A/N: Hello! Everyone thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. I apologize for waiting to update but please bear with me here. After my dad passed I was immediately sent back to school and have been tackling grief, school work, Greek life and Hell Week. I am now officially a senior! Yay-sauce!

But I wanted to put up something for all of you awesome people and though it is not much, I wanted to gift you a little something. I will not give up on this story and new ideas are always welcome.

This chapter is a shout-out to tikoala who wrote me an endearing message for which I appreciate dearly. avec toute mon amitié


The subject was not broached again until after dinner and Scorpius was able to get the elusive brunette away from his relatives who were surely trying to whisk him away once more.

They were on the blond heirs' bed in the dorm silently prattling away which was a natural occurrence ever since Al came to be a part of the Slytherin family.

The room was warm despite the chilly walls of the dungeon and the bed on which they sat had a cozy heating charm.

Albus was trying his hardest to concentrate on his charms essay. But for some reason he just couldn't get his muddled thoughts to cooperate with him. It might have something to do with him being tired or unruly bangs that kept getting in his eyes or… most likely, it was the warm body sitting in front of him.

Al's green eyes kept discretely observing his bedfellow and returning to his page. He wasn't able to justify the desire of why he proceeded to do so when he knew the assignment he was meant to work on was do the day after next. He chanced another look at the boy and blushed a brilliant shade of pink when he connected with narrowed gray in front of him.

"Er…." Was all Albus managed intelligently.

Scorpius eyes narrowed further.

Albus tried to look to the side but those damn orbs of silver held him and he suddenly felt like a child who'd gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I'm sorry!" He blurted, looking for the world like a stricken puppy.

Scorpius blinked. "What on earth for?"

"Because I don't know if you truly want me there. I don't want to insult you or anything and I'm sure your family is really nice and everything it's just I'm not sure what to think anymore since we'…"

"Albus!"

The blush grew more as the blonde's smirk transformed into a full on smile.

"Eh… yeah?"

"How are you insulting me or my family… they did invite you after all. And what do you mean moving fast, it's as if we've known each other for ages."

A small smile tugged at the Potter boys' face and the picture looked so incredibly sweet that Scorpius was certain candy could be envious. He rolled his eyes at the brunette and pushed his book aside.

"It's because you don't know them very well. Am I right?" He received a slight nod in return. "Oh Albus, I'm sure they'll adore you and apparently you're already saying the right things, you received an invite from my father and he's a relatively steely man."

Oh, he's steely alright. Incredibly fit and built like a brick house, Al thought and then wondered idly when Scorpius was going to transform into such a semblance. Then he frowned at himself, mentally slapped his self, for thinking such thoughts about the boy let alone his father. Shaking his head he tried to focus on what the blond was saying.

"As long as you mind your manners they won't say anything. Believe me. And with me sitting there they wouldn't say anything untoward about you."

"Your mother did when we first met."

"That's because she didn't know you. My mother tests the waters with everyone."

"Hmm, if you say so." He replied neither agreeing nor disagreeing really.

Albus pushed away the parchment and heavy textbook he'd been using to sit up completely from his slouched position. He was so tired right now.

His mind kept reminding him that it was in his nature to screw things up and that was what worried him with this whole dinner thing.

And what could mess up something more than a Potter in the Malfoy manor surrounded by cursed objects, cruel wards, and thick imposing walls. For some reason he imagined the place to be oppressive and heavy. And while he enjoyed being the first Potter there willingly, perhaps in over a century, he still believed he should be on guard.

Albus gathered his book and unfinished work and placed it in his trunk. He needed to think about this more and possibly talk it over with someone. He would normally go to his brother but seeing as how the sting of James' words and actions still hurt to think about, that was probably not the best course of action to take at present.

He got ready for bed with this thought in mind and bid his friends and dorm mates goodnight as he slipped beneath the soft, sterile white sheets beneath stone gray blankets. He wished he could talk to his dad about it in person before the dinner happened in a few days. He would write and see what advice the man could give. After all, Al yawned, daddy always gave good advice.


Harry was in a pickle, well not in but more or less surrounded by a numerous amount. How someone could think to cast the Geminio curse on a food item was beyond him, but then again, he thought as he grabbed one near his shoulder and bit it, it might be a great way to end world hunger.

He had cast an anti-replicating charm before things could get too out of hand and while it was quick it was still enough time to let them get up to his neck.

