Disclaimer: I don't own, Harry, Scorpius, Draco, or any other characters from Harry Potter.

A loud shout of "Scorpius Malfoy!" rang through the large yet almost empty Wiltshire manor house. The sixteen-year-old boy who had been summoned sighed exasperatedly. His father was in one of those moods. He left the sanctuary of his room and wandered down the grand sweeping staircase. He entered the Lower Tea Room, which was where all of these frequent 'discussions' took place. It was 7pm on New Year's Eve 2022, and Scorpius could tell his father, Draco Malfoy, was in a very bad mood. As he entered, he wondered which particular branch of the usual 'Wizarding Pureblood Dominance' lecture he would get today.

"As you well know," his father began, "the Malfoy family goes back generations, each as pure as the next. We, as Malfoys, should be proud of this and keep out pure lineage going. As my mother's family always said, 'Toujours Pur'. However there are some 'pureblood' families who do not see as we do." Ah. So called 'blood traitors' and 'Mudbloods' today. This was going to be difficult.

"There are many Blood Traitor families, but the most prominent are the filthy Potters and those stinking Weasleys!" Uh oh. Even worse. "They fool around with Muggles and Mudbloods-"

"Don't use that word!" Scorpius snarled at Draco, who ignored him.

"Mudbloods who don't deserve to know of us, our world, or magic. They don't deserve to learn our secrets! They dilute our blood and steal our magic-"

"How?" Scorp interrupted quietly.

"What?" Draco replied slowly and venomously.

"How, Dad? How do they steal our magic? They don't even know about our world until they get their Hogwarts letter, which they couldn't get unless they had magic anyway! Because, magic is not a possession, it is an energy that can be channelled by people with the gift! And another thing, wouldn't it be oh so shameful if the Malfoy family, I don't know, died out, or produced a Squib, maybe? On top of that, if Muggleborns can't go to Hogwarts, then they can't learn to control their magic, which could lead to exposure for the entire Wizarding World! Oh, and another thing, get rid of the Muggleborns and half-bloods, the smart people, as most of the Purebloods nowadays are thick gorillas, all muscle and no brain. Where would our world be, then, with no one to run it? Give me a valid answer to all of those points and maybe, just maybe I will listen to you for once." Draco was silent. "Exactly!" continued Scorpius. "You can't answer because you know I'm right, you're just spouting what your father taught you and what he expects you to teach me!"

"You're walking a dangerous line, boy! Careful, or you might just slip!"

"I don't care, Dad! I'm not a Gryffindor for nothing!" Draco's eyes widened as he realised that his son, his only son and heir had lied to him for five years. "Yep, I lied! Why do you think I never got into enough trouble to get an owl home? Or rather, an owl to Malfoy Manor. This place was never home! It was just a place to live until I learned what home was! You never got a home, did you? Not a proper one, where you're surrounded by people who love you and aren't afraid to show it! You didn't get that here, or even at Hogwarts, because you were a stinking Slytherin who don't have friends or family! I'll admit, there are a few exceptions to Slytherin, but you weren't one of them! I'm sick of this, Dad! I'm sick of you trying to drill into me what was drilled into you, but can't you see I'm different? I'm not you, Dad. And I hope to Merlin I never will be," he finished.

He turned and swept out of the room (very dramatically, especially for Scorpius!). He climbed the stairs to his own room and threw himself flat on his bed, staring at his gold and red ceiling, breathing heavily but feeling good having finally stood up to his father. At the same time, though, he was homesick. He missed his true family, and he wanted, needed, to get out of the place so many Malfoys had grown up in. And then, he knew just how to do it! He would get Knight Bus! And he knew exactly where he would go.

Scorpius packed his trunk and shrunk it – the Ministry would never know who cast it, it was a Pureblood house – and stuck it in a rucksack with an extra bag of gold as an afterthought. He used all his Malfoy stealth and cunning as he snuck out, and practically ran down the drive and out of the gates as he left, suddenly feeling incredibly free as soon as the wrought iron gates were behind him. He felt the same thing every time the Hogwarts Express left King's Cross. He shut his eyes, praying that he'd heard Al right, and stuck his wand arm out into the road. As the purple triple-decker bus appeared with a loud BANG, nearly running him over, he knew this was it. He was leaving everything behind, his name, his 'family', his inheritance, his claim to the Manor, everything was staying but his personal possessions. He was no longer Scorpius Malfoy, he was just Scorpius. Blinking against the bright headlights, Scorpius stepped toward the violent-purple-coloured bus, reaching one hand into his bag for his money.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transportation for the stranded witch or wizard! How may we help you tonight?" said middle-aged woman.

