said. "And we'd love to have you."

He watched the way she eyed Ainsley with scrutiny and saw the pain in his sister's eyes. Children inherently trusted her the way they trusted Albus and Scorpius, and he knew it broke her heart when she was unable to help – especially when he knew she was thinking of her eight- and two-year-old children at home with James.

He took a chance – he wanted to assure her that there was no mother-figure at home. "My husband makes excellent pancakes. I'm sure he'd make you some in the morning."

Charlotte stared at him for the longest uninterrupted period since entered. He could see her piecing together what he'd said – 'husband' and not 'wife.' He wondered if she'd ask more questions – sometimes kids did and Albus and Scorpius usually handled it pretty well, but he didn't know if he could at two o'clock in the morning without Albus at his side.

When she was silent for too long, Scorpius tilted his head at her. "Would you like that?"

"I-I think so," Charlotte muttered. Scorpius grinned at her – and the worry on her face softened a bit.

"We even have an extra room. The bed is very soft."

"These clothes are itchy," Charlotte muttered, plucking at the coarse gray shirt.

Scorpius chuckled at her. "My daughters Lexi and Avery are at home. I'm sure they could lend you some pajamas."

Charlotte weighed her options – though what options she was considering, Scorpius wasn't sure. After a long moment, she nodded and uncurled herself in the chair.

"Okay," she said.

"Excellent," Scorpius said, mustering some enthusiasm to mask his concern for the child. He wanted her to feel like a welcomed guest – not a charity case. He stood up and held his hand out for her, and she took it as she slid down from the chair. Her little hand was cold and shaky – Scorpius wanted to get her home as soon as possible so Albus could at least get her to eat a sandwich before she passed out.

Darren quickly handed Scorpius a clipboard with a form for temporary custody. Scorpius took Ainsley's peacock quill – one of last year's Christmas gifts from Draco, and he had the matching one – and signed 'Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy-Potter' on the bottom line. Ainsley quickly signed as the authorizing ministry official, and Darren as a witness. By the time Darren finished, Scorpius felt Charlotte burying her face in his robes and holding onto them to support herself in her exhaustion.

He looked down at her. The top of her head was barely visible in the fabric of his robes and he couldn't help feeling for her. He reached down and lay his hand atop her head lightly and was quite pleased when she didn't flinch away.

"You're tired?" Scorpius asked. She nodded into his side. "Would you like me to carry you?"

Charlotte looked up at him and he noticed how red the whites of her eyes were for the first time. Clearly, she had been crying at some point in the day.

When she nodded, Scorpius felt a bit honored to be chosen. Normally it was Albus that children naturally gravitated to, as he was the funny one with jokes and sarcasm and stories about fluffy animals. Albus was the fierce one who would readily hex anyone who so much as looked at his kids wrong and that made them feel safe. They gravitated to him for all the same reasons Scorpius loved him, and sometimes Scorpius wondered if it was because he was still a child at heart himself.

Scorpius bent down carefully and picked her up, astounded by how light she was. He held her with one arm under her legs and the other around her back, not caring at all that she knocked his glasses askew, and she lay heavily against his shoulder with her little arms around his neck. Ainsley looked relieved that the problem had been solved – at least for now the child would be safe and cared for in a home she could trust, but Scorpius didn't feel anything akin to relief. He knew exactly what had just happened.

---

Scorpius came back home with Charlotte in his arms to find Albus waiting in the living room. It was a cavernous open space that took up most of the first floor and was filled of massive couches, a shelf full of games, warm blankets, family photos and dog hair – just the way Albus and Scorpius had come to like things.

Albus, however, didn't look happy once he caught sight of Charlotte. He leaped off the couch and went to his husband, but Scorpius shook his head quickly and Albus froze in his tracks.

"Charlotte?" Scorpius said softly.

She raised her sleepy head from his shoulder and looked up at him with half-closed eyes. She blinked a few times as she came to her senses and looked at Scorpius expectantly before looking around and taking in her surroundings. She looked up at the high vaulted ceiling, the heavy wrought iron light that hung from the center of the ceiling, and into the half-open kitchen before her eyes fell on Albus. Scorpius felt her tense up in his arms.

"Charlotte, this is Albus, my husband."

"Pancakes," Charlotte said, connecting the face with the comment. Scorpius grinned at her.

"Yes, pancakes," Scorpius said. "Albus?"

Scorpius saw the moment it happened. Albus met Charlotte's eyes and Scorpius saw him fall in love with the little girl. He'd seen it five times before – the most intense (aside from Avery, as she'd been their first) was the second day they'd had infant Adam, and Albus had watched as he vomited on Draco's shoulder. Scorpius was certain from that moment on that Adam had been Albus' secret favorite, but now he wasn't so sure.

"Hello," Albus greeted her. He had his hands shoved in his pockets – a tell that he was uncomfortable – and he stared at her with a helpless sort of look for a moment before looking at Scorpius. It was a silent understanding that this little girl needed them.

Charlotte looked at Albus as if she were deciding what to do – something Albus wasn't used to dealing with, as children usually decided he was their new best friend and they should play games immediately, so he waited patiently, respectful of her space and fearful eyes, until Charlotte held out her hand the way Scorpius had. It didn't matter that it was the wrong hand – Albus grinned and shook it all the same.

"Pleased to meet you," Albus said. "Did you want pancakes now?"

Charlotte looked to Scorpius, confused. "I thought you said pancakes for breakfast."

"I'll make them for breakfast too, if you like," Albus said. "We can have middle-of-the-night pancakes and morning pancakes. How does that sound?"

She smiled through her little yawn, pleased with this development, and Scorpius watched Albus fall even further.

Scorpius carried Charlotte into the kitchen, walking closely behind Albus who seized his apron from the hook near the pantry and got to work. Within minutes he was whisking the batter in a large steel bowl, and Scorpius set Charlotte on the counter near the stove next to him, watching her little legs dangle over the edge.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at Albus' chest. The amulet Scorpius had given him more than a decade ago hung around his neck, scratched and a bit beat up, but the scorpion inside the amber was still visible. Normally Albus wore it tucked inside his shirt and out of sight, but he was rarely ever without it.

"It's an amulet," Albus explained. "Scorpius gave it to me a long time ago. It keeps me safe."

"Oh," she said quietly. She watched Albus move around the kitchen, her eyes flickering from the amulet around his neck to his hands and back to Scorpius who watched over them with a mix of concern for Charlotte and affection for his husband. Eventually, Albus must have assumed she was comfortable, because he started asking questions.

"How old are you, Charlotte?" Albus asked her.

Charlotte held out one hand with her fingers spread apart, but looked at it as if the number wasn't right. Then she added her other hand, holding up her thumb.

"Six? Wow," Albus said. "That's impressive."

He reached to pour the batter onto a heated pan but paused for a second, and Scorpius knew what he was going to say before he said it. It was Albus' go-to trick when there was a sad child in his kitchen.

"Do you like chocolate chips?"

Predictable, Scorpius thought, leaning back against the large wooden island table they'd built last year. Predictable, yes, but watching Albus win over small children and make them laugh never got old.

"Yes," Charlotte said meekly. Albus reached into the cabinet and pulled out his emergency tub of chocolate chips and poured a considerable amount into the batter. Scorpius wondered if it was wise – they knew very little about this girl's constitution, and what if her mother came back for her? What if they were anti-sugar people, and that was why she was so small and pale?

She giggled as Albus continued throwing chips into the bowl, watching her as if waiting for her to tell him to stop. It was a delightful sound, especially from a child that seemed to speak so little.

---

Charlotte ate an ungodly amount of chocolate chip pancakes as Scorpius and Albus watched from the counter, giving her some space. Albus pressed himself against his husband's side, seeking warmth in such a strange moment, his eyes never leaving the little girl's face.

"What do we know?" Albus asked quietly.

"Note implying parental surrender. She was left outside the ministry visitor's entrance. That's it."

"Damn," Albus whispered. Charlotte gulped down some orange juice before starting on her fourth pancake. She'd said nothing for ten minutes now, and Scorpius suspected she didn't speak much unless spoken to.

"I signed the temporary custody paperwork," Scorpius told him. "I'm sure they'll investigate, but it looks like she's been abandoned."

Albus' eyes flickered up to his husband. Scorpius looked tired. Albus knew he'd had a long week at the ministry battling the French wizarding archives' archaic laws as they tried to acquire some texts for copying into the database, and he knew this wasn't how Scorpius had intended to spend Friday night. He needed to sleep. They both needed to sleep, but instead they were watching an abandoned child eat as if she hadn't been fed for days.

Albus knew he was screwed the minute he'd locked eyes with the little girl. It was obvious when he saw the way Scorpius was carrying her that his husband was already taken with the kid, but then he saw why. She was endearing with intelligent eyes, a sweet face and something so terribly broken that he couldn't help wanting to fix it.

He slid his hand into Scorpius', leaning into his arm as Charlotte continued to eat. It wasn't until she slowed down, eyeing the plate of pancakes with a bit of trepidation, that Albus started to get worried. He walked over to the table – she must not have noticed his initial movements for the first few moments because she jolted a bit in her seat when she realized how close he was, and Albus froze.