"You alright there, Ron?"

A cough then spit here and there later finally produced his partners head above a barrage of fermented cucumbers. His red hair in contrast to the sickly green plant made Harry laugh.

"Never better mate." The man said as he likewise took a bite of food.

He gazed around them. "So shall we eat our way out or what?"

Harry shrugged as best he could beneath the pickles. "I'm not too opposed to…hey?"

Suddenly a funnel like affect pulled the two under and in a flurry of movement they found themselves buried in the hall. People scurried to get out of the way but some were unfortunate enough to get caught. After the vegetables settled Harry popped his head up to meet Ron who still had a pickle halfway out his mouth.

The Savior laughed delightedly. "This is ridiculous."

"Oh, it gets better." Harry heard a muffled voice somewhere beside him.

Another head popped up from beneath and glared indignantly at the brunette. It transformed into a smirk when it sent the man into another peal of laughter and Weasley into a coughing fit.

"S-So…So sorry, Draco,' Harry giggled, 'it seems my lunch got away from me."

The regal blond looked around in reserved amusement. "So it would seem. Geminio?"

Harry nodded, found his wand and banished majority of the mess, though he was certain he would smell of pickles the rest of the day. Dusting the remnants off he indicated his slightly messy office and the aristocrat walked through and took a seat after dusting away more pickles.

The brunette had never seen anyone so regal in their endeavor and stifled another life. He would never get used to such proper behavior.

"How can I help you?"

"It's about your son."

Harry rolled his eyes up into his head. And things had been going so well between him and his old school nemesis.

"What has James done to Scorpius now?"

"Nothing. I wanted to talk about your younger son."

Harry looked dumbfounded for a moment. "Albus?"

"Yes, I have invited the boy over for dinner this week and while I would have told you before-hand, I took the liberation of sending it when it first crossed my mind. I hope you don't mind."

Harry slightly frowned at first. "I suppose I don't mind.' The auror shook his head. 'Sorry, it slipped my mind that he and Scorpius were getting on so well. Al's talked about him in letters and I've been so busy. As a matter of fact he did write me permission to go in a letter today."

Draco straightened his back. "Will you allow him to come?"

Harry leaned back and studied the man before him and considered his next words carefully. He glanced at Ron and motioned for him to leave the room a moment and the man did just that with a click of the door.

"I am not in any way opposed to our sons being friends and if Albus wants to he can go."

"But?" Draco interjected with a raise of his brow.

Harry's eyes were a snake strike, riveting the man to the chair. "I do not want your father anywhere near him."

Draco didn't move as he considered the request; well, really it was a demand and the blond could understand. He hadn't told his father the reason he was sending the man and his wife to eat somewhere else that particular day. But it was commonplace since the reason for the outing would be told to the former Lord later.

Draco wasn't sure he would be telling his father anything.

"That… is reasonable,' the man said slowly. 'He will be dining somewhere else that evening."

Harry nodded. He didn't trust Lucius Malfoy even though his wand was snapped and burned after the trials. That old con could find a means of messing with anyone if he chose.

"Normally I would say no regardless. But from what Al's letters have indicated he trusts your son and I want my boy to be happy. I'm sure your son's happiness is also why you're making this effort." Harry stated.

Malfoy was in mid nod when the brunette added, "…at least that's one reason."

Clever, Potter. Draco's eyes shined and Harry looked smug.

But what Potter revealed through his own eyes in return was a warning. His lips followed through.

"Remember, Draco, after I spoke up for you at your trial and you told me you owed me?"

Stormy eyes narrowed to slits.

"Consider my sons safety in your care that debt paid. But if he comes to harm… I will end you." Harry's voice was soft and steely.

The blond dipped his head in understanding and in parting, knowing he was the same over his own child.

Draco Malfoy left the Auror's office with a renewed respect for Harry Potter.


"My life sucks." Albus muttered as he looked through several old tomes with the help of Rosie and Lily.

"No, his life sucks." Lily said and pointed out the window as a boy trailed too close to the whomping willow and was currently being carted off to the medical ward.

Al's squinted to see the happenings and nodded. "You're right. His life does suck… badly." Shaking his head he turned back to the shelf.

A dark skinned finger trailed lightly the spines and over the titles. At the soft touch some of the books quivered and giggled. One made a few naughty comments that had the trio bright red but laughing.