"I need to get to London, please."

"That's eleven sickles, but thirteen gets you a hot chocolate on top, and for fifteen you get a hot water bottle and a toothbrush in the colour of your choice!" she said cheerfully.

"Um... Just the travel, thanks," Scorpius said as he pulled himself onto the bus. He handed to woman the silver and sat down on one of the many beds that occupied the space.

"Hey, what did you say your name was?"

"I don't think I did, did I?"

"Maybe not... What's your name, then?"

"Scorpius."

"Hey, you look a lot like that bloke, Malfoy! I went to school with him, he was awfully mean! Especially to Harry Potter, and Ron and Hermione Weasley. Always talked badly of them, if I remember right... You're his kid, Scorpius Malfoy, aren't you!"

"No. Just Scorpius." He watched for his stop out of the window, trying to ignore the woman babbling on about his father and her school days, but she didn't seem to notice his disinterest. He quickly recognised an area in London which was thankfully very close to where he wanted to be.

"Stop here!" he said loudly, and with a startled expression, the driver did. Scorpius pulled his rucksack further up his shoulders and left the bus with a quick wave. He sped round the corner in a fast paced walk, and headed towards numbers eleven and thirteen. He concentrated on the address in his head, and sure enough, a house appeared between the two residences. He walked up to the newly visible door, and knocked confidently. He was a free man, now, and he loved it. The door opened with a creak and Scorpius found himself looking into the face of the now forty-something Harry Potter. His guarded green eyes lit up immediately. Scorpius couldn't help but feel slightly smug. His best friends' father was the one person his father had hated most at school. Draco had always told his son to stay away from any and all Potters or Weasleys, and ranted until his voice grew hoarse on how much he hated 'Precious Potter'. But the Malfoy, the Potter and the Weasley had quickly become best friends. To Scorpius, this was for two reasons: It felt so good to finally defy his father, and it's a bit difficult to avoid a Potter and a Weasley when you share not only classes, but a Common Room and dorm.

He, Albus Potter and Rose Weasley had quickly become the new 'Golden Trio,' but Scorpius had told his father he was in Slytherin. He had told Rose and Al all about his Manor life, and they understood and sympathised his situation. The three of them always looked out for each other. Then in first year, his parents had said he must stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, but all the other first years were going home. Albus, and even James, had begged and pleaded with their parents to let him spend Christmas with the Potters, and they graciously let him in, and everyone got him presents, and it was honestly the best Christmas his eleven-year-old self had experienced. It was still one of his favourite memories. Scorpius and Ginny had got on immediately, and Lily was delighted to have a new friend. Harry had taken a little time to warm up to him, he guessed because he looked so much like Draco, but eventually he settled down and the pair even had a few inside jokes. The Potters had then had him over frequently over holidays, and Scorpius truly appreciated it. It was like having a proper family.

"Hello, Scorpius," said a slightly surprised, but smiling Harry. Harry Potter hadn't changed much over the twenty odd years since he was at school – his hair was still messy as ever, although it was streaked with grey now, his eyes were still the bright piercing green, he still wore round glasses and he still had that lightning bolt scar. Harry opened the door wider, beckoning Scorpius inside.

"Come on in, Scorp."

"Thank you," he said, stepping inside. Harry seemed to scent something bigger around the corner, and spoke up straight away.

"What happened?"

Scorpius flushed slightly at how well the man knew him, and told him with a shrug.

"I've left Malfoy Manor. And I'm not going back."

"Ooh!" said Harry said, almost childlike, "I sense a story! Come on through! And before you ask, yes, of course you can stay, for as long as you need to."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," Scorp replied gratefully.

"How many times, Scorpius, it's Harry! 'Mr. Potter' makes me feel like I'm either very old, or back in school!"

"Sorry. Thank you, Harry," Scorpius laughed.

"That's better," Harry said with a grin, walking through to the family room.

"Hey, look who showed up!" Harry said loudly into the room as he entered. Behind him, sheepishly, Scorpius smiled. Suddenly, Harry had stepped to the side, and Scorpius was being tackled to the ground by two boys. Well, a boy and a childish young man.