"You don't have to eat them all, you know," Albus said with a smile.

"I-I don't?"

"Of course not," Albus said, leaning onto the table on his elbows so he was eye level with her. "You just eat as much as you want to."

"Oh," Charlotte said, sheepish. She set her fork down on her plate. "Mummy always makes me eat everything, but it was never as much as this."

Albus heard Scorpius respond. He came up beside him and leaned into the table too. It was the stance they often took when having a 'serious' talk with one of their kids after cornering them with the promise of food.

"Do you know where your mum is?" Scorpius asked.

Charlotte shook her head, wary.

"Is there anything you can tell us, Charlotte?"

Her eyes shifted from Albus to Scorpius and back again as she decided how to answer. It was the same kind of behavior Albus saw in injured animals when they had been mistreated by humans and needed something, but weren't sure how to approach a human to take it. Albus looked to Scorpius and saw his husband's silver eyes were full of concern. Maybe he'd realized the same thing.

"My mum forgot about me," Charlotte said quietly. Albus' attention snapped back to her, and he saw that she was looking down at her lap instead of at them. "She told me to stand near the phone booth and left and forgot to come back for me."

Albus could nearly hear Scorpius' heart drop, and he felt Scorpius sag into his side. Albus wrapped an arm around his husband's back, his eyes never leaving the little girl.

"If anyone can get this sorted out, it's Ainsley – the woman you met at the ministry," Albus said, hoping that would calm her enough so she could sleep.

Scorpius' seemed to have more questions, however. "Can you tell me why you were afraid of her?"

Charlotte blushed, embarrassed, and bit down on her lip for a moment.

"She's like mum," Charlotte whispered. "Mum is mean."

Okay, Scorpius, Albus thought, hoping his husband could read his mind. That's enough.

Scorpius didn't stop.

"But dads aren't mean?" Scorpius asked. Charlotte shook her head and Scorpius nodded, standing up. He seemed to have learned what he needed, and looked down at Albus.

"You must be tired," Albus said. Charlotte nodded and started gathering up her dishes quickly – so fast that Albus had to reach across the table and still her hands. He took the plate from her carefully – the glass perched precariously on top – and set it back down.

"I'll take care of it," Albus said kindly. She didn't seem to understand and looked confused and hurt as if she'd done something wrong, but Albus had a problem with guests cleaning things up in his home. He wouldn't allow it (his own children, on the other hand, were responsible for their own messes and Merlin help them if they didn't tidy up at the end of the day). Besides – their sink was high and she wouldn't be able to reach it.

"But…" Charlotte looked between them, genuinely confused and somewhat afraid, and Scorpius found it terribly disturbing. This little girl associated leaving dishes out or not tending to them herself with serious consequences. Scorpius didn't need the details for it to turn his stomach.

But Albus' kind smile served them well in this instance, and she let go, allowing Albus to toss the dishes in the sink and leave them until morning. Scorpius turned for just a moment, hoping to catch Albus' eye, when Charlotte let out a great, brief screech and scrambled to pull her legs up onto the bar stool.

"It's just Ridgebit!" Albus said quickly, rushing around the table. Scorpius followed close behind and indeed, their English Shepherd had decided to make an appearance, her black and brown face showing interest that they knew was curiosity, but to a frightened child on high-alert could have been threatening.

Albus crouched down next to Ridgebit, whose head was tilted in confusion as she looked up at Charlotte. Albus wrapped an arm around the dog and scratched behind her ears, which got her attention quickly. She licked his face a few times before looking back at the new addition, waiting for the greeting she always got from strangers.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius said to Charlotte. "I forgot to tell you we have a dog."

"It's okay," Charlotte said, slowly uncurling herself. "Just surprised me."

She carefully reached down, extending her hand to Ridgebit who seemed to sense her trepidation and decided to forego her normal excited greeting and just nuzzled the underside of Charlotte's hand.

"Soft," Charlotte muttered.

Albus looked up at Scorpius, and Scorpius could see the worry and confusion in his husband's eyes. They'd faced a lot of things together, but this was new.

Scorpius lay a comforting hand on Charlotte's shoulder and was pleased when she didn't recoil. At least she seemed somewhat comfortable with him and Albus.

"There's a guest room upstairs if you'd like to sleep there," Scorpius offered. He chose his words carefully since he wasn't sure what Charlotte's experiences were – he sincerely hoped they weren't the worst things he was thinking. "But if you don't want to sleep alone, we'll understand. Our daughters Avery and Lexi are upstairs and I'm sure they'd be happy to share with you, or I'll sleep downstairs – you can have one couch all to yourself and I'll take the other."

"I can sleep upstairs," Charlotte said. Ridgebit had taken to lapping gently at her hand, and Charlotte seemed to like that. "Can I keep… um… what's her name?"

"Ridgebit," Albus supplied.

"Can I keep Ridgebit with me?"

"Of course you can," Albus said with a smile. "She's an excellent watchdog."

This was a lie. Ridgebit was terrified of loud noises and would be more likely to lick and intruder to death than attack, but if it made Charlotte feel better then the lie was fine.

Albus ran ahead and slipped into Avery and Lexi's room to steal some of their older, smaller clothes while Scorpius held Charlotte's hand as they climbed the stairs to the second floor.

"Your house is big," Charlotte said as they reached the second-floor landing, which was lined with doors. Ridgebit followed close at her side.

"We have five kids," Scorpius said. "And a big family. They come over sometimes."

"Oh," Charlotte said. Scorpius could tell the concept was foreign to her.

"There's also a barn outside. Albus works with animals that have been hurt and helps them get better. Maybe you'd like to see that tomorrow?"

"You're not taking me back?"

Scorpius paused at the door to the guest room and looked down at her.

"Do you want me to?" he asked, hoping it didn't sound like a threat. He knew Albus would have been more careful and tread more lightly, but Scorpius could see in her eyes that she could handle the question. Whatever this girl had been through had made her resilient.

Charlotte shook her head quickly. "No, I'd like to stay here. If that's o-okay."

"Of course it is," Scorpius said.

"Is my mummy going to know where to find me?"

Scorpius frowned at her.

"If your mum comes looking for you, she'll talk to Ainsley. Do you want your mum to find you?"

Charlotte looked down at her feet. Albus appeared at the end of the hall, but seemed to notice something was going on and paused before he was noticed. Scorpius shook his head, and Albus nodded, staying still.

Scorpius lowered himself to one knee, his tired body protesting the movement, to be on eye level with Charlotte.

"Whatever you say is okay," Scorpius said. "I promise."

"No," she muttered. "I don't."

Scorpius closed his eyes. He wasn't sure which answer was worse.

"Someone will be coming by tomorrow from the ministry," Scorpius told her. She looked up at him, afraid, and Scorpius lay his hand on her shoulder to calm her. "They're going to ask you some questions, but Albus and I will stay with you if you want, okay?

Charlotte nodded.

"But no matter what happens, you're not going back to the ministry tomorrow and you will be taken care of."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Scorpius said, and to his great surprise Charlotte wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"Thank you," she muttered against his shoulder. Scorpius scooped her up and stood as Albus joined them, an older pair of Avery's pajamas in hand.

"These will be a bit big on you," Albus told Charlotte. "Lexi and Avery are ten and eleven, so they're a bit bigger, but they should do."

Scorpius carried Charlotte into the guest room, which was really only ever used by Orion. Several of his things were tossed on the desk and on top of the wardrobe, and Scorpius was hit with a pang of longing for his little brother, who'd just started at back Hogwarts two months ago. He'd be going to the Halloween feast soon, and Scorpius couldn't help feeling a bit jealous.

After showing her the small attached bathroom, he set Charlotte down on the bed and smiled at her, and Albus set the pajamas neatly at her side. Scorpius figured that if he'd had the day Charlotte had endured at the age of six, he'd be eager for some privacy and some sleep.

"Do you have everything you need?" Scorpius asked. Charlotte nodded.

"Those stairs at the end of the hall," Albus said, pointing in the right direction. "Those lead up to our room, okay? If you need anything at all, you just come upstairs and knock. Anything at all."

Charlotte nodded in understanding again, picking idly at the edge of the pajamas. Ridgebit – who was the most emotionally intelligent dog Scorpius had ever seen – lay down beside the bed without prompting.

Albus looked at Scorpius as though asking if there was anything else they could or should do. Scorpius looked back with the same question.

"Okay, then," Albus said after a moment without an answer. "We'll just… leave you to get some sleep and see you in the morning."

"Okay," Charlotte said, looking a little lost but more than a little tired.

Albus and Scorpius backed from the room, not knowing what else to do, and bid her a good night before slipping into the hallway and up the stairs to their room. Albus closed the door behind them and leaned back on it, looking a little dazed.

"What the fuck," he muttered.

Scorpius collapsed onto the edge of the bed, feeling just as stunned and disoriented.

"What the fuck," Albus repeated. "Who the hell hurt that kid?"

