Chapter Six

Harry was miffed, annoyed, absolutely positively irked. He didn't quite know who or what he was so exasperated by, but he was. Nothing was changing and nothing was moving forward. He'd hoped that his brief heart-to-heart with James following the younger's nightmare would have urged his son to open up and talk to his father, or to anyone really, about how he was (or wasn't) coping. It appeared there was no such luck; a week had gone by and James has returned to his previous masked self, spending an inordinate amount of time in the library with dusty volumes on the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff house.

Lily and Al seemed to be similarly stuck in a rut. Lily had become increasingly moody, (though Ginny assures him it wasn't just about the kidnapping but also something all girls go through which he, embarrassingly, hadn't understood), and withdrawn, spending less time with her family and more with her nose in a romance novel or encyclopedia that she claimed made life easier to ignore. Al was restlessly pacing around the house, seemingly lost in his own world and refused to say what exactly he'd been thinking about.

It was obvious that the news of the Malfoys, which unfortunately both Al and Lily has quickly discovered on their own was affecting them but it seemed to be more than that. Ginny thought it may be because of Christmas approaching as the past one had been spent in a cold cell. "They just don't quite know how to behave." She'd suggested. "Perhaps they're scared to be excited in case things go wrong?"

"How could things possibly go more wrong than last year?" Harry had asked incredulously, but in the end he'd agreed with her.

Now it was two days before Christmas and nothing had changed. Lily was still moody and withdrawn, Al was still restless, James was still closed off, and Scorpius Malfoy was still missing. The only new development was Harry's constant communication with Draco, though that was mostly just them worrying privately while reassuring the other. The man was being discharged later that day and Harry had promised he'd pop in for a visit before. He was also hoping to convince Draco to come back with him to the Potter's house. To his surprise, Ginny had suggested it but he had agreed readily; after all it would make collaborating on finding the Death Eaters easier, and nobody, not even Draco Malfoy, should have to be alone during the holidays. They'd talked it over with the children who'd seemed okay with it, thought Harry felt it was impossible to tell how any of his children were really feeling.

"I'm off Ginny!" He called, shrugging on a coat.

"Okay darling!" Came her reply from the kitchen where she was working on a piece on the most recent quidditch game for The Prophet.

"Can I come?" A voice asked. Harry glanced behind him to see his eldest leaning against the wall, glasses askew and lanky frame in a too large jumper and jeans. "Lily's reading and Al's napping." James continued. "Plus, maybe I could help." He added softly. "At least reassure him."

Harry sighed. Trust his son to always want to play the hero. "I dunno Jamie…"

"Dad, Scorpius is a good kid. He's in my house and I don't know him too well, but he's a good kid. I want to- I need to do something. And-and well", he whispered, "no one deserves it. No one should ever have to be… there any longer than can be avoided."

Harry sighed again, whimsically remembering Ron telling him if he kept sighing he was going to forget how to breathe normally. "Alright Jamie, go get your coat."

Minutes later found the father and son trudging down a London street towards the ratty closed shop that his St. Mungos from muggle view. They were both silent, lost in their own thoughts as the snow fell lightly on them. Harry found himself analysing his son.

The teenager was walking with his head down, seemingly transfixed by his footprints in the dusting of snow that covered the ground. His lips were drawn into a small frown and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, but his expression was otherwise unreadable. James always seemed to have that drawn look in his face. Harry's eyes scanned his son's frame, noting the way the jumper and coat hung off the boy's thin frame and the dark bags under his eyes beneath his glasses; but Harry had noted those concerns a thousand times. What frustrated him was that it wasn't changing.

"Dad, where're you going?" James' voice shook Harry out of his thoughts and he realised he'd almost walked right past the hospital.

"Sorry, lost in thought." He muttered, following his son into the hospital and approaching the reception desk. "Here to see Draco Malfoy please."

