The Inquisitor's Son

Part Nine: Teddy's Flat

Teddy Lupin's place wasn't too far away from his grandmother's, and he frequently visited with his grandmother and godfather for all the free meals at the two households. His place was a bachelor pad, but there were feminine touches throughout because of his longtime girlfriend hanging out there often. She was the one who insisted that he have some plants for the needed oxygen.

He had two rooms in his flat, one as an office, but it was the room of clutter and his bedroom. The room of clutter made it possible for the rest of his place to look presentable to the general public, namely Victoire Weasley. She didn't approve of the clutter room, but just the same she made sure the rest of Teddy's flat was clean in the living room area and even went as far as to make some food for Teddy's guest.

Victoire had heard about Scorpius Malfoy from Teddy. She, like about half of the wizarding population, actually pitied the child. She had prepared the biscuits that her grandmother had taught her to bake, which she remembered enjoying as soon as she came home from school at the end of every summer.

"We're back!" hollered Teddy as he came up from the fireplace. The soot was getting all over the floor that Victoire had just magiked clean, but it didn't matter because she was just always happy to see her boyfriend. She ran up to him and they share a brief kiss. Behind him, was a pale boy with angelic features. He looked somewhat confused. "Oh, Victoire, this is my cousin, Scorpius Malfoy. Scorpius, my girlfriend Victoire Weasley," Teddy said as he and his girlfriend pulled apart only short distance.

"Would you like some biscuits?" offered Victoire.

Scoprius didn't have a sweet tooth, even though everyone assumed he did. He nodded out of politeness. "Thank you," he said as set his trunk in the corner. "If you don't mind me asking, just how many are there of you?"

"Excuse me?" asked Victoire.

"Weasleys. There's a lot of them. All over the school. Most of them concentrated in Gryffindor, but there's a lot of you."

Victoire laughed because as the first grandchild she was used to it. "My grandparents had seven children. My father Bill, then my uncles, and then my aunt. I have two siblings, but you probably already know Dominique and Louis from school. Then my Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey had Molly and Lucy. My Uncle George and Aunt Angelina had Fred and Roxanne. My Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermone had Rose and Hugo. Finally, my Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry had James, Albus, and Lily."

"Yes, I gathered that. There's a lot of you," said Scorpius as Teddy chuckled. He reached over and took a biscuit, taking a bit from it.

"You got taller," observed Teddy as he held out his hand. "Definitely taller." He was showing an indication of Scoprius' height.

"You sound like one my uncles," said Victoire as she laughed. "Of course, he's going to get taller after all you haven't seen him in months." She looked back and forth between the cousins. She had tons of cousins, but Teddy only had one really.

Scorpius sighed. "Anything from the Aurors, Teddy?" he asked. He didn't really want to ask.

"The case is at a stand still. Harry wants to have a word with you about it sometime during the summer," said Teddy. "The list of suspects is long and most of them have been cleared."

"I see," said Scorpius. "Why does he need to talk to me?"

"In case, you wanted to talk," replied Teddy. "You know holding it all in isn't good for you."

"I bet there were times when Harry Potter wished that no one else knew what happened to his parents," said Scorpius in an unintentionally harsh tone. Teddy and Victoire stared at him. He quickly said, "I'm sorry. I must look like an ungrateful prat. I just can't stand the way that people are looking at me and how they talk about me behind my back. How they say that my dad had it coming, and how it would be better if I had died, too. Do you know what that's like?"

"There is a reason why you're alive," answered Teddy. "People are going to assume the worst about what happened, but only because you won't say anything. It looks bad because you aren't setting the record straight, so people are making up things to say and believe."

Scorpius took another biscuit. It was delicious. "People will believe what they want to believe even if you do set the record straight," he said.

Victoire could see how tense the room had gotten. Teddy was a reasonable man and a very caring one. Scorpius reminded her a bit of Teddy at that age. He was a boy with a chip on his shoulder, who was angry for a good reason at the world. He was still a boy, even though he was a teenager. The scowl didn't suit his otherwise handsome face. "You two, honestly, is this what it's like when you get together? My cousins and I have loads more fun than this," she said.

"Sorry," said Teddy and Scorpius in unison. Teddy raked his fingers through his blue hair. He was in a blue mood that day. "Anyway, your gran said that she's taking you to your parents' house for the summer, but if you don't want to, you can go to Black Manor."