"I don't know, but I'd certainly like to get my hands on them," Scorpius said.

"Yeah, your freaky powers would come in handy right now," Albus said. "Get our hands on that kid's mum and make her talk."

"Damn shame I barely have them anymore," Scorpius reminded him.

"I'd be happy to take care of it," Albus said, his hand falling to his pocket where Scorpius knew his wand was stowed. Scorpius sighed and took off his glasses, setting them on his night stand and rubbing his eyes.

"I'll be damned if we're giving that little girl back to her mother," Albus said fiercely. "I don't know what the mum did to her, but I intend to find out and –"

"And do what?" Scorpius interrupted, exasperated. He got to his feet. "I'm just as angry as you are, Al, but this is completely out of our control. We can't do anything unless there's documented abuse or neglect, and I'm betting this is the first anyone's heard of it. It's out of our hands."

"Is it?" Albus asked, stepping towards him, offended that Scorpius would even suggest a lack of influence. "Because my aunt is the former Minister for Magic, your dad has more influence than anyone over the Wizengamot these days, and – oh yeah – my dad is Harry fucking Potter."

"That doesn't mean we can circumvent the law –"

"And! And Ainsley is in charge of children's affairs."

"Albus, please –"

"So please tell me how we can't help her," Albus said, anger flashing in his eyes. Scorpius knew it wasn't directed at him – he knew better and didn't fight him.

"We can do whatever we can," Scorpius said, holding out his hands and hoping to placate his husband. "Whatever we can, but Albus – let's not get ahead of ourselves. Right now she's just a little girl who needs our help. We can't go into parental overdrive."

Albus glared at Scorpius for a moment, but softened once he realized his husband was right. 'Parental overdrive' was their specialty – a term coined by Orion when Albus growled back at a dog that dared bare its teeth at Adam and Samuel a few years back.

"Okay," Albus said, letting out a long, slow breath. "You're right. We can't just absorb this kid into our family."

"And if it comes to that..." Scorpius considered for a moment. "We did say five was our limit, Albus."

Albus gave him a droll stare that told Scorpius he knew damn well Scorpius was already in love with this kid and that, should she need a permanent home, they wouldn't hesitate to offer it. Scorpius knew his instincts had somehow aligned themselves with Albus' over the years. They were already on the same page.

"Yeah, yeah," Scorpius sighed as Albus walked into his arms. He clung to his husband desperately, emotionally wrung out. "I know."

"You were really good with her," Albus said quietly against his shoulder.

"You're always good with kids," Scorpius countered. "It's actually a really impressive skill."

"Well, I'd intended to impress you with other skills tonight," Albus admitted. Scorpius smiled and nuzzled his husband's neck, momentarily lamenting the missed opportunity.

"It's okay," Scorpius said. "I always think you're impressive."

---

Albus didn't wake up gracefully the following morning. Instead, he jolted back to consciousness and was immediately aware that he'd overslept. His internal clock placed it at around nine o'clock but his watch said it was an hour and a half later than that, and he shook his head, trying to get past the disorientation.

"Wake up," he hissed at Scorpius, who was curled up on his side. His back was facing Albus, so he grabbed his husband's shoulders and rolled him over, shaking him awake. "Wake up!"

"What? Why?" Scorpius whined.

"Because we have a scared little girl staying in our home and it's ten thirty and our kids are certainly up by now."

That woke Scorpius up. He was on his feet in seconds, scrounging around for a pair of trousers. Scorpius usually slept in pajamas ("What if the kids need us in the middle of the night? I can't run downstairs in my pants, Albus.") so seeing him both disheveled and disrobed so early was a rare treat that Albus didn't have time to enjoy. He scrambled to his feet as well, dug up a pair of joggers and pulled them on, swiftly followed by a Brazilian National Quidditch t-shirt.

Once Scorpius was similarly dressed, they rushed downstairs. From the second floor, they could hear voices coming from even further down, and Albus leaped down the bottom two stairs into the juncture of the kitchen and the living room.

Adam and Lexi were sitting on the couch while Samuel, Will, and Avery had Charlotte seated at the coffee table at the center of the living room. Each had an empty bowl of cereal nearby, and Albus spotted several empty sweets wrappers scattered about. Avery was explaining the intricacies of the board game Snitch Snatcher! to Charlotte who was sitting next to her on a small pile of cushions, and Albus was infinitely grateful for their eldest daughter's resourcefulness and intelligence – he understood entirely why she was a Ravenclaw.

Adam was watching with rapt attention, but looked too uncomfortable to join in. Albus didn't need to approach him to know his anxiety was getting the better of him – Lexi had her hand on his, and she was gently squeezing and releasing his fingers in time with his breaths. He was calm now, but Albus suspected seeing Charlotte had thrown him a bit. He hadn't expected to out-sleep the kids, so he knew he and Scorpius would have to apologize to him later and thank Lexi for handling it as she always did.

"Good morning?" Albus said, bemused. Six pairs of eyes turned to look at him and Scorpius and Samuel jumped up from his spot.

"Good morning! We met Charlotte."

Albus met Avery's eyes and could tell it hadn't been that simple. Scorpius cleared his throat.

"I can see that," Scorpius said, walking into the living room. "Why didn't you wake us up?"

"I got up first," Avery explained. "I found Charlotte sitting on the couch with Ridgebit and she kind of explained what happened."

Avery didn't seem certain that anything had been explained, but whatever Charlotte had said had clearly been enough to convince her that Charlotte was meant to be there. Albus was glad Avery had found her first – of all their children, her judgment seemed to be the most sound.

"I couldn't sleep anymore," Charlotte said quietly. Beside her, Ridgebit whimpered and Will reached over to pet her.

"That's okay," Albus said kindly. He walked over to join the kids at the table and sat down on an empty edge while Scorpius settled in behind him next to Adam and Lexi. Albus was happy Charlotte seemed at-ease with their kids, but he was even more proud of his children, who'd clearly risen to the occasion of making a guest – a clearly frightened and disoriented little girl – comfortable in their home. He made a mental note to tell them so when he got the chance – they each deserved to know how special they were.

---

A day passed, and Ainsley and Darren came by only to take a statement from Charlotte – one she felt much more comfortable giving with Albus and Scorpius nearby. She bravely talked about her mother and how she was treated at home, and it was one of the longest hours of Scorpius' life. She told them in a very clinical way that she was responsible for so many chores – more than any child should have been – and that her mother would hit her or withhold meals if she didn't get everything done. She told them that her father had died a while ago and she had only vague memories of him, and that she remembered him as being the nice one. She told them her mum had only gotten more cruel as time went on, and that they barely left the house most of the time, and Charlotte really didn't know where she lived.

She told them her last name, too. Nott.

---

A week passed and the Ministry of Magic had only found a name – Amara Nott had married Theorodre Nott after his release from Azkaban. Nott was middle aged, but Amara had been in her mid-twenties. Theodore had died in a drunken bar duel – something no one had gleaned from Charlotte's story – and Amara and Charlotte had withdrawn into their home and had rarely been seen.

The aurors – led by Harry, who rarely went out into the field as he neared retirement – went to the small village where the Nott's home was. Harry had come to Albus himself afterwards and explained that there was no trace of Amara and the house had been empty for at least a week.

Albus asked his father to come over for dinner, and afterwards while the kids played outside, he asked his dad what to do to help a child who'd been neglected and used. He asked Harry what he wished had been done – what he thought he would have needed – as a child, and they talked for hours until the sun had set and the fireflies came out. They talked until Harry had no more left to say and Albus had taken every piece of advice his father had to offer. They talked until Harry had to admit he was proud of Albus for asking, and glad he'd come to him.

A few days later, Ainsley had contacted the Department of Records and found that neither Theodore Nott nor Amara Nott neé Williams had any living family closer than a second cousin. Draco blamed the Second Wizarding War – so many pureblood families had only a single heir or none at all because they had either died out or were locked in Azkaban. Of course, that didn't matter now, he'd said – and offered Charlotte her third cookie with a warm smile.

Scorpius was certain she could have asked him for a winged pony and he would have had one for her within the hour.

---

A month passed and no one had come forward showing any concern for Charlotte. Albus and Scorpius had a long talk over dinner while their parents watched the kids at home, and afterwards they took a walk down the river – warm from the bottle of wine they'd shared and happy to have a night to themselves for the first time in months. Albus held his husband's hand as they walked, both thinking things over.

"We said five kids," Albus said, breaking a long but companionable silence.

"I know we did," Scorpius replied. He stopped walking and looked out over By Brook in Castle Combe. Albus watched as Scorpius' eyes followed a kingfisher flitting between branches on a nearby tree. He may have been watching, but Albus knew his mind was somewhere else entirely. Albus didn't want to derail his train of thought, so he just watched his husband's face.

There were so few occasions now where Albus was able to just watch Scorpius without being noticed. It had been one of his favorite pastimes at Hogwarts – watching him study, watching him eat, watching him explain things Albus would never understand, but letting him do it all the same to see his eyes light up with excitement.