"Okay, guys! You can get off now!" Scorpius half choked, half laughed, trying to push them off, unsuccessfully. But unfortunately, someone else jumped on top. Then another seven people, one at a time. Then he glimpsed a swish of silvery blonde, and he quickly worked out who was there: Albus, Rose, James, Lily, Hugo, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Teddy, and Victoire. And Merlin's beard, did those people weigh a lot! Thankfully, James chose that moment to show off his 'muscles', and pushed up off the ground, dislodging everyone and forcing them off. Scorp got up and flopped down in a chair, holding his side and gasping.

"Merlin, guys, I think you broke a rib. Or several!" There was a ripple of laughter around the room, but Rose scoffed. "We're not that heavy!"

"No. Individually, you're fine, but with eleven of you sat on top of me!"

"You mean, twelve," Vic said, smiling shyly, placing a hand softly on her slightly rounded stomach. Teddy was beaming proudly and his hair was bright blue.

"No way!" Scorp breathed. The happy couple nodded, almost glowing.

"Congratulations! How far along? When's he – or she – due?"

"Thank you! About sixteen weeks, Sprout – That's his or her nickname, we're keeping it a surprise – is due in May!"

"Fantastic! Wonderful news!" They beamed.

"Anyway, what news from 'The Pits Of Hell'?" James said dramatically.

Scorpius shrugged. "Typical lecture. This time aimed at 'Mudbloods and Blood Traitors'. What a load of crap. Then he started saying some really nasty things about you lot, and I snapped. Shouted at him, told I was in Gryffindor, not Slytherin like he thought. I think I confused him a bit with my unbeatable logic."

Ron laughed. "Draco never was good with logic, was he?"

"Nope... I think that logic puzzle of Snape's first year would have had him stuck there forever. Lucky we had Hermione, really," Harry replied, thinking back to his school days.

"Lucky?" protested Hermione.

"Yes, lucky. If we hadn't had the luck with the troll, you wouldn't be our friend and I would have been trapped, and Rose and Hugo wouldn't exist." Apparently, Hermione had no answer to this as she sighed and muttered "Always has been able to talk his way out of trouble, that one has."

"Yup!" cheered Harry, like he was back in school again. "But if I haven't talked my way out of it, I'll either have talked my way into it, or talked all the way through it."

"Yeah... Normally, you liked the quiet, but when we were in any sort of trouble, you'd talk at like three hundred miles per hour. Without taking a breath."

"Ron, you're exaggerating!" retorted Harry. "It was two hundred and fifty miles an hour!" he said with a perfectly straight face. Everyone laughed, and Ginny smiled at her husband. "And you wonder why I fancied you for six years before we got together!"

"Nah, ya know what? I think it was all the life threatening and dangerous situations I got myself into that made me so witty. I learned to think on my feet. As a child, I was slower than Ron."

"Oi, stop picking on us! We willingly risked our lives for you, and this is how you repay us? By taking cheap shots twenty odd years later? Some friend you are!"

"Yeah, but I had to witness, and survive, all your arguments, all your snogging Lavender –" Ron shuddered. "And yours and Hermione's first kiss while the entirety of Hogwarts was under attack from Death Eaters, giants and Acromantula. You guys have seriously bad timing." For the kids watching it was like a tennis match. Fifteen-luv to Harry. Ron just huffed and turned away. Then it was just a few minutes before the New Year, and they rang it in with a loud cheer and lots of Butterbeer. Hugo, Lily and Sprout were then sent to bed (Vic went too). Albus and Rose went voluntarily, and surprisingly enough, so did James.

Scorpius stayed, though, and ended up sat at the kitchen table, a Butterbeer in one hand and the other randomly fiddling with a cut in the table, like a wide-bladed knife had been stabbed into it (A/N: yes, this is the hole where Sirius almost got a knife through his hand thanks to Fred and George...), just staring off into space. At about quarter to one, Harry entered, levitating bottles in front of him into the side. He looked at Scorpius and smiled to himself. He then plopped himself down opposite the teen. Scorpius didn't look up. "What's wrong?" Harry asked in a gentle but firm, if-you-don't-tell-me-the-truth-you're-so-going-to-get-it kind of way, as Scorp focussed back on his surroundings.

"Just wondering... worrying, really, what's going to happen to me now. I mean, I have very little money, no inheritance, no family... What do I do?"

