Mothers and Fathers

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land

And don't criticise what you can't understand

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command

Your old road is rapidly fading

Bob Dylan, 'The Times They Are A-Changin''

-

"Have you heard from Rose?"

"Oh, yes. She's written twice already," Hermione said, setting tea down in front of him.

Harry fiddled with his spoon and, keeping his eyes fixed on it, said "And did she tell you if she'd made any new friends?"

"Well... no, she didn't mention it," said Ron, sitting down at their kitchen table, opposite Harry. "But she mostly talks about her classes anyway. Like her mother," he added, fondly, glancing over at his wife and grinning.

Hermione was looking slightly worried, however. "Why? Do you think she's not getting on well with the other students?" The last thing she wanted, Harry knew, was for her daughter to have a similar first few weeks to her own – alone and friendless.

"No, no," Harry quickly reassured. "Don't worry about that – she has Al, after all." Hermione relaxed slightly. "It's just that... well, I was told that they made a new... acquaintance."

"Who?"

"Scorpius Malfoy."

"Oh." Hermione looked amazed. "Really?"

"What?" said Ron, brow furrowing.

Harry nodded.

"And... you're worried about this, are you?" asked Hermione, hesitantly.

"Are you not?"

"I am," said Ron, looking incredulously at his wife.

"I don't know," she answered uneasily. "I can't say I'm delighted by the idea of Malfoy's son near my daughter..."

"I hate it," said Ron firmly. "I know Malfoy, and I don't trust him – and who knows how his son's been brought up!"

"Yes..." said Hermione hesitantly. "But Harry, weren't you the one who said we should do our best to gain that family some tolerance? They've been treated very badly since the war..."

"I know, I know," he answered guiltily. "The boy's only eleven, and he's done nothing wrong--"

"That we know of," muttered Ron, earning a glare from Hermione.

Harry nodded before continuing. "But my instincts tell me to never trust a Malfoy."

"I thought you did trust Draco?"

"I gave him the benefit of the doubt. It's not the same thing." Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly as he spoke. "I feel like such a fraud, though. I tell my children not to judge people by their families and then I go and do it myself."

"We all do, mate," said Ron, sympathetically. "Every time I tell Hugo not to swear – I mean, I do it all the time, if not while he's there. But we all want our kids to be better than us, without our faults." He smiled, wryly. "I'm finding it a bit tricky."

"Lily asked me about him, y'know," Harry said, gloomily, only half listening. "The day they left."

"About who?" asked Ron, momentarily confused.

"Scorpius Malfoy! She heard you and me talking about him at King's Cross," Harry said. "Asked me why you hated the kid. How in Merlin's name do you explain to a nine-year-old that, while Draco Malfoy has a questionable sense of morality, it doesn't add up to evil? And that her elders have trouble not associating the child with the father? And telling her that it's wrong to do that! While you yourself are completely guilty of it!"

"Calm down, Harry!" said Hermione sharply. "It's not the end of the world. Why did she ask you about him? Does she even know who he is?"

"She says she saw him 'looking sad' before we went onto the platform." He smiled slightly. "She always did stand up for the underdog."

"Oh," said Hermione. "Poor boy – you saw how everyone was acting towards them. I suppose I never really thought about how Scorpius might take it."

"It's weird thinking of a Malfoy as a victim," said Ron. "Especially when he looks just like his father."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Harry, staring morosely into his mug. "But what do you think we should do?"

Hermione shrugged. "What can we do? They have to make their own decisions, just as we always did. If they're mistakes, then maybe they'll make better decisions next time. But for now..." She sighed. "It sounds like that boy might need all the friends he can get."

"I suppose you're right," Harry agreed wearily.

"Yeah, when isn't she?" said Ron, half admiring, half exasperated. "But that doesn't mean I have to like this. And if he goes anywhere near my daughter..."

"Ron! Let's take this one step at a time, shall we?" Hermione admonished, but Harry silently agreed. But they'd have to wait and see...

-

Astoria looked at the letter in her hands. It had been burning a whole in her pocket for days now, and she'd been wondering how to bring it up to Draco. What would she tell him?

The truth, of course. She admonished herself for even thinking otherwise. Draco deserved to know about his son, especially before he heard the news from somewhere else. But how to tell him? And how would he take it?

Hands trembling slightly, she knocked on his study door.

"Come in," he called.

"It's me," she said, poking her head around the door. "Are you busy? I have something I need to talk to you about."

"Of course, sit down," he said, looking up from some paperwork. "What is it?"

She sat down opposite him. She twisted the letter nervously in her hands.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking concerned. She smiled timidly at him.