Scorpius was still excitable – he'd come home after a few days away for business (never more than a few days) with presents and he'd be just bouncing with excitement as he gave them to the children. He'd come home ecstatic when they'd reached an agreement with an international archive to exchange information, and the day they'd finally brought the first portion of the international database online, he'd nearly cried with happiness because he knew he'd helped prevent at least one family in the wizarding world from enduring the same pain he and Draco had experienced.

But Scorpius had some dark memories too. It happened rarely, but he'd still wake up every once in a while from a nightmare frightened and confused. Albus was always grateful he was there – he never hesitated to wrap his arms around Scorpius' waist and pull him close, and Scorpius never hesitated to accept the comfort. They always shared what they were thinking or feeling – time and parenthood hadn't changed that, but right now, Albus couldn't pressure him. He couldn't risk swaying Scorpius' opinion and then having him regret their decision later.

So he just wrapped an arm around his husband's waist and leaned into him and waited for the verdict, because anyone who'd seen Albus with Charlotte would know where he stood. Within a few days of having her in their home, she was a part of the family and Albus would have gladly maimed anyone who would hurt her, just as he would for the rest of his children.

Albus listened to Scorpius' steady heartbeat until he took a deep breath and looked down at him. There was a smile on Scorpius' face – the kind that made Albus smile back no matter what.

"I think she should see if she wants us to adopt her," Scorpius said.

Albus threw his arms around Scorpius with such force that they staggered backwards, Scorpius laughing and Albus grinning with happiness.

"If you felt that strongly about it, you should have said something!"

"I didn't want to sway you," Albus said. Scorpius enveloped him in a hug and rocked with him on the spot. It was inelegant but effective, and Albus clung to him.

"Things that make you happy always sway my opinion, Albus," Scorpius said. He kissed Albus once, twice, three times before smiling down at him again, pushing his unruly hair back from his face.

"I love her too," Scorpius said.

---

Charlotte wept openly when Albus, Scorpius and all five of their children asked her if she wanted to stay with them. She alternated clinging to both Albus and Scorpius for the entire evening as if she were afraid they'd disappear, and in the end she wound up sitting between them as the family settled in to watch a film, holding onto both their hands for dear life.

---

A year passed, and Charlotte turned seven (with a massive party entirely planned by the rest of the Malfoy-Potter children and Orion) while her adoption paperwork was in the year-long processing phase. Avery and Lexi went to Hogwarts and were reportedly having an excellent time with Orion despite Lexi being sorted into Slytherin. Scorpius worked on a deal with the wizards in France to acquire portions of their collection on European wizarding history, and had to go on a three-day trip to try and broker a deal. He'd been reluctant, but Ainsley had promised him that Charlotte's paperwork wasn't going to move in the next three days – their final caseworker visit would likely be sometime the next month in December, and that he shouldn't worry too much.

Scorpius apparated outside the perimeter of wards that lined the Malfoy-Potter home, and walked happily up the path to the house. He had excellent presents this time – a puzzle cube for Adam, some chocolates for Samuel and Will and a stuffed Niffler for Charlotte. He wondered if he could send Avery's new cloak and Lexi's book via Owl Post, or if he could convince Albus to go to Hogwarts with him in-person to deliver it. Maybe they could all go and take them and Orion to Hogsmeade for dinner. Surely they'd like that, and Scorpius missed them both dearly…

He was so lost in thoughts that he didn't even notice Albus, Samuel and Will waiting for him on the front porch. Will looked crestfallen and Samuel was fidgety, but most alarming was Albus who was leaning against the large wooden column with his arms crossed, his face arranged into a stern expression. This was a far cry from their usual greeting, which usually involved the kids tackling him to the ground and Albus kissing him until one of the kids cried "ew, gross!"

Scorpius ran the last few meters up the steps and threw his bag on the ground past Albus, terrified to find out what happened to make him make that face. Was someone ill? Had someone died? Oh, Merlin – was it his dad?

"What's wrong?" Scorpius demanded. "What happened?"

"They took her," Albus muttered in a tone that was somehow both menacing and broken.

"Took her? Who?" Scorpius looked at Will and Sam all huddled together. "Charlotte?"

"The ministry came and took our daughter," Albus said, as if clarification was needed. Scorpius stared at him, horrified, and waited as Albus seemed to gather himself, looking away for a moment as if looking at Scorpius was just too much. When he looked back, Scorpius could see that his lower lip had begun trembling, though whether it was in fear or anger or pain, he couldn't be sure.

"Her mother came back looking for her and filed a formal petition for custody. Since the adoption wasn't finalized, there will be a hearing, but we can't keep her while we wait," Albus said. He tightened his arms around himself as if he wanted to disappear. "She's in ministry custody."

"But we had a temporary custody agreement," Scorpius said helplessly. "We had every legal right to take care of her."

"Mum trumps agreement," Albus said. "And mum with old pureblood money from her dead husband trumps gay couple comprised of Harry Potter's rebel son and the former Son of Voldemort."

Scorpius sneered at the title. The old claim that he was Voldemort's son had been conclusively dismantled by an unwitting Odgerel Klulan, who'd written a long analysis of the potion used to break the Greengrass curse on Scorpius and Ainsley. Her exploration of the use of blood from a descendant of the person who cast the curse as part of the cure, as well as her discussion on Scorpius' well-known powers as a side effect and the use of Draco Malfoy's blood in the potion had conclusively disproven the rumors and freed Scorpius from some ridicule. However, some refused to believe academics no matter how conclusive the evidence and still regarded Scorpius with scorn and suspicion.

"What do we do, Al?"

"There's nothing we can do," Albus said, wrapping his arms around himself. "We have to wait, talk to caseworkers – Ainsley's already had to recuse herself from the proceedings, so it will be agents we don't know. They'll interview us and Charlotte's mum, and present their opinions on both of us at the hearing. Depending on the judge we'll get to state our case… or we won't."

"Do we get legal representation?"

Albus nodded slowly, and for the first time since Scorpius had arrived, he smiled. But it wasn't the smile Scorpius loved. It was a cruel perversion of it.

"Of course we do," Albus said.

"Did you already go to my dad? I'm sure we have lawyers on retainer –"

"Why would I go to your dad when the former Minister of Magic has agreed to represent us?"

Scorpius felt the panic in his chest die down a bit. He'd heard tales of Hermione Granger in the courtroom for years. There was no one he'd want on their side more.

He looked past Albus to Samuel and Will, who were watching with rapt attention. Scorpius could see the redness and worry in their eyes, and was instantly embarrassed that he hadn't rushed to comfort his children sooner.

"Come here," he said, holding his arms out for them.

Will reached him first and started sobbing into his chest, closely followed by Samuel. Scorpius managed to gather them both into his arms and kissed the top of their heads.

"I'm glad you're home, dad," Samuel said, his voice muffled by clothes and arms.

"I am too," Scorpius said. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here, but everything's going to be okay."

"Is Charlotte coming back?" Will asked. Scorpius' arms tightened around him as the door opened at the top of the porch. Adam stood there, completely wrecked. His face was splotchy and his hair was in disarray. His eyes were swollen from crying, which he hadn't stopped. Scorpius watched as he wiped a few tears away with the cuff of his sleeve.

"We're going to do everything we can," he said, looking straight at Adam and hoping he could be of some comfort. "I promise, we're going to do everything we can."

---

It nearly took an Act of Parliament for them to arrange a meeting with Charlotte. With Ainsley's hands tied they weren't given priority – no paperwork was expedited and no allowances made for the fact that the Malfoy-Potters' parenting was above reproach both on paper and in practice (except for that one time Albus accidentally left Avery in the barn for an hour, but no one knew about that).

When they did finally get a half-hour two weeks after she'd been removed from their home, both Scorpius and Albus took off the entire morning to make sure they were on time. Given the circumstances, they decided to leave the boys with Harry and Ginny, since they weren't sure how Charlotte would be. Instead, they wrote her letters – Adam sent a short note and a book of word puzzles, Samuel sent a drawing of Ridgebit, and Will sent a three-page letter detailing everything they would do when she came home.

Scorpius held onto Albus' hands as they waited in the empty ministry office with an unnamed security guard as a chaperone. It didn't matter that Charlotte had been living with them for over a year – the court was quite concerned that they'd run off with her. Their only consolation as that Amara Nott was being given the same treatment.

Charlotte's escort brought her in, and Scorpius immediately started assessing – her clothes were clean and she appeared well-fed, but she was miserable. It took her a second to realize where she was, but when she did she all but flew at them.

Albus scooped her up in a second and held her tight, cradling the back of her head as she clung to him. Scorpius hugged her awkwardly while Albus still held her, and Charlotte wrapped one of her little arms around his neck. He didn't need to see her face to know the shaking in her shoulders was an effort to keep tears at bay.

"How are you?" Albus asked her quickly. "Are you okay? Are they taking care of you?"

Charlotte nodded against his shoulder and clung to both of them tighter. Albus was forced to shift her to one arm and wrap the other around Scorpius to make it work.