"No, I feel like I going home," said Scorpius. "I haven't been there since before Christmas."

"If you want to hang out during the break just let me know," offered Teddy.

Scorpius said, "You don't have to do that, Teddy. I'm sure you have other plans."

"Actually, your grandmother and my gran are having tea regularly. I've been dragged to it at least a couple of times. If I have to sit through it, so do you."

"Tea? Seriously?"

Victoire laughed. "I think it's cute that your grandmothers have tea and you, their grandsons, should join them. Your family isn't that big."

Scorpius shrugged. "Cute?" groaned Teddy. "Don't use that word to describe us."

"She's right the family is getting smaller," said Scorpius. "My grandfather sent a howler during finals."

"A howler? Why?" asked Teddy.

"He found out that I signed up for Muggle Studies," replied Scorpius. "I don't remember most of it, but something about me being an embarrassment to the Malfoy name. I mean what more could I do with the family name that hasn't been done to it?"

Teddy laughed out loud at this. He laughed for a good five minutes as Victoire gawked at Scoprius. "It's not funny, Teddy," she said. "Did he threaten you?"

"I don't know. I didn't let it finish. I poured pumpkin juice over it," answered Scorpius. "But knowing Lucius Malfoy the way that I do, most likely he did."

"Aren't you worried he might do something to you?" pressed Victoire with genuine concern.

Teddy said, "Vic, Lucius Malfoy isn't going to do anything to him. Not with that many people paying attention to him. He has bigger problems of his own with Aunt Cissy."

"What is going on with them?" asked Scorpius.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Aunt Cissy has had enough of your grandfather," answered Teddy as he looked at Victoire. "She's filed for divorce."

Scorpius was unable to hide his shock. "Divorce? She actually did it, but she didn't tell me anything. I mean she wasn't living in Malfoy Manor anymore. When did this happen?"

"The filing started today," said Teddy.

"That's what you meant when you said she was tied up with my grandfather?" asked Scorpius. He blinked then he smiled. "Good for her. She has put up with enough of him. I just hope he doesn't drag this out."

"It might be a long, drag out fight," said Teddy. "Your grandmother is actually going for what rightfully is hers after nearly forty years of marriage. Your grandfather isn't going to let her have anything. About the only thing he's letting her have is you."

"Well, I would have gone with her anyway," said Scorpius. "That man doesn't deserve to be called a grandfather."

Teddy and Victoire nodded in agreement.

***

Harry and Ginny were really happy to have their children home for the break. They were all going to the Burrow for a party that was set up every year. The kids were plenty excited. On the way there James was the one who regaled their parents with the story of how Scorpius Malfoy reacted to a howler from his grandfather. It was a good laugh for everyone. Harry had been concerned about Scorpius Malfoy's well being. It was hard not to be.

"No one could believe that he just poured pumpkin juice all over the howler like that," ended James.

"What did he do next?" asked Ginny.

Albus answered, "He just stood up and walked out of there like it was nothing. He didn't even look scared of his grandfather."

"Malfoy's a little weird anyway," said James. "He doesn't even have any friends and some of the Slytherins were talking about him. They call him a freak."

"I hope you're not calling him that," his mother told him.

"No, of course, not," James immediately said.

Albus said, "Scorpius Malfoy doesn't really cause any problems in school. I remember last year people were hexing him in corridors. Someone yanked a chair right from under him in class, but it was Binns class so hardly anything was done."

"I remember in school his father was always going on about what his father would do," put in Harry.

"Malfoy doesn't do anything. I don't think he even tells the teachers about any of it," said Albus. "I've never heard him complain about it. In class, he doesn't talk unless he's called upon. Never raises his hand, never draws attention to himself unless he has to."

Harry looked at his children through the rearview mirror. "Draco must have done everything opposite his father did," he murmured.

Harry thought about how it was the first years of his life before Hogwarts and how he had no friends. It wasn't his choosing, but it was hard. It was hard feeling all alone in the school. Teddy talked about the letters that Scorpius sent to him frequently. It was almost on a weekly basis. Even Scorpius' father had some form of human contact in the form of the Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry could see that Scorpius was probably not going to be very popular because he bore the Malfoy name and his father's past deeds and reputation coupled with an entire family line devoted to pureblood mentality and bigotry. It was a lot to overcome and now Scorpius was an orphan. It was amazing that Scorpius seemed as polite as he did. Of course, Harry could have turned out nastier as well, but didn't. Scorpius was loved beyond words and measure. His father proved it when he laid down his life for him.

