The next evening came quickly. Ginny sat at a small table by the window and waited for her young questioner to meet her. The Yodeling Dwarf was not as busy as it had been earlier, just a couple men and women scattered about talking quietly or reading the Prophet while sipping their tea. Ginny pulled a copy of the Witch's Mouth from her bag and settled in to wait for Scorpius. She still did not quite know what to think about the young Malfoy. He was certainly polite and pleasant, but he still belonged to a long tradition of cruelty and malice that could not have been lost on the latest generation.

Ginny's musings on the boy were interrupted when Scorpius Malfoy entered and confidently walked to her table, a small but warm smile lighting up his pale face.

"Ms Ginny, what a pleasure to see you again," he said softly, extending a hand to her. Considering his demeanor, Ginny was surprised he didn't brush his lips against the back of her hand when she placed it in his. "I hope you are well?"

Ginny smiled. "Very well, thank you. And how have you been? Your father has not banned you from meeting with me, I see."

Scorpius's smile faded for an instant. "He doesn't exactly know that I have come to see you," he stated softly, "but that is all beside the point."

The waitress had stopped at their table, waiting expectantly for an order.

"Erm," Ginny started, feeling slightly uneasy since yesterday's food choice had caused so much disgust for Scorpius. Her uncomfortable mutterings were silenced when Scorpius interjected.

"We won't be eating here, thank you."

When the waitress left rather abruptly, Ginny, confused, just looked down at her magazine.

"I cannot believe you read that garbage," Scorpius said abruptly.

"It's purely entertainment; I don't actually take this stuff seriously.

"Well, you should not have purchased it. By buying that filth, you have contributed to the slandering, repulsive culture that creates it." The hatred in his voice was unmistakable. A sneer flashed on his lips. For the first time since their meeting, Scorpius seemed exactly like his father.

"Oh," Ginny said, thrown off guard by his behavior, "Sorry, then." Attempting to quickly change the subject, she inquired as to where they might be eating.

Scorpius stood and offered his arm to her. His normal kind demeanor was returning. "We will be going someplace else." He smiled, "It's a surprise."

Ginny hesitantly took his arm and instantly felt the unpleasant feeling of apparition. Once her feet hit the ground again at their destination, it took a few seconds to regain her balance. She was glad she had not eaten at the Yodeling Dwarf. If she had, she would have lost her meal on Scoripus's gleaming shoes.

"I would like to welcome you to my house," Scorpius said with a strong tenor of pride in his voice.

Ginny looked up. 'House' was an understatement; 'palace' was a little better. The entire landscape was dominated by a mansion of dark brick and gleaming marble. Gardens lined the pathway that lead up to the huge front door. The effect was breathtaking.

And more than a bit unnerving.

"What?" Ginny sputtered after regaining her senses, "You took me to your house? Can't we go to a restaurant? Why here? Your father is--"

"My father isn't here," Scorpius interrupted. "Our cook has prepared some lovely grilled salmon that will convince you to never eat at that godforsaken inn again."

Ginny reluctantly followed the young Malfoy into the house. Although she didn't necessarily want to be in the same house that the Malfoy family had owned for generations, if it was just her and Scorpius it couldn't be that bad. Draco Malfoy's son, against all odds, seemed to have turned out a pleasant and well-balanced individual unlike the rest of the family.

When she was seated at the end of a sparkling dining table, she knew she had made the right decision. The smells that wafted from the kitchen area were to die for. Not to mention the room was unspeakable gorgeous with crystal chandeliers and pure white marble floors. Dominating the décor, however, was a huge painting of Roman ruin with clouds in the background that moved lazily across the deep blue sky. It was uncommonly serene for a man of Draco Malfoy's tastes.

The feast was about to begin when a small house elf scurried into the room.

"Young Master Malfoy," it squeaked with an impossibly low bow to Scorpius, "Your--"

Ginny couldn't hear the rest because she was distracted by a tall man in an impeccable black suit walked into the room from behind the elf. His silver hair gleamed unnaturally in the soft light of the chandeliers. He would have looked near angelic had it not been for the malicious sneer on his face.

"Why if it isn't Mrs. Potter," his voiced dripped with sarcasm. "What a pleasure it is to see you again. And in my own house, no less."

Draco Malfoy was home.