Soon, the two Potters were trudging into one of the small private rooms of the hospital. The room was brightly lit and warm, though something seemed so cold about it; an air of misery seemed to permeate the sterile area. Draco was standing by the window, staring out at the cloudy sky with empty grey eyes, his usually impeccable blond hair a mess and his stance defeated. "Hello Harry." he muttered sounding as hollow as he looked as he continued to stare out the window.

"Draco?" Harry asked softly. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm not!" The other man snapped, turning around to face them. His eyes landed on James and widened in surprise. "James." He said quietly. "I didn't expect you here."

"Hello Mr. Malfoy." James offered a small, sad, smile. "I thought I could help maybe." He shrugged, looking slightly unsure.

Draco's eyes softened. "Thank you."

Harry cleared his throat. "Draco… I think you should come with us. To our home." He chose not to beat around the bush. Draco raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "It'll be easier for us to work together to find your son." Harry continued. "Ginny and the kids agree."

Draco continued to look doubtful. "Harry… thank you, but I-" He looked at James. "You need to be with your family."

Harry sighed. It seemed so difficult to associate the broken man in front of him with the cocky teenager he had once hated with a burning passion. Now, however, he couldn't hate Draco Malfoy if he tried; the man just seemed so pitiful, lost and lonely. "So do you." He said softly.

It was if he could see Draco physically breaking; the man's face tightened, his eyes closed, and his body sagged as he sat heavily on the hospital bed. "They're all gone Harry!" He cried. "Don't you get it? They're all dead! Because of what I did when I was a stupid child! My parents, my wife! They're gone!" He yelled. "All of them!"

"Not all of them." Harry reminded him quietly. "They're not all dead."

Suddenly, Draco roughly pulled up his shirt, exposing his stomach. Harry found himself looking at the dark marks that stood out on the man's extremely pale skin; evidence of his ordeal. "This is what they did to me!" Draco shouted. "This is how they left me! Bleeding out in my foyer with my son hiding in the fireplace, watching!" His face had acquired a pinkish tinge that Harry knew was a sign of Draco's anger, but his voice held only anguish. "Do you really think that they left him alive!?" The man continued his rant. "He watched me bleeding out, he tried to save me and stop the bleeding, I told him to find you! Do you honestly believe they would leave him alive!? Do you think that if this is what they did to a grown man that they would leave a thirteen year old alive?!" Tears were streaming down Draco's face as he shook, either from sadness, anger, or both.

There was silence. Harry was unsure of what to say that would offer comfort to the man in front of him. After all, the man had a point. Then, a quiet voice spoke. "They left me alive." Both men turned to face James, who was standing in a corner; it was as if they had forgotten he was there until then.

"James…" Harry started, but his son ignored him.

"They left me alive Mr. Malfoy. I was thirteen too. They left me alive, and Al, and Lily. We're all here."

"James…" Harry said again softly.

"Dad can I talk to Mr. Malfoy alone, please?" James asked.

Harry looked at him with uncertainty. "Jamie I-"

"Please Dad?" James whispered. "Please."

Harry found himself unable to say no. "I-I'll be right outside." He said instead.

James watched as his father stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him. He took a deep breath before slowly moving to sit in a chair across from his father's ex-enemy. He'd always heard his dad tell stories of Draco Malfoy in school. The fights Malfoy and he got in, the way Aunt Hermione had punched Malfoy and made his nose bleed, the pranks they played with the invisibility cloak. Though he'd met the man as an adult a few times, they had been brief and James' impression of the man had been largely built upon stories told by his mother and father. Of course, this had led to James seeing the man beside him as a fairly unsavoury character. Now though, James didn't see the arrogant bully his father had described, he saw a shattered man who lost everything he held dear and a soul that had all but given up. And he knew how that felt. "I wanted to give up too." He said quietly.

Draco removed his face from his hands and looked up at him, but said nothing.

