A/N you don't have to read my other story "the first year after the war" to understand this chapter but it does explain the history between the women in a little more detail.
It was always well known through the Halls of Hogwarts that Gryffindor and Ravenclaw got along pretty well Rose and Albus had grown up hearing all the stories of their parents years in school and they knew no one liked Slytherin. Very little was known to them about Hufflepuff house before this year other than besides Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs were the second highest in attendance at the battle of Hogwarts. Oh and the whole Cedric Diggory, tri-wizard, tom riddle cemetery thing. Rose and Albus were more than tired of hearing all those types of stories however all the other cousins seemed to beg to hear them anytime the elders were together. The elders were what the cousins refer to the adults as it included all members of the D.A. (yes they had reunions). As they adjusted to their first year they realized how many things were different between them and the rest of the cousins. Rose and Al loved to play games but hated cheating; the cousins lived for cheating but did it brazenly. They also knew the cousins would have their backs in a fight but it was more for the fighting and not the principle of having their backs. Within the first two months they had both happily accepted they were Hufflepuffs for more than a quickly made pact minutes before sorting they were Hufflepuff through and through. Everyone in the school watched them with cautious eyes the first week of class waiting for the outburst to happen between the Weasley, Potter, and Malfoy child. Bets were placed, and not just by the students or the staff of Hogwarts but outside the castle walls people underestimated Hufflepuffs once again. Everyone can understand the coyness of lying like a Slytherin, or the adrenalin rush of Gryffindor bravery, or the satisfaction of knowing something others don't, like a Ravenclaw but not many understand the perpetual loyalty given freely by Hufflepuffs so they've always been misunderstood as gullible. Being in the same house meant they were family they would succeed or fail together they were friends as soon as they sat at the house table for the welcoming feast in that moment Albus, Rose, and Scorpius were forever linked. Nothing would come between them not old Malfoy ideals or Weasley tempers.
The children wrote to their parents once a week it was the fair thing to do, parents worried. They filled their letters with stories of classes or how much they liked their housemates and common room. Hufflepuff rooms were decorated in warm tones of yellows, oranges, and copper, the sofas were overlarge and squishy as first years they could sit four to an arm chair the older students sat two to a chair. They had a fire place in each section of the common room there were four areas of couches and chairs and four more for studying with book shelves, tables, and bean bag chairs. There were several circular doors leading off the main room which led to dormitories and lavatories unlike Gryffindor's stairs there were sayings inscribed above all the tunnels like is it fair play to follow here, love comes to those who wait, have you earned the right to pass. It played to Hufflepuff strengths whether it keeps members of the opposite sex out or not time will tell. The dorm rooms were circular like Gryffindor with a round fireplace in the center and four posters with yellow curtains. Ron seeing the greatest strength of Hufflepuff being its proximity to the kitchens told Rose about tickling the pear. As the year progressed and they continued to get letters from their children and the fathers began to realize how close their children were becoming Draco choose to reach out first.
Potter
It has become common knowledge that our sons are dorm mates. Scorpius speaks of Albus often and I am extending an invitation to your family for our annual Christmas party. I ask this for our children's benefit and ask that you not hold who I was against who my son is. Also Tori has asked that you extend your invite to the weasel, Granger and their children apparently Scorpius talks of Rose as well.
Draco
PS the manor has gone through several renovations. The house that Riddle took possession of is no longer recognizable.
Hermione
Malfoy invited all of us to his Christmas party for the children's sake he also says the house has undergone many renovations since the war. If you'll consider we can tell Ron at dinner with Ginny there as backup
Harry
Harry
Ginny and I helped with the renovations. We were dorm mates with Astoria when I returned for my seventh year. We kept it quiet well because of Ron. I think we should go from what Rose has written home Scorp is a lovely boy.
Hermione
Malfoy
We will all attend for the kids. That's five Potters and four Weasleys.
Harry
Potter
My merlin, you had a lot of children. Thank you.
Draco
Harry
Are you serious! We have to go to Malfoy manor on Christmas Eve! I'm buying the Malfoy spawn a ferret for Christmas!
Ron
Rosie
I guess you may already know but we will be spending Christmas Eve at Malfoy Manor, Christmas Day at Grimmauld place as usual, and then grandma and grandpa grangers for Boxing Day. I'm going to pick up a present for Scorpius today. Can't wait to see you! Hugo sends his love he misses you terribly.
Dad
Scorpius
I have extended an invitation to all your friends and their families both Potter Jr, and his cousin will be in attendance your mother plans to go shopping tomorrow if you wish to buy gifts for them yourself let your mother know quickly.