"Don't you dare ever think you have no family!" Harry scolded him sharply. "You're one of us. You'll stay here until you finish school, and then you can worry about finding a job, your own place, yada yada yada."

"No, I can't scrounge off you for a year and a half! No way!"

"You won't be scrounging. We'll be fostering you. You're still underage."

"I couldn't-"

"You can, Scorpius, and you will," Harry said, in a very final tone. Scorpius knew better than to argue, so he just sighed instead.

"Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome. I know Al and James think of you as a brother anyway. It's really no trouble."

"Honestly? It's not?"

"Of course not!" Harry said, scrutinizing Scorpius carefully. "D'ya know, you remind me of someone."

"Who?" asked Scorpius, genuinely curious. Harry smiled sadly. "Come with me," he said, getting up and heading upstairs. He stopped in front of door which Scorpius had always known as being locked. Harry tapped the handle with his wand and motioned for Scorp to enter first. He did, and he gasped, looking around in wonder. Around the walls was a very old, very worn tapestry. Inspecting it closer, he realised it was a family tree. He glanced at the top and found these words in golden embroidery 'The Noble And Most Ancient House Of Black. Toujours Pur.'

"'Toujours pur'?" Scorpius questioned. "My dad mentioned that, he said it was his mother's family motto."

"Yes. It means 'Always pure' in French. Your grandmother, Narcissa Black, later Narcissa Malfoy, is right... here!" Harry said, pointing. "Which means you are right there," Harry continued following the embroidery to Scorpius' name.

"But why is it here?"

"Well, this house used to belong to the Blacks – Not your grandmother's part, her cousins. This burn mark here – there are lots of them, various people who 'disgraced' the Black name, marrying unworthily, disagreeing with their pureblood ideals, helping someone who disagreed with the ideals, being a squib, all reasons for being burnt off the family tree and disowned – was that of Sirius Black, the last owner of this house with the Black name. He was my Godfather, but I only knew him for three years of my life, one of which I don't even remember. He was burnt off for several reasons. He was Sorted into Gryffindor, and he fully disagreed with his family's ideals. His brother, Regulus, was a much better son in their eyes. He joined the Death Eaters, but then, as far as Sirius knew, tried to back out and was killed when he was sixteen. Sirius still felt guilty when he died."

"Why? It wasn't his fault! His brother believed the rubbish the purebloods were spouting and made a wrong choice that cost him his life. Sirius couldn't have done anything about that!"

"Exactly what we all tried to tell him. He felt guilty because when Sirius was sixteen, and Regulus was fourteen, Sirius ran away from home. He couldn't take it anymore and left. He and my dad were best friends, so for the last year or so of school, he lived with the Potters. He and my dad, James, were already pretty much brothers, and they had two other friends in their group: Remus Lupin, Teddy's father and Peter Pettigrew." Harry said the name of the betrayer slightly bitterly, but he realised that actually, all he felt for the rat was pity.

"All four of them joined the Order of the Phoenix, an organization independent of the corrupt Ministry against the Dark sorcerer Lord Voldemort, along with my mother, Lily, and their other friends. But Peter was a spy, and he betrayed my parents. Sirius lost everything the night Voldemort came after me – his brother, his sister, me, Remus, and Peter. The only things that had ever meant anything to him. Of course, he loved Regulus, but he was already dead by this point. So Sirius kind of went mad. He went after Peter, trying to kill him, but Peter cut off his own finger, turned into his Animagus form, a rat, and disappeared. He pretended to be dead for twelve years. But then, just before my third year, Sirius broke out of Azkaban and came after him again. Everyone thought that Sirius had betrayed my parents, and was after me, but of course he wasn't. He was a mix of friend, father and brother to me over the next two years, but then, at the end of my fifth year, I made a very stupid decision which lead to his death. He was helped along by your great-aunt Bellatrix, of course. He fell through the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries. I still miss him, but those few weeks after were the most difficult."

"He was killed by his own cousin?" Harry nodded. "What kind of madwoman was she?"

"A very mad one. You have to understand, she was sadistic to start with. She hated Muggles, Muggleborns and half-bloods, but any worth Slytherin weren't so bad. When Voldemort fell, she tortured an Auror and his wife into insanity, wanting information. Of course the Auror didn't have any, and neither did his wife. Bellatrix went to Azkaban for about fifteen years surrounded by Dementors. She came out even more sadistic, deranged and insane. She was pretty much in love with Voldemort. She was the first person I tried an Unforgivable on... she had just killed Sirius and I tried to use the Cruciatus Curse on her. I'm not proud of that, but I failed anyway."