James sighed and lifted the hem of his jumper slightly, just exposing a strip of skin, but it was hard not to notice the long line that ran along the thin stomach. It wasn't quite as dark as Draco's scars, having obviously been fading with time, but it still stood out vividly on the boy. However, James quickly lowered his jumper, not allowing Draco more than a few seconds to take in the marred skin on his stomach. "It was a favourite of theirs." James stated, trying to push the memories to the back of his mind, which was always easier to do when he was helping someone else and therefore focused on a bigger problem than his own. "They'd leave me there in a pool of blood, all healed up. I really really did want to give up. I wanted to just lay there and faint or die, but I didn't. I couldn't." James continued. He wasn't sure what was compelling him to share this with a man who was almost a complete stranger, but he'd sworn he'd do whatever it took to bring the Death Eater's to justice, so here he was. "See, Lily and Al were depending on me. They needed me to keep them safe and get them out of there, so I couldn't give up. Maybe I gave up on myself, but I couldn't give up on them." He paused, swallowing and suddenly feeling very uncomfortable by the whole situation. Sure, he'd told his father they used this particular curse, but never the details. Not like this. But Draco was looking slightly less miserable and, ignoring the sympathy in his gaze, (as James chose to do), a bit more hopeful. "So- so don't give up on Scorpius. He's a good kid. He needs you to not give up on him. Just like they needed me." With that, the boy got to his feet and fled the room, muttering about going to get fresh air and ignoring as his father called out after him.

Harry watched, bewildered, as his son ran off after calling "Fresh air." over his shoulder. "James!" He paused for a moment before deciding that while his son could use some time alone, Draco Malfoy probably couldn't. He knocked, not waiting for an answer before entering the man's room again.

Draco was still sitting on the bed, but he seemed more determined. Harry dared to hope that whatever it was that James had told Draco had managed to convince the later. "I'll come Harry." The man said simply. "Thank you."

Harry nodded. He found himself unsurprised; James seemed to be surprising him daily so it was no longer unexpected. "What did he say, Draco?" He asked softly. "He won't tell me anything. I know they used that- that curse on him, but-" Draco cut him off.

"He said he wanted to give up." The man stated, packing his things. "But he didn't and neither should I." He turned around to face Harry, bag in hand. "That is some son you've got there, Harry." Draco sighed.

Harry mimicked his sigh. "Yea, I know." "I just wish he did." He added to himself.

It was Christmas Eve evening at the Potter house and it was definitely turning out to be better than the previous one, not that the bar was very high on that. Harry and Draco, (who had settled in well despite having only arrived about 24 hours prior), were in the former's study, pouring over articles from every news source they could. Ginny was finishing an article in her room while Lily, Al, and James messily decorated a heap of holiday cookies in the kitchen, surreptitiously sneaking crumbs into their mouths and getting just as much icing on themselves as the cookies.

"Lily's you look like a leprechaun!" Al chuckled, wiping some green icing off of Lily's face. "You've even managed to get it in your hair and let me just say, it's so not a good look." It was true, the green icing in Lily's red hair made it look rather like tacky wrapping paper.

"Says you!" Lily laughed. "You wouldn't know a good look if it bit you! Besides, you have sprinkles in your hair.

Al looked confused. "No I don't?"

Lily dumped a handful of sprinkles on her brother's head, allowing it to mix with Al's jungle of black curls. "Now you do!" She giggled.

James burst into laughter at Al's dumbfounded expression, nearly dropping the sloppily iced cookie he was holding. "Think its funny, do you?" Al smirked before squeezing a tube of blue icing onto James' head as he unsuccessfully tried to get away.

"Watch it Sprinkles!" James grinned. "You're messing with the king of messers here." He tossed a handful of flour at Al who dodged it, causing it to hit Lily and stick to the icing on her face.

Within moments the three children were in a very epic icing and flour battle, shrieking with laughter and yelling with joy. They were completely unaware of the rocous they were making until Harry, Draco, and Ginny rushed into the kitchen, wands drawn. "What-?" Harry lowered his wand, confused as a glob of icing that Al had thrown at James, (who had dodged it), hit him in the chest. All three children looked rather sheepish.

Ginny sighed bemusedly. "I thought I said you could ice the cookies, not the entire kitchen."

"W-we'll clean it up?" James offered. "Sorry!"

"Lily started it." Al said at the same time.

