Misery
My eyes shoot open and I take a deep breath. My legs are tangled in my sheets and my pillow is clutched to my chest. I unwind my legs and force my stiff fingers to open. I hate this. This weakness, this vulnerability. I reach for my wand and cast a tempus charm 3:30. Ugh... I stretch my aching limbs then climb out of bed. This one was different. A memory instead of those aching dreams that left me in sweat soaked sheets.
Those dreams made my life hell.
When I enter the bathroom the first thing I do is look into the mirror. Big mistake. My overgrown platinum blonde hair is matted across my forehead and sticking up in the most dreadful way and my dull grey eyes were sunken is from lack of sleep, below then purple bruises. I really needed to get around to brewing a sleeping draught. I covered my mouth as I yawned, and slid the curtain to the shower aside, stepping in. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew there was a load banging at the bathroom door.
"Dad!" my eleven year old son yelled, "Get your lazy pampered butt out of the bathroom, I mean honestly, you must be the only straight man in existence who spends two hours in the bathroom getting ready and owns fifty some-odd bottles of beauty products!" Groaning, I rub my eyes and turn the shower off. Wrapping a towel around my waist, I open the door to Scorpius' incredulous face. "You just got out of the shower!"
"So…" I mumble, searching for the clean robes I had just placed on the end of my bed.
"Seriously Dad?" he sighs, and then picks up my wand, "Accio…Dad's clothes!" My eyes widen as my dresser drawers fly open and every piece of clothing I own buries my son. Sputtering, his blonde head pops out. Frowning, he climbs out, muttering on about this and that. I bend over and pick up a pair of black boxers and, gesturing for Scorpius to turn, I drop my towel and put them on. "Oh and By the way," he adds as if after second thought, "It's ten-thirty."
"Shit!" I grab random articles of clothing and throw them on, running a slim pale hand through my messy hair, trying to tame it without the use of magic. Nope. Magic it is. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" I demand, hurrying to the fireplace situated in our sitting room.
"You were asleep?"
"Scorpius!"
"Sorry! Sorry! It doesn't matter anymore, I guess." I turn to look at him.
"Doesn't matter? Doesn't matter!"
"You already said that."
"Scorpius." Mothers stern voice rings out, "Mind you manners and respect your father."
"Yes, Grandmother." He rolls his eyes at me and smiles. "You were saying."
"You won't be saying it doesn't matter anymore. All of the decent Hogwarts supplies will have been snatched up by now." Nodding goodbye to Mother, I grab a handful of flew powder.
"I told you we should have gone school shopping ages ago! I'm off to Hogwarts in a week." He sings, laughing.
"Now you're laughing, but wait until you have to wear too tight robes!" I grumble, pulling on my robes, over my clothes.
"Uh, Dad?" my head snaps up, "Your robes…"
"Yes? What about them?"
"Jeez Dad, you're just going to die without me."
"Scorpius!"
"Okay! Okay!..They're inside out." He snickers and Mother, the traitor, bursts out laughing.
"He's right, dear you will be quite out of it with him gone. He does nearly everything with you." Mother laughs some more and Scorpius grins, rolling his bright grey eyes, so much like mine and yet so different. He has my hair too. The only thing he seems to have gotten from Stori was his attitude, of course Stori was dead now, she has been for years. Scorpius was just a child, and never really got to know her.
"Let's just go." I climb into the fireplace and make sure Scorpius has his flew powder, then I cry out, "Hogsmead, Diagon Alley!" A bright flash of green light blinds me, then I step out of the fireplace and into a familiar face.
"Malfoy!" The man cries, stumbling back and tripping over a chair. "What-I-you-"
"As eloquent as ever I see, Longbottom?" I smirk, fixing my hair and patting my robes, causing black dust to fly.
"I-I-I don't-"another green flash interrupts the man's fumbling voice.
"Dad?" Scorpius' small voice rings out. Longbottom's eyes widen a fraction as the small blonde boy stumbles out of the fireplace covered in black soot and into my arms. Longbottom looks flummoxed.
"You have a son?" he whispers.
I open my mouth to speak, but Scorpius beats me to it, "Of course! You sure are an odd man. Why else would I be calling him 'Dad' then, hmmm?" I bark out a laugh, but try to disguise it as a cough. Longbottom doesn't look convinced. Maybe he isn't as stupid as I once thought?
"Well, Scorpius, let's go get your robes." I grab his arm, leading him away.
"You haven't done your shopping yet?" Longbottom cries in distress. "Don't forget your Herbology things, I'm not sure I'll have many extras."
"Really Longbottom, must you?" I say at the exact time Scorpius cries, You're my teacher!" I sigh and lead Scorpius away, this time nothing calls me back. All the while I hear Longbottoms annoying voice rumbling on about nothing of importance. It's like I never left, and when he thinks I'm not looking, Scorpius sticks his tongue out at Longbottom. I stifle a smile. That'a'boy.