"Wow."

"You remind me of Sirius. He was brave, and didn't agree with his family. He ran away at sixteen. He ran to the Potters, ironically enough. He gave up everything to do what was right. Bellatrix was then killed by Molly Weasley in the Final Battle of the Second War."

"Molly? She wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"She would if you came even close to harming any of her children. It's the curse of the redheaded mother – that very strong maternal instinct and the fiery redhead temper, always a bad combination for the people who are trying to kill your children. Andromeda was burned off because she married for love. And a Muggleborn at that. Andromeda and Ted's daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, then married Remus and had Teddy. They also died in the Final Battle. And you know, you're technically related to me, anyway. Charlus Potter, over here, was my grandfather, he married Dorea Black, sister to your great great-grandfather. So you'd be something stupid like my third cousin twice removed, maybe. Your grandmother, Narcissa... Narcissa really turned the tide in the battle. I had died and come back, and the Dark Lord sent her to make sure I was dead. She wanted to know whether Draco was in the castle, we were in the forest at this point, and she told the Dark Lord that I was dead, just so she could get back in the castle to find her son."

"You died and came back?"

"You know the story, Scorpius."

"Yes, but I still don't understand."

"Well, Voldemort had my mother's living blood protection in his blood, and part of his soul. I did too. While my mother's protection lived in him, I couldn't die and while his soul lived in me, neither could he. I had to die so that the part of Voldemort's soul that was in me died, but I could come back because he was still alive, my mother's protection was still alive. He couldn't come back after the Killing Curse rebounded upon him because all the parts of his soul apart from the one in his body were gone. He had nothing left tying him to the living world, whereas I had my mother's protection in him."

"So it's like a double link," Scorpius said, tracing a double marriage line on the tapestry with his finger. "But the links are one way. By dying, you cut his link, and your link still remained."

"Yeah, I guess that works."

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Survive?"

"I had a family, of sorts, and friends that love me. I had a few brains, Hermione was always the Remus of our group, I had guts and I had idiocy to an extent. I also had a burning desire to avenge my parents, and everyone else who had died protecting me – Snape, Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, everyone."

"Did I do the right thing?"

"Were you happy there?"

"No."

"Are you happy here?"

"Yes."

"Were you benefitting anyone else where you were?"

"Not that I know of."

"Then yes, I would say you did the right thing. Go on, now, it's half past one, get to bed. You're sharing Al's room like normal."

"Thank you so much, Harry. You're the uncle I never had."

"You're welcome, Scorp. You're the nephew I'll always look out for. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."
As Scorpius left the room, Harry sighed and looked back at the tapestry, at Sirius' burn mark. "I miss you, Sirius, Mum, Dad, Remus, Tonks... I wish you two could see your son. He's grown up into a magnificent young man, nearly a father, and you two are going to be grandparents! I love you all." Then Harry swore he heard something, a whisper, just a whisper...

"We love you too, Harry, and we're so proud of you," three voices breathed together.

"And don't forget us. We love you too, and give Teddy, Victoire and Sprout our love!" said another two voices. He must be going mad.

"Wotcher, Harry..." whispered Tonks, and with a final chuckle, the five people he missed most faded away. The day after, Harry would swear that he was going mad and hearing things, but for the time being, he just enjoyed the moment.

As Scorpius went to sleep that night, he smiled. He was related to Harry and Albus and James and Lily, albeit distantly, and he truly was among family, with no obligation to go back to Malfoy Manor. He was truly happy, and that was the best Christmas, New Years, birthday, Easter, and Halloween present he could have been given.

In Malfoy Manor, which was now empty but for a middle-aged white blonde man, the silence was overbearing. As he fell asleep in his wide king-size bed, he grinned to himself. His son was nothing like him, and he was pleased with that. Maybe the Gryffindor thing wasn't so good, but the boy had defied everything he ever knew and gone. Draco knew more than his son thought he did. He knew Scorpius stayed with the Potters on holidays, he knew that he was a Gryffindor before Scorpius had mentioned (Draco was a very good actor), and he knew that Scorpius Draconis Malfoy would one day be a greater man that he. And that was fine by him.

END

A/N: So this was just a random idea that came to me. What do you think? Leave me some reviews, I love them, and constructive criticism is always welcome :)