"Watch it Sprinkles!" Lily snapped.

"Sprinkles?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

Harry grinned. "Draco, meet my crazy crazy children."

The tension seemed to lift and the kids joined as Harry and Ginny laughed. Even a bemused Draco managed a chuckle or two.

"Okay you three, go shower, I'll clean this up." Ginny said, waving her wand to clean the kitchen as the three children ran to their respective bathrooms.

"Why do you two look like children in a candy shop?" Draco asked, noting the wide smiles on him hosts' faces. "Did you want your kitchen trashed?"

"They were smiling!" Ginny burst out looking positively overjoyed. "They were laughing, Harry! Laughing!"

Harry was a bit more composed, but he too looked delighted. "I know, Gin." He whispered, pulling her into an embrace from behind and pressing a kiss to her cheek before looking at Draco. "It's been a while since they've been so carefree. Sure they've smiled and chuckled a little, but not like this. Not since then."

Draco forced a smile. He desperately did not want to ruin the Potters' happy moment, but he couldn't help but wonder what his future held and, more importantly, what his son's future held. Would his son also not smile or laugh? Would he even see him again?

"Draco?" Ginny asked softly, freeing herself from Harry's arms and placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong? And don't bother saying nothing is wrong, we won't believe you."

Draco shook his head, turning to face them. "I just- I don't want to ruin your happiness, I'm truly glad your children are happy. I just-" He sighed. "I just hear you saying things like that- saying they haven't smiled or laughed- and I just wonder, if I see Scorpius again, will he be able to smile? Am I never going to hear my son's laughter again?"

"First of all," Harry began confidently. "It's not if you see him again, it's when you see him again. And I can't promise he'll be okay and I can't promise you'll know what to do, hell, I still don't. However, I can promise you that we will all do everything in our power to make sure all our kids are happy. Like it or not Malfoy, we're in this together."

Draco couldn't help but smirk at the familiar use of his last name. "Alright then Potter, but that means you're stuck with me."

Harry grinned, patting him on the arm as he walked away to go change out of his icing stained shirt, leaving Ginny and Draco alone in the now clean kitchen. "He forgave you, you know. A long time ago. Harry's like that." The former said.

Draco sighed. "I know, but I can't forgive myself. Maybe for the stupid stuff when we were younger, but not for what happened in Malfoy Manor, not for just watching Hermione get tortured and hearing Harry and Ron fighting to get her safe. Not for what I did at The Battle of Hogwarts when I went to try and get them all killed an in return they saved my life." Draco sighed again. "I can't forgive me and I don't deserve his forgiveness. Or Ron and Hermione's and I know they haven't forgiven me completely either."

Ginny looked conflicted. "I haven't either." She said simply. "Harry was so desperate to put it all behind him, to finally live happily that he was ready to forget it all and say you did what you had to to survive, but I wasn't so sure and neither were Ron and Hermione. Draco, you did some things that I don't think any of us will fully forgive you for, but that doesn't mean we can't try to get along now and it most certainly doesn't mean you and your son don't deserve help. You aren't like that anymore and from what James has said, your son most certainly isn't. Whatever happened when we were young happened and nothing is going to change that, but we decide what happens now. Don't look for forgiveness for the past, just make sure you don't have to ask for it again in the future."

Draco found himself nodding. "Thank you." He whispered. "For everything."

James found himself awake early on Christmas morning, (not that he had slept much), earlier even than the over-excited Lily who awoke the whole household at half past six in the morning, too excited to wait. James sat up and put on his glasses, his eyes flicking to the clock which read 5:00. He briefly thought about trying to get some more sleep, but figured Lily would wake him up by the time he was able to fall asleep anyway. Instead, he opted to head to the bathroom and shower.