"They have you at the group home, yeah?" he continued. "Are the other kids okay?"

Charlotte nodded again and sat back in Albus' arms to look at them. She released Scorpius only enough to wipe under her eyes, and Scorpius conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. She accepted it gratefully.

"They're fine," Charlotte said. "But I wanna come home."

"I know you do," Scorpius said, smoothing down her hair. It felt rough – clearly the water quality at the group home was lacking. "There's going to be a hearing soon."

"My mum came and talked to me," Charlotte said. "They brought me here then too."

Albus let go of Scorpius and moved to the old couch that had been crammed into the corner of the unused office. He sat her down on it and he and Scorpius sat on either side. She leaned into Scorpius' side instantly, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Scorpius asked.

"She said she was going to take me back," Charlotte said. "She said she made a mistake and that the judge was going to send me home with her."

Albus met Scorpius' eyes over the top of her head. They had to reach a silent decision of who would ask the hard question. Albus nodded, willing to take one for the team.

"And now that you've seen her, how do you feel about that?"

She looked up at him, her face twisted in fear and her lower lip trembling.

"I don't want to go back with her," Charlotte said. "I want to come home with you. Can you please take me home?"

She looked between them, expectant and pleading, and Scorpius thought he was going to cry. He imagined each of his children in this situation – begging to come home and his hands tied. Avery would have been analyzing the situation, trying to figure out how to increase her odds of going home. Lexi would be looking for loopholes and figuring out how to sway the judge. Adam would be having a nervous breakdown being around so many new children in such a disorganized environment. Samuel would be optimistic that everything would turn out okay. Will would be crying over the coldness of the system.

Charlotte was upset and crying, but she was waiting for instruction. She was trusting that they were doing everything they could. She was expecting that Albus and Scorpius would work everything out.

"We can't take you home today," Scorpius said. Her face fell. "But the hearing is next week on Thursday and we're doing our best. I promise! Aunt Hermione is going to help, and so is Ainsley."

Hermione, Ainsley, Ginny and Dania were the four women Charlotte had warmed up to the most. All four of them had been very patient with her, and had spent plenty of time letting her warm up to them. Lily had tried, but wasn't home enough to make a real impression yet.

"Is everyone okay?" Charlotte asked, seeming to accept her current fate. "Is Adam okay? He was really upset when…"

She didn't need to detail it. Albus had told Scorpius of Adam's breakdown when three ministry agents came in to gather Charlotte's things and take her into ministry custody. If only they'd just spoken to Albus calmly beforehand with their wands away, it would have been fine, but they'd caught Adam on the wrong day.

"Adam is doing just fine," Scorpius assured her. "In fact, he, Will and Samuel sent you letters! You can read them when you get back."

Albus handed her the package of letters and Charlotte took them with shaking hands.

"Avery and Lexi ask about you every day," Scorpius told her. "They send us a letter each morning and ask if you're okay."

"Tell them I'm fine," Charlotte said. "Tell them I'm having fun with the other kids."

"Are you?" Albus asked. "Are you having fun with the other kids?"

Her silence spoke volumes – so did the fact that she wanted them to lie to Avery and Lexi to protect their feelings. Scorpius held her a little closer.

"It'll be over soon," Scorpius said in what he hoped was a soothing tone. "By the end of next week."

"I just want to go home," she whispered.

Albus and Scorpius held her and did whatever they could to make her smile until their time was up. Charlotte seemed intent on not making a scene, and wrapped her arms around the package of letters when she stood up. Part of Scorpius thought it would be easier if she cried and kicked and screamed and fought to stay with them – maybe the cries of a little girl would mean more than the well-reasoned arguments of adults.

"We'll see you soon," Scorpius assured her.

"Next week," Albus specified.

Charlotte nodded and shuffled her feet, looking up at Albus as the case worker came back in to escort her away. Charlotte shot her a disdainful look before turning back to Scorpius and Albus. She hugged them each one more time, and they both held onto her as long as they could.

"When I come home, will you make chocolate chip pancakes again?" she asked, pulling back from Albus. Scorpius could see on his face that it was taking every ounce of self-control for him to let her go.

"All the chocolate chip pancakes you want," Albus assured her.

Charlotte nodded, and reluctantly let herself be led away. Once she was out of sight, the security guard left too, closing the door behind himself with a cold snap. Only then did Scorpius let himself hide his face in his hands. He felt Albus sag into his side and tried to be steady for him – it was so rare that Albus was the one who needed support and to feel protected that Scorpius had to rise to the occasion. He had to be there for Albus – Albus, who'd risked everything for Scorpius on so many occasions, and who'd always supported him and who was brilliant, fierce, funny, and caring – Albus, who was a better father than Scorpius could ever dream of being.

"We'll get her back," Scorpius said. "We will. I don't care what we have to do."

"You're really good with her," Albus muttered into his chest. "You're really good with all our kids. I don't tell you that enough. You're always so calm and you treat them like adults as much as you can. I think that's why they trust you, and it's why they'll be okay if Charlotte doesn't come home. You're the best at explaining things."

"I'm not as good with them as you are," Scorpius said, embarrassed.

"We'll agree to disagree," Albus said. Scorpius turned his face into Albus' neck.

"I don't think I can go to work today," Scorpius said.

"I'm going to let Giana take care of everything." Albus' assistant – an older magizoologist – was a second pair of hands and a cover whenever Albus needed time off. "I'm spent."

"Your mum and dad have the kids until dinner," Scorpius reminded him. "What do you say we got home, have some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and take a nap."

"That's the best idea I've heard in a long time," Albus said. He raised up and kissed Scorpius softly before releasing him and gesturing to the door. "Lead the way."

---

Hermione had a packet of papers in her hands and a scowl on her face. Albus watched from the side as she flipped through the papers from behind the counsel's table, though he was confident she knew each word by heart. That was just Hermione's way, and knowing she was on their side was the only thing that made him comfortable in this room.

Albus had been here before sixteen years ago, sitting in nearly this exact same spot. Daphne Greengrass and her accomplices had been on trial for kidnapping and torturing Scorpius, and when he looked back on that day he wasn't sure which was more difficult – rehashing the entire ordeal and watching Scorpius have to relive it, or the days where he was waiting and wondering if his boyfriend was even still alive.

Like he had sixteen years ago, Albus held onto Scorpius' hand. It grounded him and kept him in reality in a way that nothing else could as old memories crept up on him. All those times they'd nearly lost one another, and here they were facing something as melodramatic as a custody hearing.

"It will be okay," Scorpius whispered to him as their assigned judge – a middle-aged witch Albus recognized as Martia Gamp, a witch in her late fifties with clearly-dyed black hair and pale skin thin as paper – and a panel of five Wizengamot members filed in behind her. She took her seat at the high podium and looked down over the mostly-empty chamber.

"Judge Gamp is fair," Albus heard Harry whisper. "I don't know her well at all, but she's very very fair. Former Hufflepuff. I don't know if that will be in our favor or not."

The Malfoy-Potter side held Albus, Scorpius, Avery, and Lexi (who blatantly refused to stay at Hogwarts while their fathers faced a difficult day in court and bribed their Grandma Ginny to sign their permission slip to come home so they wouldn't have to ask their parents), Draco, Dania and Orion (who was rarely ever found far from any type of family event if he could help it), Harry, Ginny, James and Ainsley.

Across the room sat Amara Nott. Albus had never spoken to her and had no plan to if he could help it. He wasn't sure he could keep a civil tongue after knowing how Charlotte had been treated, and didn't want to damage their chances at taking her home. Normally he would feel pity for a woman petitioning for custody of her child entirely alone – without family, friends or her spouse – but this particular woman had convinced his daughter that her worth lay in the number of chores she could complete in any given day and for that, she should suffer.

Albus felt a hand on his shoulder and looked back. He wasn't sure if the presence of their high-profile families and parents would be an aid or a detriment, but he rarely saw an occasion when rational witches and wizards didn't show some sort of affection for Harry Potter, and for once Albus was appreciative of the scar barely visible under his dad's gray hair. He almost wanted to push it back so it was more visible from afar.

"Do you think we could pay her off if this goes badly?" Albus heard Draco ask, followed immediately by Ginny shushing him and the sound of a hand slapping someone's knee. "What? I was just asking."

"I don't think it's going to work that way," said Orion. Albus looked over his shoulder at his brother in-law (who felt more like a part-time son). Orion was in his school uniform – he'd come directly from Hogwarts after his morning lessons – his blue striped tie perfectly in place and his dark blonde hair in a stick-straight part. If Albus didn't know how quirky Orion really was, he'd think Orion was just as proper as his father based on appearances. "I was reviewing the precedents for cases similar to this one. They've got a 34.2 percent chance of a ruling in their favor."

"Funny," Scorpius muttered darkly, sneering at their odds. "Hermione came up with the same number."

Orion looked pleased at the validity of his math, but fell silent as Martia Gamp called the court to order. Scorpius gripped his hand tighter – Avery lay her head against Albus' arm and Lexi leaned forward in her seat, her eyes narrowed on Amara Nott.