Al was located on a tall, older ladder about half way up a shelf of books dedicated to Pure Blood culture. He was seeking ammo for conversation on Wednesday night.

"I wish mum knew more." He muttered.

"I know,' Lily voiced from below. 'But the Weasley's were always a different beat of the drum for many."

Albus looked down into warm brown eyes and smiled. His sister was so lovely. "And the Potter's weren't?"

"Most definitely."

Al smirked and turned back to his searching.

"I still wish we knew more of what you wanted to find, Albus. We've pulled out book after book about pure bloods and we have yet to find anything you like." Rose quipped from somewhere down the aisle.

"I just want something to talk about with them is all. We're not at a Quidditch game like last time so that subject won't last long and the truth is I never really researched pure bloods or that type of heritage before."

"Why would you be interested now?"

Albus let out a sigh of mild annoyance and climbed a few more rungs. He studiously ignored the creaking coming from the apparatus with eyes glued to the shelf as he called down below.

"I just don't want to look like an idiot is all."

Rose and Lily shared a look.

Albus, they knew, could enchant cockroaches with small talk if he tried and they were certain that the conversation they had witnessed between he and the Malfoy's was not all Quidditch in nature. After all, he didn't really play the game.

However, Albus was a plethora of information and he enjoyed researching things to their fullest extent but only, and it wasn't often, if the subject interested him. His need to acquire this info now constituted an interest and the interest had happened because of an invite. So, in Lily's opinion, it was Al really wanting to not look like an idiot in front of Scorpius.

She sighed. How had she known that snake would end up catching his attention? And more importantly, did Albus know his attention had been caught?

Brushing a thick strand of red from her face she called up to let Albus know that she and Rose were going to lunch and turned to leave when he just waved at them to go.

An hour later and Albus was at the very top of the shelf and the books he was surrounded by were obscenely old in nature, written on papyrus or flattened tree bark. He flipped through them as he balanced precariously atop the ladder and finally, FINALLY, found a book that might result in some interesting conversations.

It was bleached to an ivory color and wrapped in a wyrmwood cover. The pages were delicate and felt remarkably like suede. Glancing through the material he noted the content pertained to rituals and holidays. Yule was mentioned, which he knew of, but there was one called Beltaine he did not and Samhain.

If the Malfoy's were as traditional as he thought, maybe they would know more about this and would explain it to him. He smiled, it was worth a shot and he was always curious.

With the book under his arm he started to climb back down the ladder.

CRACK!

Albus felt the rung beneath his foot give way and he struggled to hold on but his efforts brought the ladder to stand straight up like a conjoined set of stilts.

"Shit." He swore as he tried to maintain equilibrium. He could only use one hand as the other was wrapped around the book but the result was he could not draw his wand.

"Help!" He called and was relieved a moment later when he heard the voices of Ica and Katrina.

"Where are you?"

"Next aisle, up in the air."

"What? What do you mean you're up…" Icarus rounded the shelf to stop dead; Katrina slammed into him and shouted for him to warn her before she looked up.

Poor Albus was clinging to the ladder for dear life. Of course the fall itself might not kill him, but he was greatly concerned about the sudden stop. The wood gave an ominous groan and crack.

"Ica?"

The ebony twins snapped back to reality.

"Hold on Al. Don't let go!" Katrina called.

"Do I bloody look like that has crossed my mind?"

Katrina pulled out her wand and pointed it at Al as Ica rushed to the bottom of the ladder and tried to tilt it towards the shelf.

Katrina kept the ladder stable enough to move but no sooner had the top portion of the ladder touched the shelf did a series of frightening cracks sound. Ica's eyes mirrored his sisters own widening ones.

Katrina shrieked when the wood snapped and Albus plummeted. On his way down he split nearly every rung; clutching the book to his chest he covered his head with his other hand.

The girls scream alerted other inhabitants in the library and they came running, most were members of the Slytherin team whom were working study tables.

Al crashed into Icarus and they lay in a heap on the floor. Ica was moaning from the sudden weight and Albus was making a pained hissing sound.

The athletes arrived with Scorpius up front. The ice prince rushed to his friends as Ica made to sit up.

"Are you okay?" Katrina asked from the other side as students filed around them.