"No," she answered. "Not at all, really. It's just that... well..."

He frowned. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Well, I don't think there is," she said. "But well – it's about Scorpius."

Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why? Has he gotten into trouble already?"

"Oh! No, nothing like that. He's a good boy," she added, somewhat reproachfully.

"I know that, Astoria. But, frankly, I know that I would have had difficulty keeping my temper with all the things people say to us." He ran a hand through his thinning blond hair and sighed, deeply. "I wouldn't really blame him – but you know he can't do anything, because then people will say he's aggressive; because he's a Malfoy."

"I know that, Draco," she reassured. "And Scorpius does nothing, you know that."

"Yes," Draco said, "but I don't think he would even if he could – he'd never stand up for himself."

"What are you saying?" Astoria exclaimed, shocked. "All his life we've told him that he mustn't fight back, that he must be careful, that people will always seek to ruin him – and now you're saying you wish he had more backbone?"

"Well, yes!" said Draco, frustrated now. "The boy's a nervous wreck! He won't stand up for himself, and people will walk all over him! There's a difference between revenge, and prevention. He doesn't need fear, but he could do with a little respect. Or at least some self-respect."

Astoria glared. She had come with good intentions, with plans of breaking the news gently, but she could feel herself getting riled up now. She loved her husband, she always had. She wanted him to be happy, never sought to upset him – but no one insulted her son, not even his father.

"Well," she said, "maybe he won't stand up for himself, but perhaps he would if you made him feel worthy of respect! And I think you underestimate him. He may not respect himself, but he does respect this family, and he respects your wishes. Maybe you should have decided sooner what those wishes were to be!"

"It's not up to me to create a person!" Draco protested, standing up and crossing his arms defensively. "If he really wants to survive Slytherin house, then he'll need to be gain their respect."

Astoria knew that she would probably regret doing it like this later, but anger and something like triumph were pumping through her veins.

"Well, it's a good thing he's not in Slytherin then!" she announced, somewhat smugly.

In the silence that followed, she could feel her certainty begin to drain away. She didn't mind his anger, not really. But what if he took it out on Scorpius?

"What?" Draco said eventually.

"Scorpius wasn't put in Slytherin," she repeated, nervously.

"He didn't get in?"

"No, he was chosen for somewhere else," she re-stated, firmly. She was convinced that he had been honoured, not rejected.

Draco snorted. "Well, it's the same thing isn't it?"

"No," she answered coldly. "It really isn't."

He ignored her. "Ravenclaw, then, I suppose?"

"No."

"He didn't at least get into Ravenclaw? And here I thought all those books were actually going to do some good."

She gritted her teeth and didn't say anything. Draco was surprised, she told herself. He doesn't mean it.

"Lucius is going to kill me," Draco muttered. "A Hufflepuff for a son – ha! He always said it was going to happen."

"I really couldn't care less about what Lucius thinks about it," she said angrily. "It's our son's choice. He is where he belongs and I am convinced it's for the best!"

"For the best, Astoria?" said Draco, mockingly. "What Hufflepuff has ever amounted to anything?"

"I have no idea – but I know plenty of Gryffindors who have!"

. . .

"Wait, what? Who said anything about Gryffindors?"

"I did! Scorpius was sorted into Gryffindor!"

There was a thick and tense silence before Draco sat down heavily. "Lucius is really going to kill me now. How is this even possible?"

"Well maybe Scorpius has more backbone than you thought!" she snapped.

When the silence persisted, with Draco staring into space, Astoria sighed and went to stand beside his chair. She placed a hand on his arm.

"Whatever Lucius thinks," she told him, "I believe that this is a good thing. It certainly can't do our reputation any harm to have a Gryffindor son. He will perhaps earn acceptance – and I think Slytherin would have killed every bit of good in him."

"Maybe you're right," he said, taking her hand absently-mindedly. "But I really hope that the Gryffindors don't eat him alive. They certainly don't like our family."

She shrugged. "Who does? All I ask is that they like Scorpius."

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! And to everyone who added it to their favourites list or story alerts - but I would appreciate it if you could take, what - two minutes? out of your time and leave a review, it makes my day that much brighter!

On another note, I think I would benefit (as would this story) from having a Beta reader, something I've never had before. Is anyone reading this story a beta? Would anyone be willing to beta it? Do you know a very good beta you could recommend? I think my grammar and spelling is mostly OK, although I wouldn't object to a proof-read to get rid of typos, but my main concern is characterisation and dialogue. Anyone particularly experienced at either or both would be a God-send.

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! Getting back to the younger generation next chapter, hope you don't mind these little interludes.

Don't forget to review!

Kate