The first bad sign was that the mother's legal representation deferred to let Hermione state the Malfoy-Potters' case first. Albus saw his aunt's jaw tighten beneath her wild salt-and-pepper hair, and watched as she gathered the curls back and tied them up – a sure sign that she meant business.

For a half-hour, Hermione listed the facts – that Albus and Scorpius were model parents. Their two children at Hogwarts had exemplary records, and their son, Adam, who arguably had special needs, was already this year's Junior Potions Champion (Albus saw Scorpius' mouth twitch into a small smile at the mention). She outlined the poor care Charlotte had received and the abysmal living conditions she'd been used to before coming to the Malfoy-Potter home. She discussed their familial support system unnecessarily, as so many of them were there, and outlined the extensive chain of custody and care should some ill befall Scorpius and Albus. Last, she cited interviews with family and non-related members of the wizarding community who were familiar with the family and their children – including a long letter from Lily, whose extensive business had her held up in Tai Pei (Albus suspected Hermione's reading omitted several choice words), and a discussion with the portrait of the late Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, who'd said there was no finer family in all of Britain than the Malfoy-Potters, and anyone who refused to see reason was no smarter than a troll.

Gamp had few questions. Hermione left little room for them, and she approached the podium and surrendered her formal opinion in a simple gray file, which Gamp accepted calmly and impartially.

Hermione stepped back, her deep purple robes falling still around her, and folded her hands behind her back, waiting expectantly for Nott's legal counsel to begin stating her case. She remained standing – clearly she didn't expect the event to take long – and checked her watch.

Nott's representative – an elderly wizard named Hawkworth – stood from his seat with a smile on his face. He began with a discussion on forgiveness – Albus could nearly feel Scorpius' blood begin to boil beside him – and segued into how Amara Nott – young, widowed and confused – deserved a second chance with her daughter. Her decision of surrender was one made in a moment of intense crisis, one she'd taken time to reflect on, and had decided now that she was better able to care for her daughter. He offered photographs of the new home she'd purchased – far better than the old cottage Harry had documented in the file. He even pulled out a testimony from a Saint Mungo's doctor attesting to Amara's improved mental state.

All of this, however, was meaningless when he pulled out the argument Albus had been most afraid of – that a little girl needed a mother, if not her mother.

He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know his mother was glaring at Hawkworth, but he did anyway. Ginny's normally warm brown eyes were narrow and cold, and Harry had wrapped an arm around her – whether to be soothing or to hold her in place should she decide to throttle Hawkworth, he didn't know. Hermione looked over her shoulder at them, a rare sneer on her lips as she met Ginny's eyes and then Ainsley and Dania's. The four of them had decided long ago that they were happy to provide a female influence for Avery and Lexi (and the boys, of course), and had been terribly welcoming to Charlotte as well. No child would be better off with an abusive mother when they had four of the strongest, most independent women Albus had ever met around them.

Hawkworth skirted the issue of Albus and Scorpius being two married men, but his tone conveyed his disapproval and that of his client. Albus knew he was risking Scorpius breaking his fingers as his grip tightened, but he couldn't bring himself to let go of his husband's hand, bruises be damned.

Hawkworth closed on the argument that blood relations outweighed all else, and ended with the cold assertion that ruling otherwise would go against previous rulings of the court and disrespect the long line of decisions in family cases. He hobbled up to the podium, surrendered his formal written findings, and went back to his seat where he collapsed – Albus assumed – under the weight of his advanced age and bigotry.

Gamp thanked everyone for their time and ushered the small council back into their chambers, and Albus sat stunned for several moments as everyone around them began to talk.

"Stupid, why would anyone think –"

"I certainly hope that old man winds up in Saint Mungo's on my watch –"

"Papa, we never felt like we needed a mum –"

"Dad, is Charlotte coming home?"

"Scorpius – rumor has it that Gamp is running for Chief Warlock. I can make a sizable contribution to her campaign right now –"

"That's not a good idea, dad."

"Shush, Orion."

Hermione approached them and held out her hands. The group fell silent, as if they too were a congregation Hermione was presiding over. Albus half expected her to comfort his mother who was crying very angry tears behind him – they had always been close – but instead, she looked to Ainsley.

"What do you think?"

"The Department of Family and Children's Services keeps detailed records on all our adopting families," Ainsley said. "You gave them every item on the Malfoy-Potters we had and there's not an item that's detrimental. The ruling shouldn't take more than an hour. It's cut-and-dry. I've sat in on hundreds of these hearings. We should barely have time for lunch."

James leaned forward beside her. "And no one can argue that they're not the best parents around. I mean – look at their kids! No one's kids are happier, healthier, and smarter than theirs – except for ours, of course."

Ainsley nudged him, smiling.

Albus was encouraged. Avery sighed and leaned into his side and he kissed the top of her head. He'd reprimand her and Lexi later for going behind their backs to leave school – right now, he was just glad they were here.

---

Lunch came and went. So did the rest of the afternoon. When six o'clock rolled around and they were all still crammed into Ainsley's office, Scorpius began to suspect they were well and truly screwed. He looked over at Albus, who had settled into Ainsley's desk chair with Lexi on his lap. She was now asleep but Albus was wide awake – staring blankly at the wall several meters to Scorpius' right. His hand was idly stroking Lexi's hair as she rested on his shoulder, and Scorpius was a bit jealous. He too wanted to be asleep on Albus' shoulder.

A court assistant stepped in and everyone leaped to their feet – even Albus, who managed to pick an eleven-year-old up smoothly with the motion. Lexi barely stirred. The assistant shook her head at Ainsley and Hermione, and Scorpius' heart dropped and Avery whimpered at his side.

They'd lost their case and Charlotte was gone forever. But surely they had to be called back in –

Ainsley must have seen the look on his face, because her eyes went wide and she shook her head.

"No, no," she said quickly. "That just means they haven't reached a decision yet! They've adjourned for the day – we'll come back in the morning."

"But you said it was cut and dry," Draco said fiercely.

"I thought it was," Ainsley protested. "It should be! But… I don't know."

James looked at his brother at a loss, and Albus looked back at him.

"I don't understand," James said. "How can –"

"We both know how James," Albus said, bitter. "There are still people who don't think same-sex couples should adopt. We've never had to go through a hearing before. The rest of our adoptions were traditional and had no litigation."

James looked to Harry and Ginny, as if he thought his parents could help, but they just shook their heads. Ginny looked as if she wanted to say something, but thought better of it and stepped outside, her face contorted in anger and irritation. Harry moved to follow her, but Hermione held up her hand to stop him, and went after her herself. Scorpius suspected this was especially hard for her, as her own mother had passed away just before Charlotte had joined them.

Albus gave Scorpius a helpless look – the kind that made Scorpius want to stop time so he could fix whatever was wrong until Albus was smiling again. It was the kind of look that made him feel helpless too, even more than he already did.

---

That night they had all five of their children and Orion sleeping in their home for the first time in months. Normally that would have comforted Scorpius – his entire family under one roof for the night where he could see them and touch them and care for them – but it wasn't his entire family. Not without Charlotte.

Scorpius stared at the ceiling as the sound of running water cut off from the bathroom. He heard Albus rummaging around – drying himself off, brushing his teeth, pulling on his pajamas. It was late, and he was already wondering if he would be sleeping that night – if there was any way he could rest – and he wanted Albus, because his best friend's presence always quieted his mind a bit.

Albus came out with just a pair of joggers on and tossed his damp towel into the hamper. Scorpius watched as he leaned down into the mirror, tried to smooth back his hair and frowned at the lackluster result – a time-honored tradition that Scorpius loved. Watching Albus do mundane things – cook, play with the kids, invite their families over for game night, and saunter to bed exhausted from a long day was one of Scorpius' favorite activities, especially when his husband wasn't wearing a shirt and the tattoo of the constellation Scorpius was visible on his shoulder.

Albus fell onto the bed beside him, stretched out on his back with his hands folded across his stomach.

"I'm tired," Albus announced. Scorpius hummed in agreement, studying the profile of his face. Even with only one light on in the room, the green of Albus' eyes was vivid. They were both starting to age – little lines cropping up here and there, a fading of hair color and scars where there weren't scars before, but Albus' eyes were constant.

"I know," Scorpius whispered. Albus swallowed hard, laying completely still as though moving would cause him pain. He turned and lay a hand against Albus' stomach and realized how tense he was – his muscles were taut with stress and his jaw was tight. Scorpius wracked his brain for something to say that was both comforting and entirely true, but came up short.

"They're going to take our little girl away," Albus said, his voice thick and heavy. "They're not going to give her back and we're going to have to wonder every day if she's alright."

Every time Scorpius saw how much Albus truly loved their children he was reminded how very much he loved his husband. Scorpius lay his hand atop Albus' and felt over the ring on his finger – the gold band that had once belonged to James Potter I – and said the only thing he could.

"I love you."