Dad
Al
We accepted an invite to Malfoy Manor for Christmas Eve; your mother would like to know what kind of gift Scorpius would like.
Dad
All three lowered their letters and beamed at each other. They would spend at least one night of Christmas break together. They went back to perfecting the plan hoping to get the Potters to invite the Malfoys to Grimmauld place for New Year's.
The next week the children filed out of the castle and down to Hogsmead station to spend the holidays with family. All eight of the first year Hufflepuffs filed into one compartment it was very true about the loyalty in Hufflepuff house. As they exited the train they said quick goodbyes and promised to write each other over break Christmas Eve was three days away and Rose and Albus were excited to go to Malfoy Manor. That was until they were greeted by their mothers and informed they were going robe shopping; it was a formal affair. While in Diagon alley Rose asked her mother if she could buy Scorpius a different present because she didn't like her dad's idea to get him a pet ferret he already had an owl named Onyx.
Christmas Eve arrived and the Weasley's flooed over to the Potters so they could all take a portkey to Malfoy manor together. Rose and Lily both wore robes of a pale gold color; Ginny wore an emerald green one and Hermione Red. All five men wore classic black. Rose and Al could barely contain their excitement and held their gifts for their friends tightly while Ron carried the white ferret. Harry had a bottle of Ogden's finest for Draco while Hermione and Ginny both brought muggle dandelion wine a favorite of theirs from the school year after the war when they roomed with Astoria; they were just as excited as the kids to return to the manor. They hadn't been back since they helped with the renovations. The portkey was a surfboard Draco sent a note with it saying it was the largest he had to accommodate the wotter's, the wotter's was the daily profits funny name for when their families did things together it's how they were referred to. Al and Rose liked it Ron….not so much. The portkey deposited them right on the Malfoy's front lawn where they were told to follow the walkway into the large ballroom at the back of the house. While walking they overheard many conversations from old wizard's complaining how in Lucius day they entered through the front door and had to walk through half the manor so the fortune could be seen. Draco had made the manor a home and only had the one wing opened for this traditional party. His rumored plan is once the senior Malfoys' passed Draco would demolish the manor and build a cottage. Ron pretended not to hear any of this. When they entered the ballroom Ginny and Hermione were reminded of the day they brought the ball room down from the second floor to the rear of the house. Draco was insistent that he didn't want people running through his home he hated it as a child and wanted something cozy. People would be surprised to know that they had performed the opposite of an undetectable extension charm on the manor. The outside still appeared grand but almost all of it was an illusion large pieces of the manor were blown up including the drawing room the inside was still a large home but small by Malfoy standards. Astoria ran across the ball room not caring who saw her and hugged both Ginny and Hermione with tears in her eyes. "I've missed you both so much" Ron stared open mouthed at the group of women hugging "what in Dumbledore's great name is going on" Astoria ushered them all into the actual house and Ron and Harry stared around at the much smaller house it was warm and colorful. It was then that Draco and Scorpius entered the room. "Someone should fill them in, Ladies?" Draco asked with a smirk.
Hermione turned to Ginny and said "I'll start" she grabbed Ron's hand and passed the wine to Astoria she teared up again "when Ginny and I returned to school we were assigned a dorm room remember" Ron nodded "Astoria was one of our roommates, she was already dating Draco we had a sit down dinner and he apologized we spent as many nights in friendly banter with them as we did with you and harry. When Astoria married Draco they became master and mistress of the Manor. Draco refused the house and locked his family out. Astoria wanted an explanation it was her idea to change the house to make it theirs."
Draco then took over "I couldn't walk into the manor without having panic attacks those months under tom riddles control of the manor changed the house; but it never felt like a home anyway hell the dungeons at Hogwarts were warmer. I needed powerful magic to change the manor. I had a lot of the magical wards removed but then we couldn't get the house to change I remembered how smart Granger was and powerful the weaslette was so we asked them to help."
Ginny then took the final part. "We moved the ballroom to the first floor so the traditional party could continue moved the library into the old drawing room space after Hermione blew it up. Moved bedrooms from the far ends of the house to the empty space in the middle where the ball room once stood. The house is still large 7 bedrooms 10 bathrooms, the library, study, family room, dining, kitchen, solarium, pool/fitness, and an attic, the basement was sealed off."
Ron stuttered "I don't understand it's just as big outside"
Astoria then added "that was Hermione's idea, it's the same theory as the extendable charms we all learned, just reversed. It looks four times the size on the outside. So as not to cause attention, we tried to shelter our son as much as we could" they all stood there staring at each other it was then that Ron lamely handed Draco the white ferret "it's for Scorp."