"Yeah, but, Al?" Ica looked up to see his newest friend kneeling on the floor in front of him, book of the ground, pale and cradling his arm. Bangs covered his face as his head tilted to the ground. But what truly caught the boy's attention as well as Scorpius' and two other Slytherins on either side of him, was the steady stream of red falling onto the ground.

Albus had his eyes shut tightly and willed the pain he was feeling to some other parts of his body. Using his mind to even out the pain throughout his body so he wouldn't feel the focused agony in his arm or the sharp pulsing pangs in his tongue and lip was a technique he'd learned long ago.

His teeth were embedded in his lower lip, that he knew and it was going to hurt something awful to remove it. But he had to, for the sake of stopping the bleeding that was gushing from the bite into his tongue. THAT could be deadly. THAT needed to stop now.

He registered in the back of his mind the librarian being sent for and someone calling for another student to get the nurse. But prominently he heard Scorpius begging him to look at him.

He tilted his head, feeling the warmth of a person's arms around him and locked painfully green eyes on the concerned ones of the Malfoy heir. Those same eyes widened and Al would have laughed at any other time because it was quite comical. But something worse was happening, he was swallowing too much blood from the wound in his mouth and he was growing faint. He leaned into the warmth of the arms around him and went slack just as Pomfrey arrived to see Scorpius holding the boy in death grip.


Harry had received news at his job just after Draco Malfoy left that Albus had taken a bit of a tumble. Normally he wouldn't worry. Boys were boys after all and he spent a phenomenal amount of time in clinics still. But, he worried when he was told that he was taken to St. Mungo's for blood loss.

That was something he hadn't wanted to hear. Especially since his boys were both hemophiliacs.

When they bumped or cut themselves as kids they always took a bit longer to heal. Harry and Ginny always kept their eyes out for anything that could potentially lead to a larger accident and apparently, that accident had finally happened.

He rushed through the doors of the hospital and took off towards the immediate admittance desk.

"How can I help you, Mr. Potter?" The receptionist asked politely.

"I was told my son was brought in not too long ago." He replied anxiously.

"And his full name, Mr. Potter?"

"Potter, Albus Severus."

The receptionist hummed as she scribbled on an Insta-Sheet. Much like a computer worked in the muggle world; the stiff parchment-like structure was linked to a vast network of clipboards being written on from any place in the hospital by quick quotes quills. Doctors and nurses would merely speak out loud and words were written into a complex system. The system held all written records.

She searched the name and immediately was greeted by pages and pages of information.

She furrowed her dark brows. "I'm afraid that he is still in with the emergency doctor at this time. You may not get into see him but you may wait just inside the double doors near the inner nurse's station."

"Thank you." Harry said and took off in that direction. As soon as he reached the double doors he heard his name called and looked back to see his wife walking quickly behind him. She too had gotten word.

As soon as they inquired of the receptionist they were sent to a particular room in the back with a clipboard to fill out information. But when they asked if they could see him the nurse sadly told them not yet, so, the Potters were left sitting and waiting for news.

A moment later four other people walked into the waiting room and Ginny instantly wrapped her arms around two of them. "James, Lily, what are you two doing here?" She asked.

"They heard about your son of course.' Tutted an imposing figure in the doorway.

"Headmistress McGonagall?" Harry stood to greet his old professor.

"I wager Mr. Potter that had I not brought them here, I'm sure you don't mind, they would have torn the mortar down around the school in riot. And young Mr. Malfoy here could not be contained either I'm afraid."

As soon as she mentioned him, all the Potters turned to stare at the blond in the doorway. He would have ducked away from the stares but his own sense of pride kept that from happening. He was here to support Albus and wanted to see how he was feeling. Trying to look nonchalant he leaned against the door frame, earning a glare from James, and blocking all emotion from his face.

His cool attitude would have stayed in place had the little minx-like girl not skipped up to him, grabbed his hand and pranced back to the group.

Lily looked up at her parents. "Scorp was there when it happened."

Malfoy was about to protest her audacity for calling him such a hideous nickname when she turned shimmering eyes his direction. Please tell me she's not about to cry. Sure enough Lily had big tears on verge of her lashes.

But before he could properly panic at having a girl break down in front of him he overheard Mr. Potter telling the Headmistress thanks and that they would see Scorpius got back alright. Soon he was left with the family and everyone of them looking at him as though he were the most interesting of specimens. Well, James was still glaring.