I bring Scorpius to the very best robes shop and get his fitted in no time at all, but just as we were readying to leave, Scorpius runs off. I, of course, chase after him, calling things like: "Get back here!" and "Mind your manners!" or "What will your grandmother think!" but I am ignored, except for the occasional, "Come on Dad!" I sigh, and do as he says.
I round the corner, and take in the scene before me. Scorpius is kneeling before a little red-haired girl, who seems to be crying, snot is running down her chin and everything. Thank Merlin Scorpius never went through that stage.
I clear my throat and Scorpius says without looking at me, "This is Lily. She can't find her Daddy and she's scared."
"Oh?" I come a little closer to them. "Hello Lily. My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." I smile reassuringly.
"You're Thorpiuth'th Daddy?" she talks with a lisp.
"Yes." I keep smiling. "Do you remember where you last saw your Daddy?" Her head bobs up and down. "Where?"
"Albuth wath getting hith kitty."
"Ah hah! So-"
"Then I went to look at the birdth and they left without me! I can't find them anywhere!" She cries despairingly.
"It's okay, Lily. Calm down." Scorpius pats the girl's back. "My Daddy can help!" He grins at me. "Right?"
"Right." I say firmly, and Lily looks up and me, a smile smile on her face.
"Promithe?"
"Promise. "
"Umm…." She frowns slightly, "I fink Jamth thaid that Albuth needed hith wand next, but I don't know where that ith"
"Don't worry, Lily. I do." I reach out my hands to the children in front of me. "Have you ever apparated Lily? A small nod. "Good. Scorpius' first time was awful. I'd hate a repeat." They each take a hand and I close my eyes as the familiar squeezing, pulling feeling comes, then quickly passes, and I land on my arse in the middle of the floor of Ollivanders with two giggling children on my lap.
"Yes. is extremely hilarious. I fell over. Ha ha." I roll my eyes as they full out laugh at my predicament. "Do you see your Daddy?" Lily nods, and smiles at me."
"Well, where-"
"Taken to kidnapping, eh Malfoy?" Really. Twice in one day? I mean the red hair should have given it away.
"Weasley. You are a Weasley?" I raise an eyebrow at Lily, but she only giggles.
"No, thilly! That'th Uncle Won(Juan). My Daddy'th over there." She points over my shoulder to…uh oh. What a day. I climb to my feet and stare. He looks different, definitely dresses nicer, and he's gotten rid of those god-awful glasses. His hair is shorter, but somehow still sticks in every direction but down, leaving the famous scar in full view, also his eyes. They haven't changed a bit, still that emerald green that captivates everyone. I'm think of my dream from last night, when he leant over me, saving my life. I think of all of my dreams, always so different, yet they all have one thing in common. Him.
He clears his throat, dragging me from my mind. "Malfoy."
"Potter." I try to sneer, but Lily hugs me and I can't quite manage.
"Fank you Mr. Malfoy." She grins. "Dwaco Malfoy." I can hear Weasley grumbling behind me.
"You are very welcome Miss Lily…Potter." I gulp as she hugs me again, then Scorpius. She runs to her mother, Ginny Weasley, or Potter now I suppose.
"Lily!" a boy about Scorpius' age barrels over. "Where have you been? You can't just run off like that! We were worried sick, weren't we Dad?"
"Yes we were. Lily?"
"Yeth Daddy?" She looks up at him innocently, as another boy, maybe fifteen or so, walks up to me, and holds out his hand.
"James Potter, and, thanks for bringing Lily back. She's always running off, and I'm supposed to watch over her, you know, me being her big brother and all."
I slowly extend my hand, then take his, risking a quick glance and Potter, his eyes were trained on me. My hand falters, but James doesn't seem to notice. He takes it and I snap out of it, shaking his hand. "Of course. I couldn't just leave her alone. She's what? Five?"
"Nine!" Lily cries, "I'm nine!"
"Lily?" Scorpius whispers, and I look over at him. He hasn't said much, which is very unusual for him. Actually, it's not like him at all. He never shuts up. "You ran off?" Lily blushes, but doesn't say anything. "So…you lied!" Scorpius' voice was raised. I reach out a hand to put it on his shoulder, but he shoves me away. When she doesn't answer he takes my hand in his. "I'm leaving!" he says firmly, and when we don't do anywhere, "Dad?"
"Well…" I chuckle nervously, you do need a wand, and we are at a wand shop-"
"Dad! I'm trying to leave, angrily And you just ruined it! Ugh!" his lower lip juts out and he crosses his arms. Within seconds all of the Potters and Weasleys are laughing, and I can barely contain my smile.
"Come Scorpius. Let's get you a your wand."
He sighs dramatically, and this starts gets them going again. Finally, the stop laughing, and Potter looks at me seriously. "Nice kid." He smiles, then takes Lily's hand and heads for the door. He holds it open for everyone and once they're all through he says, without turning back to me. "You seem like a great father, Draco."