Albus' only response was one Scorpius hadn't been expecting but should have, as it was the same thing he'd been threatening to do all day himself. Albus turned over directly into Scorpius' shoulder and started crying – not the mild sniffling he'd shown when Samuel had asked if Charlotte was coming home, and if not, could they please remove the extra bed from his and Will's room because Orion could have the guest room back?

No, this was sobbing. Albus hadn't cried like this since Grandma Molly had passed away, and then Scorpius hadn't felt the need to be strong for him when the entire Potter and Weasley family was sobbing too. But now he was searching for something inside to keep himself stable and to stop himself from cracking under the pressure, and he failed miserably.

Scorpius gathered Albus into his arms and held him, reminded forcibly of the night after he'd been rescued from Daphne in their seventh year. They'd been surrounded by family all day, and Scorpius had done his best to keep himself together through talking with healers and seeing friends and family who all wanted to help but couldn't. It felt much like today when they'd fallen into bed together – then for the first time – under delicate circumstances, and later in the night he'd found himself crying in Albus' arms.

He found himself with only one course of action available. He wrapped his arms around Albus and cried too.

---

When Friday morning came, they rose silently. Scorpius opened the window to let the owl in and took the letter he'd been expecting. He broke the ministry seal with his Malfoy crest letter opener and read the letter. They were being summoned immediately.

Scorpius handed Albus his clothes and helped him button his shirt, as Albus seemed to be in no state to do so himself. Before they went downstairs, Scorpius sent Dania a message on her mobile – he'd finally learned to use one out of necessity – and asked her to come stay with the kids. If things went badly – and he worried that the lengthy deliberation period indicated they might – he wanted to tell the kids himself at home.

Scorpius held Albus for a long few minutes before heading downstairs. He couldn't reassure his husband – there was nothing to say when things were out of their control. His only offering was a simple "we've done everything we can." It wasn't enough.

They said goodbye to the kids quickly when Dania arrived. She tried to force them to eat before they left but neither of them could look at food. They Floo'd to the Ministry of Magic where they were met by Ainsley, James, Harry and Draco. Apparently, Ginny didn't feel she was able to handle being there, and had decided to join Dania in watching the kids, and would wait for Albus and Scorpius there.

---

It was a long walk down to the courtroom – one Albus hated every time he made it, because he remembered making long treks through the ministry under vastly different circumstances. Draco walked ahead of them and Albus wondered if he remembered walking down this very hall to an emergency hearing and leaving Albus outside while faceless officials tried to decide what to do about Scorpius Malfoy's disappearance.

Draco might not have remembered, but Hermione seemed to remember finding Albus sitting on the floor, dazed and confused. She wrapped an arm around her nephew's shoulders as they walked.

"I will file a thousand appeals if I have to until we have a judge who will see reason," Hermione whispered to him. "I'm semi-retired. I have nothing better to do anyway."

Albus smiled at her offer, but it wasn't genuine, and as they rounded their way into the Wizengamot's main chamber, he sincerely doubted whether he'd be leaving with a smile.

Much to their surprise, Charlotte was seated at the back of the chamber with a representative from the ministry's children home. She looked sad and scared, and when she saw them she leaped up only to be stopped by the official at her side. The woman said something – Charlotte looked apprehensive and Albus looked her over for any damage – physical or otherwise – but whatever the woman had said made Charlotte sit back down. Her eyes never left Albus and Scorpius, however, and Albus forced a smile and a wave for her. She didn't seem to buy it, but offered a sad half-wave in return.

"She's okay," Harry whispered to him as he ushered them along. Albus knew his father was right – they needed to be seated in the appropriate place – but Albus just wanted to ask Charlotte if she was really okay.

"Come on, Al," Ainsley said. Albus sighed and followed her and sat down sandwiched between Scorpius and Harry. Ainsley and Draco sat at Scorpius' other side, and Albus felt James' hands on his shoulders from behind.

For all James' faults as a child, he'd grown into a great brother, even if he was a little late to the game, and Albus appreciated his sometimes-twisted sense of humor.

"You know, if you really want another daughter, I'm sure Ella would be happy to run off with you two," James whispered. "She currently hates me right now because I made her eat broccoli."

Albus snorted at the thought. James and Ainsley's eight-year-old daughter hated broccoli and all other green vegetables.

"How dare you," Albus muttered at him. "That's why she likes me better. I make brownies."

Judge Gamp entered without the rest of the council – Albus wasn't expecting that either. He looked to Hermione and Ainsley, who looked worried, and he was paralyzed with fear. Charlotte, who was smart enough to know that Hermione was the most knowledgeable person on their side when it came to ministry matters, had caught on and shrank in her seat.

"Good morning," Gamp greeted them. She nodded to Amara Nott and then to Scorpius, Albus and their family before taking her seat. She folded her hands atop a folder and sighed.

"This is highly unusual," Gamp said. Scorpius looked down. "On a panel of five, it should be impossible to not come to a decision, and yet we had an even break across four votes and one member who was unable to decide and recused themselves."

Hermione frowned, but caught Albus' eye and shrugged. Clearly this was unusual but not unheard of.

"Therefore, it has fallen to me to make the final decision, which I've decided to do without the council, as I already have their written statements. I have taken all four remaining councilmembers' opinions into account. However, there is one more thing I would like to know," Gamp said.

Albus met Scorpius' eyes and found them full of apprehension. Personally, Albus would like a medieval-style duel with Amara Nott to decide who loved Charlotte more. The only issue would be who would get to fight her – him or Scorpius.

"Charlotte Nott, could you please come into the center of the room?"

Albus looked at Gamp, horrified. How dare she draw Charlotte out like that when she'd clearly been through so much. He looked at Charlotte, who'd risen from her seat looking shaky but determined. She walked around to the gate and one of the attendants opened it for her. She thanked them politely, and paused when she looked at her mother.

Albus really looked at Amara Nott for the first time. She was leaning forward onto her knees, accompanied only by the old man who'd represented her the day before, hands folded, eyes intently trained on Charlotte's every move, but not in the way Scorpius' were. It wasn't loving and full of concern. It was possessive and controlling and threatening in a way Albus couldn't comprehend, but he knew Charlotte's story wasn't special – there were always lost children with bad parents or no parents at all who got caught in bad situations. Albus would help them all if he could, and he felt quite helpless knowing he couldn't and wondered why do we even try?

But then he thought of all five of their kids at home – all given up by parents who couldn't care for them or orphaned and saved from the system. He couldn't save them all, but those five… those five he and Scorpius had loved, and he wanted to save one more – just one more, because this little girl was special and if anyone deserved this massive, strange, loving family, with siblings and cousins and grandparents, it was her.

Charlotte made her way to the center of the room, and Gamp smiled down at her from the podium. She stood as tall as a seven-year-old could, her hands folded behind her back, and Albus hoped he'd have the opportunity to tell her how brave he thought she was. He hoped he'd have the chance to tell her a lot of things.

"Hello, Miss Nott," Gamp said. Charlotte held her head up a little higher.

"Charlotte," she corrected. Albus smirked. She hated it when her last name was used, and had been very excited at the prospect of being Charlotte Malfoy-Potter.

"Charlotte," Gamp amended with a smile. Albus hoped the judge had children – then maybe she too could see how brave Charlotte was being. "Charlotte, I have a couple questions for you if you don't mind."

Charlotte twisted her fingers together behind her back – a sure sign that she was nervous. Albus wanted nothing more than to go to her, and Scorpius' hand tightened around his own, telling him that his husband felt the same. He settled for lacing his arm through Scorpius', forcing them both to sit still.

"Okay."

"Charlotte, can you tell me what you liked best about living with your mother?"

Charlotte looked at Amara, her back turned to Albus and Scorpius. Her fingers worked faster and Albus bit down on his lip.

"Um…" she muttered, anxious and unsure.

"Take your time," Gamp said kindly.

"Er… I liked it when we would have dinner, a-and she wasn't mad at me," Chatlotte said. "When I hadn't messed anything up."

"Okay," Gamp said. "And what did you like best about living with the Malfoy-Potters?"

Charlotte looked at them, her light eyes scanning over the faces watching her and pausing on Albus and Scorpius.

"I like it when dad reads to us," Charlotte said. "At night. Sometimes he reads us stories."

Scorpius gave her a watery grin.

"And I like going to the farmer's market with papa. Sometimes Grandpa Draco and Grandpa Harry go too. And I like it when Aunt Hermione and Grandma Ginny come over for dinner and we play Exploding Snap."

"That's very good –"

"And I like it when we play outside, too – me and Avery and Lexi and Sam and Will and Adam, and Adam taught me how to catch fireflies –" she cupped her hands together in an illustration, and Albus' shoulders shook with silent laughter, because only one of their children would dare interrupt a judge that way. "And Aunt Ainsley and Uncle James were teaching me how to fly."

Gamp grinned down at her.

"Is that all?"

"No," Charlotte said, not understanding that it was a rhetorical question. Albus had to cover his mouth with his hand. "It's not. I like it when Orion comes over too because he's funny and nice and he tells me about Hogwarts. He says I'll be a Ravenclaw like him but Lexi doesn't think so, and Grandpa Harry says I'll be a Gryffindor like him."

