It was official. Scorpius could stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, while Vincent went home. Scorpius had been thinking about how lonely his Christmas would be, when Albus suggested he come and stay with the Potters for Christmas. So Albus had sent a letter asking his mum and dad. There had been no answer yet.
It was eight o'clock in the morning, and Scorpius was just after getting dressed. He was making his way down to the common room, where he saw Albus and Rose.
"Hi!" Rose said cheerfully. "I'm so glad it's the weekend, we've got so much homework and-"
"Don't even start! It's eight in the morning!" Albus whined.
"I know, I'm amazed your actually awake to early on a Saturday morning." Rose said nastily. Albus shrugged.
"I haven't a clue why I'm up either." He said seriously.
"There's a first time for everything." Scorpius said. Rose had her Herbology book out.
"We have to write a little paragraph on the 'Uses of Bubotuber Pus'." She said.
"Done that." Scorpius said, checking his own book.
"And did you finish your Goblin essay?" Rose said. Scorpius nodded.
"Then there's just Charms and Potions." Rose said. Albus groaned.
"Later! Do it later! Not before we've even eaten breakfast!" He said pleadingly.
"Then let's have breakfast!" Rose snapped.
In the hall, the owls were arriving. There weren't many, because everyone was going home in two days time. There was one for Albus, though. He opened it quickly ans scanned through the letter.
"You can come! It been cleared up with McGonagall and your mum and dad and everything!" Albus said happily.
"Great!" Rose and Scorpius said.
"What's great?" James asked, appearing at the table.
"Scorp is going to stay with us for Christmas." Al said. James smiled.
"Cool."
Albus smiled. "What'll we do today?"
"Wrist movements essay."
"The exams are just over! Why do we still have homework?"
"Because you wouldn't do it before the exam." Rose said. Albus groaned.
The wrist movements essay was so difficult, Albus was sure it was 'N.E.W.T.' level.
"So the theory is, that flicking the wrist in such a way, would be the tradition for such spells as 'Wingardium Leviosa'. It is more a traditional piece of history in that point of view, however the magical formation was-" Rose read out her own essay.
"Shush! Some people need to write this." Albus said irritably.
Rose and the just-finished Scorpius sat silentley before a triumphant Albus looked up from his parchment.
"Done!" he said happily. Rose examined it.
"Albus, your spelling is worse than Scorpius's." Rose sighed.
"Hey!" Albus and Scorpius said together.
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It was finally time to leave Hogwarts for Christmas. Albus, Rose and Scorpius sat in with James and his mates in one, rather full compartment on the train.
"Ahh, finally no more homework!" James said as Hogwarts faded out of sight.
"That reminds me, Albus, you've still got-"
"Rose, shut up. I'll think about it after Christmas." Albus said seriously. Rose looked offended, so Al smiled a little to show he wasn't all that serious.
"So, Scorpius, what do you usually do at Christmas?" James asked.
Scorpius shrugged. "Nothing really."
"We go to Grans house!" Rose said.
"My Grandmother comes sometimes. Don't like her very much." Scorpius said.
"No?"
"Nah. She just talks about my Grandfather, and Voldemort, the 'Dark Lord'." He said sarcastically.
"Oh. She sounds cheerful." James said.
Outside on the platform, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were waiting for the kids, and Al's new friend. Harry noticed Malfoy waiting for his sons with a dark haired witch, and both looking in his direction. Harry ignored this, and saw the train stopping in front of them. Al bus hopped off the train first, waiting for James and Rose and his friend, who looked quite familiar. Then he realised why the Malfoys were staring at him.
" Hi dad!" Albus said cheerfully. This is Scorpius." He said, pointing to his pale, blonde, nervous friend, who was staring at his mother and father.
"Hello, Scorpius." Harry said nicely.
"Hello." Scorpius said. Vincent walked into Scorpius' shoulder, and Scorpius stumlbed a little but kept himself from falling over.
"Happy Christmas to you too." Scorpius muttered, looking over at him, now talking with Mr and Mrs Malfoy.
"Your brother?" Hermione asked. Scorpius nodded.
"That's Aunt Hermione." Albus said, "And Uncle Ron. And that's my mum, Ginny. And my sister Lily." he finished.
"Hello." Scorpius said, looking at them a little nervously. Ron didn't look very happy. Lily looked shy. Scorpius was looking at his family again, with a look of anger.
"Wow, a Gryffindor Malfoy." Ginny said disbelievingly.
But Scorpius wasn't listening, because his mother was walking his way, while his father and Vincent walked towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten.
"Joyeux Noel, Scorpius." She said quietly.
"Bye, mother." Scorpius said angrily.
"Don't talk to me like that!" she snapped. "I only came to say 'Merry Christmas'."
"Merry Christmas then!" Scorpius said irritably. Rose frowned and Albus looked angry, as well as James and Scorpius. The adults, other than Mrs Malfoy, looked shocked.
"Au revoir, then." Mrs Malfoy said quietly, and left without another word. Scorpius watched her, half angry, half upset.
"Why would you talk to your mum like that?" Hermione asked in a shocked tone.
"You would too if you'd heard her and father." Scorpius said bitterly.
"Ah. I suppose they weren't happy, then?" Hermione said, and Scorpius shook his head.
"Of course not."
