Chapter 2: Kids Speak The Truth, Even The Secret Ones. "How have I never had chicken fingers before, dad! These are so yummy. And you dip them in this sauce; how cool is that!" Scorpius beamed, dunking a piece of breaded chicken into a spot of honey mustard. "Honestly, Malfoy. You must be the worst father of all time." Hermione joked, grinning across the table in his direction. "Oh, no no daddy, that's not what I meant. You're the best!" his son said quickly, reaching out and grabbing his hand. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the sweet gesture. "See, Granger. I'm the best." he raised as eyebrow at her, raising their laced hands up for her to see, as if it was proof that he didn't need chicken fingers to be the best. "Mom, Scorpius said his dad has a scar on his arm just like you do. Isn't that neat?" Sam exclaimed from her spot at the table, a small gasp unable to be contained from Hermione's mouth. "Man, people were not kidding when they warned you that kids will say exactly what they are thinking." Malfoy took a drink from his glass, wiping his mouth with his napkin as he tried to stay unaffected by the turn in conversation. Everyone was done eating as Draco rose to clear the dishes, running his hand over Sams hair gently as he passed. "I don't think it's the same as mine, sweetheart. But it's not polite to talk about other peoples secrets." she said calmly to her daughter, pushing her long hair behind the little girls ear. "I'm sorry mommy. Do you think his has a bad word on it to?" she whispered. Draco washed the dishes thoroughly in the sink, watching the girls interaction as he did so. Scorpius was handing him each dirty dish one at a time as he scrubbed them clean. Draco couldn't believe he had forgotten that night at the manor. It was almost 10 years ago but it was as clear as day when he thought back to it. She was laying on her back on the cold, stone floor of the meeting room, his aunt kneeling over her, a hideous smirk on her face. She had her wand to the younger girls arm, demanding answers about her vault and what was hidden inside it that they had taken. Draco remembered how impressed he had been with her courage and bravery as she refused to spill any secrets, staying silent to protect her friends and future generations that they had indeed saved in the end. His aunt tortured her for what seemed like hours, carving the word he had taunted her with daily into her arm with a cursed quill. The word Mudblood would be there until they day she died. And every day after that until her body was no more. And he had watched her scream and thrash against the wet, stone floor as blood flowed down her arm. It wasn't muddy at all, but a bright, vibrant red. Just like mine. "I don't know what scar you are talking about so I can't say. But I don't think it's polite to ask him, ok?" Hermione spoke slowly and carefully to her daughter, hoping she understood. "We wouldn't want to hurt his daddy's feelings, would we?" "Oh no no mommy! I don't want to make anyone sad ever." Sam whispered loudly, shaking her head hard from side to side, her dark hair whipping around her face. "That's because you're a sweet girl. Why don't you go play with Scorpius for a few more minutes while the grownups clean up, ok? Just for a bit though because you have to get ready for bed soon, as I'm sure he does too." she said. "Ok." Sam said with a smile, leading Scorpius back upstairs to her room. Draco had finished the dishes by then, the plates and glasses already put back into the cupboards. "I'm sorry about that." Malfoy said leaning back against the sink, his hands on the counter behind him. "I don't know why he told her about that." "I don't even know what she was talking about. I figured it was just a cut or something you got from battle. Is that not what she meant?" Hermione raised her stare at him. She walked over to stand in front of him in the kitchen, leaning on her side next to him, her hip against the counter. "He meant my mark, Hermione." he sighed, her name finally coming out the way it would between friends or even strangers but never had before between the two of them. "Oh." she said, running her hand up and down her left arm where her scar was hidden beneath her sleeves. "I will make sure to have a talk with him when we get home about how that isn't something we discuss with other people." he assured her sternly. "And when he asks why, what will you tell him?" she wondered with a shrug. As a parent, there were many of these conversations about topics and words that were not meant for civilized conversations. Don't use swear words, don't run in the house, don't use outside voices inside. Stuff like that. But she couldn't imagine how he would talk to his son about something like his dark mark. "I told him before when he saw it that it was a picture that I will have forever to remind me of terrible choices I made as a child. And as long as I have it, I can look at it and remember to not make choices like that again. To not hurt anyone ever again." he explained. "But I will tell him that it is our secret because if people knew his daddy had that mark, they would be afraid." "That's not true, Malfoy. Now that I know you have it, I'm not afraid because of it." she whispered sadly, touching his arm where she knew the mark hid beneath his shirt. "I made you afraid of me for ten years, Hermione. Because I was a horrible person to you. I mean, I threw that word around at you like it meant nothing. Like it was your name." She looked up at him as she moved to stand in front of him between his legs as he stayed leaned back on the marble counter top. "But you don't call me that anymore. And I am definitely not afraid of you anymore." she whispered, letting her green eyes stare into his until she knew that he believed her. "You shouldn't be. I'm pretty harmless now that I'm a dad." he smirked. "Thank you again for having us over for dinner but it's getting late. Scorpius has to get home and ready for bed and I'm sure Samantha does too." he pushed himself away from the counter, cupping her hip lightly as he brushed past her. "Yea, it's almost her bed time and she needs a bath after running around all day." she said, now back into mom mode. The kids cleaned up Samantha's room before saying their goodbye. About an hour later it was a bit past 9 and Draco had put Scorpius to bed all tucked in. He changed into his pajama pants, no shirt and sat down at his desk. He grabbed his quill and started a note to the witch he had seen only moments ago. Hermione Granger he wrote formally on the top of the page Scorpius could not stop talking about Samantha all through bedtime. She must be one special little girl. Here is my address. If you are comfortable enough with it, you are more then welcome to connect fireplace floo. I already cast a spell to allow you two. We will have to get the kids together again sometime. I hope you both are having a safe, quiet night. Draco Malfoy He wrote his address at the bottom of the parchment before attaching it to his brown owls leg and sending her off.