Scorpius could go one way or another depending on how things played out. Just like Harry, he could go evil or fight it. He saw the scar on his forehead from the side view mirror. It hadn't bothered him in years, but it was always a reminder of what happened to him.

"You could stand to be a bit more than just civil towards him," Ginny told her sons. "I mean both of you. Scorpius Malfoy may not show it, but he must be in a lot of pain."

Harry added, "It's harder for him than any of you realize." He gripped the steering wheel as he made a turn, harder than he had intended. Ginny stole a glance at him, knowing full well what he was probably feeling. He kept his eyes on the road ahead.

***

Scorpius soon returned home to his parents' house with his grandmother. She looked worn out as they sat down in the living room. "I've taken the guest room," said his grandmother. "Your parents' room was left alone."

"Have you been staying here?" he asked her. "It's all right if you were. It's safer for you to stay here or Black Manor."

"Malfoy Manor will be yours some day," said his grandmother. "I'm just making sure of it."

"I don't care," spat Scorpius as he got to his feet. "It's just a building. A building that's been built on bodies. I'd be soon as happy to take it apart brick by brick."

Narcissa sighed. "It's not just your inheritance I am fighting for. I have put in so much more than I should have. Given more than I should have. I have spent my entire adult life devoted to that man. If I had fought harder, I would have had a better relationship with your father. If I hadn't allowed Lucius so much control over what happened to him, I would have had more time with you." She had said all of this sitting down.

"Aren't you worried about what will happen?" asked Scorpius. "What he could do to you? If something happens to you, then I'm alone." He had voiced his biggest fear about the whole divorce. "You know that he's capable of almost anything."

"Your grandfather is a coward," proclaimed Narcissa. "But you are correct in assuming that he could do something. That's why I've taken care to make sure that others know what is going on. I'm sorry, but more of the family's dirty laundry will be aired. He wouldn't dare try anything with that many people paying attention."

"Are you certain?" demanded Scorpius anxiously. He bit his lip. He had his mother's generous lips.

Narcissa took his hand as he stood in front of her. "There are only a few things that are certainties in this life. The only thing I want you to worry about is school and trying to be happy. I'm glad to hear from the Headmistress that your grades have held up."

"Not all of them," he corrected, remember his near failing grades in DADA.

Narcissa didn't let go of his hand as she gently smiled at him. "I worry about you and how you are, my love. You are still a child. I wish that you could worry more about things that child should worry about."

Scorpius swallowed hard. He realized how empty the house was without his parents. His grandmother was the one who was the pillar of the family. Amazingly strong, she had been the one who had helped the family survive Voldemort and protected their future. "I thought he had changed after the war," said Scorpius quietly. "I thought that he didn't care about the whole pureblood thing anymore."

His father had said that his grandparents had entered Hogwarts with the purpose of reuniting with their son. That was why they got along for a while. Scorpius didn't voice the other fear that he had. It was all his fault.

"So did I," said Narcissa sadly. It was right then that Scorpius realized that his grandmother still loved his grandfather. She stood up, letting go of his hand. She smoothed her skirt. "I have taken the liberty of using your mother's kitchen. I hope you don't mind."

"You can cook?"

"Of course, I can cook. I had to fill my days with something when your father went off to school. I mostly baked. I had a lot of time on my hands. I sent parcels to school all the time to your father," she told him. Scorpius laughed and smiled as his grandmother led the way to the kitchen.


Author's Note: The Malfoys aren't really bad people per say. They just made some very bad choices. Narcissa was always interesting to me because she was fiercely protective of her son and it is because of that she ends up playing a pivotal role in the seventh book. Never stand in the way of a tigress defending her cub. Some might feel this chapter and upcoming chapters are filler chapters, but these are necessary chapters in building characterizations and plot. When I write fanfiction, I take it as seriously as I would if I were writing any of my original works. To do so otherwise, would be like short changing my readers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Him and all of the original characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Please use this story with my permission.