James sighed, feeling the hot water on his skin as his mind wandered to the night before. He hadn't had as much fun with his siblings as he just had in ages. For that moment, for those few minutes, it was if nothing had ever happened. As if they had never been kidnapped, terrorised, and tortured by a group of people who were still out there. It was funny to think though, just a year ago a hot shower hadn't been available to him. Sure, they had had a bathroom attached to their little dungeon room, but the water had always been cold and the showers had been less relaxing and more a necessity to wash the blood and dirt off. When he'd got back home there would be times where he would be surprised to not see the water falling off his skin turning brown or red before reaching the drain. Lately, however, showers had become one of his favourite things. There was something undeniably relaxing about standing under the hot stream of water; it was as if the water washed away all the evil that had been done before. Still, he was hesitant to stay there for too long and be forced to find himself alone with his thoughts.

Sighing, James shut off the water and quickly dried and dressed himself, ruffling his damp hair as he stepped out of the bathroom, back in his pajamas. The clock now read 5:30 which meant the rest of the family would soon be awake. Smiling at the thought of a happy Christmas morning, James went down the stairs and into the kitchen with the full intention of making breakfast for his family and their guest. He made himself a cup of coffee before taking out chocolate and pancake mix; chocolate pancakes were a Christmas tradition for the Potters. He hummed quietly to himself as he did so, enjoying the calm and silent morning. He loved his loud, happy family, but sometimes the noise was just too much for him.

The sun was just beginning to light the kitchen when James was shaken from his peaceful pancake mix stirring when there was a frantic knocking on the kitchen door. James stood stock still, his hand reaching for his wand.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Holding his wand out, James walked slowly towards the door, wearly peeping into the peephole before gasping and throwing open the door. Hunched over in the snow was a pale blond figure, dressed in pajamas and a dressing gown, shivering and barely staying up-right. His blond hair was matted with ice and his skin and lips had an alarmingly blue tinge.

"P-Please, I- I got away f-from th-them. P-please I n-n-need to f-f-find H-Harry P-Potter!" The boy shivered desperately, swaying a little.

"Scorpius!?" James exclaimed, running to catch the boy as he swayed, only to stop short as the younger one flinched.

"J-James?" He muttered, a wide and slightly delirious smile appearing on his face. "I m-m-made it!" He laughed, still seeming very out of it. "I-I g-g-got away!" With that, he promptly collapsed as James hurried to catch him.

James quickly pulled the unconscious boy into the warm kitchen, yelling for his parents. "Mum! Dad! Mr. Malfoy! Quick!" In an instant, Harry was tearing down the stairs with his wand into the family room just as James dragged Scorpius' body into the room.

Harry stared, shocked for a moment before he hastened to help his son carry Scorpius to the couch and start a fire in the nearby fireplace. "Draco!" He yelled. "Draco get over here!" He turned back to James. "What happened Jamie?"

James was lost. "I-I dunno Dad. I was just making breakfast and there was a knock at the door and he was delirious and keeling over asking for you and saying he got away from them and then he fainted! He's probably been out in the cold for god knows how long! I didn't know what to do!"

At that moment, Lily and Al came running with Ginny and Draco, wands drawn. "What happened? Who's hurt?" The latter exclaimed hurriedly, before his eyes found the figure on the couch.

Draco's eyes widened and he dropped his wand, falling to his knees in front of the couch as Lily and Albus gasped in unison. "Scorpius!" Draco cried. "Oh my child! My baby!" Tears fell down his face. "Is he-?"

"No." James replied quickly, moving to stand next to his siblings. "He's just passed out. He just showed up at the door, freezing to death saying he got away! He passed out before he could say much that made sense!"

Draco let out a sob of relief. "He's going to be okay?"

"Most likely." Ginny said softly, assessing the boy's condition from behind the couch. "I'll go check my books for something to combat the hypothermia, and as long as we keep him warm, he should be fine.

Draco ran a hand through his son's hair, looking overwhelmed. "I don't- How did this happen?"

Harry's answer was simple; "It's a goddamn Christmas miracle, that's how."

Author's Note:

Hey y'all! Hope you liked Draco and all, I always thought he and the Potters would have a decent relationship but not without some residual feelings left over from everything that happened before. I know this was a bit of a filler chapter, but it was needed.

Love always!