He huffed and crossed his arms returning the glare with his own heated gaze. They stared each other down for a few moments until soft chuckles could be heard and a light chime of giggles interrupted the moment.

Mr. Potter shook his head. "James, you and Scorpius sit down. As much as you might like to you cannot glare each other into a puddle."

When Scorpius sat, it was stiffly. He could safely say he was intimidated by the man in front of him even though said man had the most welcoming demeanor, as did his wife and their daughter. Their other son was still a product of idiotic glares.

But getting back to the point, he had never truly spoken to Mr. Potter and had only caught glimpses of him in real life at the train station. Perhaps once or twice at Hogwarts as well.

I mean look at him, Scorpius thought to himself in childlike wonder, this is the man who destroyed the darkest wizard of all time. I read about this man in History of Magic and there he is, calm as you please, and not looking one bit as a condescending arrogant prat.

Scorpius mentally shook his head at the novelty. He was so caught up in his musing about Harry Potter that he flinched when the man spoke to him.

"Since you were there, can you tell us what happened? The doctors have yet to tell us all the commotion."

The blond sighed and looked down. "He fell. He was climbing down a ladder in the library when apparently the rungs snapped. The Zabini twins went to help but failed when another rung broke and he tumbled to the floor. I saw the ladder; he must have hit every bit of wood on his way down."

"Did he get impaled or something?" Ginny spoke up, worry evident in her soft brown eyes.

Scorpius shook his head.

"But they told us he was bleeding badly."

"He is, was." Scorpius addressed the man of the house. "The fall broke his arm, I don't know how many places, but he landed on Icarus Zabini, when he did his jaw slammed shut and chopped into his tongue and lip. He, uh, kind of passed out when we got to him."

Harry's green eyes were wide and he looked at his wife.

"That's not all.' Lily exclaimed, 'Tell them what you did after he passed out."

Scorpius shook his head. "It, it was nothing really."

"Nothing? He figured out what was wrong and pried Albus' mouth open. When he did he leaned him forward and placed a cloth in his mouth to try and stop the bleeding." The young girl eyed her parents who wore twin expressions of shock. "Madame Pomfrey said that Albus would have lost so much more blood if Scorp hadn't done that."

Scorpius was again conscious of stares being aimed his way and with a small sense of satisfaction noticed the grateful look in Mr. Potter's eyes. Eyes that were much too like Albus' own.

"It was nothing,' he repeated. 'It wasn't like he was in too much danger."

"But you're wrong. Albus and I have a blood disorder that prevents our blood from clotting properly. You placing the cloth in his mouth helped his system catch up." James said from beside Harry. His glare was gone to be replaced with a tired expression and he looked at his dad.

"We've always tried to be a bit more careful." Harry put an arm around James' shoulders and squeezed.

"It's alright. The important thing is we know what happened and I am certain your brother will be fine. And hopefully fine enough to go to Malfoy Manor on Wednesday, yeah?"

Scorpius shot his eyes up to look at Mr. Potter. The man wore a crooked, lopsided and easy grin on his face. Winking at Scorpius he got up and walked back to the nurses' station to inquire about Al.

Nearly an hour and a half later the doctor finally came out and greeted the family.

Al, of course, would be alright. They had to give him some potions to replenish his blood and a potion designed especially for hemophiliacs to help the blood clot. His arm was only broken in one area but it had been reset and he would be sore for a small while.

When they were shown to his room he was asleep. The day and hours of pain and exhaustion catching up to him.

Harry, relieved that Albus was going to be fine, carefully watched Scorpius as they were in the room. He too looked relieved the boy would be fine and, when he thought no one was looking, slipped his fingers across the flushed skin of Al's cheek and into his messy raven strands.

Harry tilted his head to the side in curiosity as a serene, barely there smile crossed the blonde's face. And for a moment Harry wondered that if he had agreed to be Malfoy's friend in first year, would that same look ever pass Draco's face if he were in that condition.

Nah.


A/N: Well? Good, Bad, Ugly? I know it's kind of filler but, it works right? Dinner will be next chapter!

Remember, the winner for Cool Points will be decided by next chapter yeah? So, review and feed the starving imagination. This story will get better and as I've said before, if anyone has suggestions or would like to see something with the characters (big or small) I will consider it in my story. My poll is still up for Al and Scorpius in my profile so check it out.

My 83rd, 85th and 88th reviewers get cameo appearances! YAY