Harry, Ginny and Hermione softened, but Ron still looked at Scorpius as if he had a disease, and Scorpius had noticed.
"Why don't we go then?" Hermione said quickly.
Scorpius looked around the house. It was nice and comfortable, and the atmosphere was much nicer than that of Malfoy Manor.
"So, who's hungry?" Ginny asked. James, Albus and Lily nodded eagerly. "Ten minutes." Ginny said, and walked off.
"Victoire's coming tomorrow, with Uncle Bill and Aunt Fluer." James told Scorpius. Albus sat down comfortably.
"I suppose this house is tiny compared to yours?" James said, smirking. "I mean, the way you brother goes on about it you'd think it was a palace."
"I don't like it." Scorpius said.
"Whats it like?"
"Big, white on the outside, green on the inside." Scorpius said.
"Nice." Albus said.
"Not really."
"Is it huge?" Al asked. Scorpius shrugged, but Ginny called for lunch, so he was saved from having to answer properly.
"Now, there you go." Ginny said kindly, putting sandwiches out for the three boys and Lily.
"Thanks." Scorpius said, but the other two didn't bother.
"Well, I'm glad one of you has manners." Ginny said, tapping Albus and James on the head playfully.
"Thanks." Albus and James said. Ginny nodded. Harry walked in the room then. He grabbed a sandwich off the counter and sat down.
"Thanks, Gin." Harry smiled. "So, boys. Good term?"
"Yeah." James said.
"And you, Al?"
"It was great!"
"Good. How about you, Scorpius?" Harry asked.
"Well, it was alright."
"Bit stressful?" Harry said. Scorpiuss nodded.
"Favourite subject?"
"Defence Against the Dark Arts." Albus said.
"Herbology." Scorpius said.
"Quidditch." James said.
"How did the exams go?" Ginny asked, sitting down too.
"Um..." The boys said.
"I see." Ginny said.
"I did great in Defence." Albus said.
"Herbology was okay." Scorpius reasoned.
"There was no Quidditch exam." James said. Harry looked at him seriously for a moment, them looked over at Scorpius.
"Do your family still live in Malfoy Manor?" James and Albus looked surprised.
"Yes." Scorpius said.
"What's a Manor?" Lily asked
"Manor? Whoa. How come you don't like that?" Al asked.
"Don't like the people in it." Scorpius said.
Harrys face fell. "You can't dislike them that much."
"I do. I hate them."
"You can't say that!" Ginny said.
"Well, they've said worse about me."
"They didn't say they hated you?" Ginny said in disbelief.
"As good as. Vincent said I was a blood traitor and ..." Scorpius trailed off. James looked at him sadly. "Just leave it." he told Scorpius. "It doesn't matter." Ginny apologised, obviously furious with herself. Harry was looking sadly at Scorpius and Al was shocked because Scorpius hadn't told him.
"He called you-?" he stuttered.
"Al, shut up!" James said. Scorpius looked up, and tried a half-hearted smile.
"Malfoy. He hasn't changed a bit."
"Hardly surprising." Ginny said.
"What was he like in school?" Scorpius asked. Harry looked a little embarrassed.
"Well, he... er- was, um... A bit of a bully." Harry said. Scorpius nodded, unsurprised.
"So," said Ginny in a false cheery voice. "Why don't you all go out and have a little game of Quidditch outside?"
Scorpius smiled at the subject change and went off with his friends.
"Do you play?" Al asked. Scorpius nodded.
"At home. I play chaser mostly."
"So do I. But James is a seeker, like mum and dad." Al said. "Do you have a team?"
"Holyhead Harpies."
"My mum used to play on that team."
"I know. She was a brilliant seeker." Scorpius said.
"Lets play." James said. "Do you have a broom? Or do you want to borrow an old one?"
"I have one in my trunk. Hang on." Scorpius dashed off and came back with a FastFly 45, the second best and new broomstick available at an international level. All the Ireland team had them, and so did the Wimbourne Wasps.
"You have a FastFly?" James said, astounded.
"Got it for my birthday in August." Scorpius smiled.
"Whoa. I have a Firebolt 3000." James said. "And everyone thought that was good."
"It is! It's the third best broom you can get according to the latest Which Broomstick?." Albus said, carrying his own.
"Whatever! Let's play!" James said, but just then Lily arrived.
"Can I play?" Lily begged. "Please?"
James sighed. "No! Lily, I'll play Exploding Snap with you later if you go away." Tempted by the offer, Lily considered it.
"Fine! But you all have to play!" and with that she stormed off.
The game was good. They just messed about, but it was the most fun Scorpius had ever had in Quidditch, and James seemed impressed with his performance.
"You're really good, Scorp, you should think about joining the House team!" He said seriously. Scorpius smiled.
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It was Christmas Eve, and all the preperations for Christmas were complete. They were ready to go to Gran's house. The ginger newt biscuits Ginny had made were untouched (as far as she knew), and the decorations were up. Harry sang "God Rest ye Merry Hippogriffs' alot and Ginny was looking forward to seeing all her brothers.
But Scorpius was a little upset, because though he didn't like Christmas much at his house, he did want to be able to say 'Merry Christmas' to his mother after all, and now it was too late. Harry knew he would get over it soon, but couldn't help feeling a little guilty as they carried on with their Christmas celebrations while he was so miserable.
"You can go home, you know." Harry said. "For Christmas, if you want to."