"Your Grandpa Harry would say that," Gamp said. Harry rolled his eyes, either because it was true or because everyone presumed familiarity with him at the ministry.

Thankfully, Charlotte fell silent. She stepped back, alternating twisting her fingers, shuffling her feet and tugging at her clothes as Gamp looked down at the papers.

"Traditionally, our court has ruled in favor of the biological parents whenever possible," Gamp said. Albus felt one of the joints in his hand crack in Scorpius' grip. He stopped breathing.

"However, I feel that each case must focus on the needs of each particular child, not the precedents set by cases before," Gamp said. "Therefore, it is the decision of this court that custody of Charlotte Nott be granted to Albus and Scorpius Malfoy-Potter, and that her adoption be finalized immediately."

Albus felt like all the air was let out of his lungs and his body felt limp with relief, but he had only a second to revel in it and the feeling of Scorpius sagging into his side. Charlotte processed what was said and looked to them, her mouth open in a small 'o' of surprise for a second before she ran. She ran straight at them, not seeming to care that there was a barrier as high as her shoulders between herself and the stands, and Albus scrambled up to his feet, tripping over himself and caught her just as she reached him, dragging her across and holding her against his chest.

"Oh, we missed you," Albus said to her, basking in the immense relief of having his one missing child back in his arms. Scorpius had his arms around them both in a second and Charlotte twisted around to kiss his cheek.

"We missed you so much," Scorpius added. "So, so, so much."

Charlotte giggled, and Albus let Scorpius take her – it would be selfish not to let him get his hug. As Scorpius wrapped his arms around their daughter, spinning her around a bit in the limited space, Albus looked over to Amara Nott. She was talking to Judge Gamp with animated, angry gestures, and her legal counsel at her side, asking questions. Gamp was shaking her head, composed with her arms folded. Albus didn't need to hear to know what was being said – the ruling was final.

Draco spoke from Albus' side. "Remind me to send Judge Gamp an extraordinarily large fruit basket," he said.

"The biggest fruit basket," Harry added. Albus smiled at them, grateful that they were there. Behind Harry, James had his arm around Ainsley.

"You know," Albus heard James say to his wife, "I'm really glad we didn't have to go through all of this with our children. I would have. In a heartbeat. But I wouldn't have wanted the kids to suffer through all of this legal stuff."

"That's why I do what I do," Ainsley said. "If I can make it easier for one kid, then I've done enough."

Albus looked at her, amazed as he always was at the kindness carried in the Greengrass line. "You've helped a lot of children," Albus called up to her. "More than you can count and more than you probably know."

Ainsley blushed, her arm wrapped around James' waist.

"You know," Hermione muttered to Draco and Harry, her voice so low that Ainsley wouldn't be able to hear. "I think she'd make a fine Minister of Magic someday."

Maybe someday, Albus thought, but he couldn't think beyond the rest of the day as Scorpius settled Charlotte up onto his shoulders with Harry's help. He grinned at them – Charlotte had two fathers who loved her immensely and five brothers and sisters waiting for her eagerly at home, and all he wanted to do was take her there where he knew she'd be safe, loved, and happy.

---

It took a minute for everyone to Floo back to the Malfoy-Potter home, and they found the living room empty. Draco – who'd thus far received no less than three hugs from Charlotte and still seemed to find it insufficient – picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, letting her squeal with delight as everyone looked around for the children, Dania and Ginny.

"They're outside," Harry said after one of Samuel's telltale shrieks echoed across the field.

They stepped out onto the porch to see Dania and Ginny having their tea and the kids rolling around in the grass, chasing a snitch Albus had enchanted to stay low to the ground. It was a good distraction, and Scorpius was glad they had thought of it.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Dania breathed. Ginny spun around and immediately teared up upon seeing Charlotte over Draco's shoulder, giggling and tugging at his robes.

"Put me down!" she yelled.

"Say please," Draco demanded, grinning.

"Please."

Draco crouched and set her down on the porch floor, and Dania and Ginny rushed to hug her. Scorpius leaned back against the wooden column and watched Charlotte's nose wrinkle as she hugged them back.

"Lots of hugs," she said into Ginny's hair.

"Get used to it," Ginny said.

"Oi!" Albus called to the six kids. Orion stopped first and Adam, not realizing he'd stopped running, plowed right into Orion's side, knocking them both to the ground. Samuel and Will stopped wrestling with Lexi, and Avery, who seemed quite bored with it all, sat up from where she'd been laying in the grass. The snitch, neglected, buzzed away from them.

"You can go play if you want," Scorpius said to Charlotte, who was currently not being embraced. He was certain she hadn't had much fun at all with the children at the group home, and she rushed off at the first chance. As soon as her siblings and Orion saw her, they cheered and enveloped her in a messy group hug that wound up with all of them on the ground, laughing.

Dania smiled as she watched them. "Can we wait to send Orion, Avery and Lexi back until Monday?"

Draco nodded, and Scorpius turned to watch the children play. They'd gotten up and were chasing the snitch as if nothing ever happened, except now Adam had ahold of Charlotte's hand and didn't seem to want to let go, and she didn't look like she minded.

"Yeah, let's give them the weekend," Scorpius said.

"Let's give ourselves the weekend," Albus added and Scorpius nodded in agreement. He didn't think he could work if he wanted to – he was too happy, too relieved and too full of love for his family that he couldn't think of anything else.

---

Late that night after a dinner of every kind of pancake imaginable, Albus and Scorpius had the kids bundled up in blankets near the fireplace with mugs of hot chocolate (their own might have had a considerable amount of Bailey's in it). Charlotte was cuddled into Albus' side after a long stint of sitting on Scorpius' lap and listening to him tell entirely-too-crazy-to-be-real stories about time travel, evil Auguries, and their hero grandfathers dueling dark wizards and ex-girlfriends.

"I don't think Draco ever actually dueled Pansy," Albus corrected.

"Who's telling this one hundred percent fictional story, Albus?" Scorpius said. They exchanged a grin, and Orion, who they both knew had heard a partial and far-more-accurate account, smiled at them from under his blanket.

While Will demanded Scorpius tell them more about the Augury Witch, Charlotte tapped on Albus' shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Do I get a new name now?"

Albus frowned at her. "A new name?"

"Yeah. They can't take me away now, right? If I'm a Malfoy-Potter?"

"No, they can't take you away," Albus assured her. "And you're a Malfoy-Potter now. All the papers were finished this afternoon. That's why your dad and I had to go back to the ministry."

"Okay. But do I get a new name now?"

"A new last name, yes. You're not Charlotte Nott anymore."

"But you and dad named everyone else, right?" Charlotte asked.

"We named Avery, Adam and Lexi," Albus clarified. "We adopted Avery and Adam right after they were born, and Lexi's parents passed away when she was a baby and they were never identified so we have no idea what her name was before. Sam and Will were a little bit older and already had their names."

Scorpius had started listening while the others argued over who would win in a duel now, Draco, Harry, or Ginny. Albus knew the answer but wanted them to conclude themselves that Ginny could duel both Draco and Harry and win with her wand hand tied behind her back.

"So I don't get a new name?" Charlotte said, crestfallen.

"You don't like your name?" Scorpius asked. "I think it's very pretty."

"Mum gave it to me," Charlotte said, shaking her head. "I don't like it. You're my parents."

Albus wanted her to stop talking, because she kept saying things that made him want to cry and he'd done enough of that. He looked to Scorpius, whose soft smile told Albus he already had an answer.

"How about we call you Charlie?" Scorpius asked. "It's a nickname for Charlotte and it's the name of Albus' favorite uncle."

"Not that I have favorites," Albus amended quickly. It was useless. Everyone knew Charlie the Dragon Tamer was his favorite, as so many of the kids' bedtime stories featured him as a central character.

"Charlie?" Charlotte said. She screwed up her face, thinking for a moment, before deciding she liked it and nodding. "Charlie Malfoy-Potter. I like it."

"Perfect!" Scorpius said, clapping his hands together. "I like it very much."

"So…" Charlotte said, looking up at them with the wide eyes Albus suspected she already knew would get her anything. "Does Charlie Malfoy-Potter get more pancakes in the morning?"

Albus chuckled, leaning back onto the couch and closing his eyes. He reached for Scorpius' hand and felt it fall into his own and he laced their fingers together.

"Maybe just tomorrow," he said. That seemed to be enough, because he felt her lay her head back down against his side, and Scorpius slid closer too. Albus felt his husband's chin on his shoulder.

"I think six was our limit all along," Scorpius muttered. Albus grinned, listening to the kids' voices bounce around the room as they laughed and argued and threw pillows at one another. He looked over at Scorpius who was terribly close – close enough to smell the hot chocolate and liquor on his breath and the minty soap he insisted cleaned better than anything else.

"I think it was," Albus agreed, and kissed him for good measure until the kids caught on and raised a chorus of "ew" and "gross" and "yuck" and a pillow collided with the side of Albus' face.