Chapter 10 – The other side of the coin

The Christmas had passed and still Scorpius was in a strike. The Christmas was very awkward since they all just sat there, not speaking. Normally it was Scorpius's job to light up the mood but he didn't do that this year. His parents tried to compensate him by giving him ridiculous presents. He received a broom, new robes, new games and a very expensive looking watch. Still, he didn't came out of the strike.

Astoria was in her bedroom waiting for Draco to come home. He always worked until late hours. His job as a healer required several extra hours and she was kind of used to it. Draco was a good man, she knew that. Although sometimes she couldn't quite understand his point of view, she knew he always meant well for his family. She tried reason with him when they received Scorpius's letter. Unfortunately, Draco was raised in a way where family's tradition meant everything and had a really hard time stepping out of that. Initially she thought Scorpius would grew accustom to this change but several months had passed now and he still wasn't talking. She remembered that time where she got him talking a little about what he felt about all of this. She had to speak to Draco, something had to be done.

The bedroom was in a dim light when Draco entered. That was strange, by now Astoria should be sleeping. "Astoria?" he whispered. "Yes. I'm awake. Come here". "So I need to talk with you about Scorp. He still isn't talking. Only once I got him to open up a little in all this months." she started as Draco sat by her side. "And what did you got?" he asked. "He's very angry and didn't want to talk much but I got to understand his side."

His wife was looking at him with her soft blue eyes. He knew not all people got to see this side of her. "And what's his side?" he asked, beginning to take of his clothes and putting on his pajamas.

"Well, he believes it's unfair for him to be removed from school when he finally had made friends for his personality and not for his family name." she started, carefully. "He had friends before the school. What does he mean by finally making friends?!" Draco replied, getting in bed.

"Draco, you know that he didn't like or even consider them his friends. You can't choose his friends. It's not right." She said, cuddling with him. "Well my father did it with me and I turned out right, didn't I?"

Astoria had enough. She sit up and look straight in her husband's eyes. "Dear, you know I love you how you are but you know your father made some mistakes. I don't want you to make the same with Scorpius. You're too stuck with the values they taught you but you have to begin thinking about your own believes. Do you really liked being controlled by your father?"

Draco thought about what his wife was telling him. He constantly tried to step out of what he learned as a child but he grew up hearing the same things so many times it make breaking up from old habits very hard. The voices of his parents repeat themselves over and over.

"Draco, our family has been always sorted in Slytherin and there's no way you're going to be sorted in other house than that."

"You have to be smart, Draco. Power is everything. People should know you are and respect you. After all you are a Malfoy. You don't want yourself going around and making friends with no worthy wizards. We will be repaid in time by our loyalty for pureblood only".

His mother's voices echoed in his head "Draco, your family is everything. We will stick together, no matter what. Do what your father says, Draco. Be safe."

"Honey?" Astoria's voices pulled Draco from his thoughts.

"I know, sweety. I guess I have been a little hard at Scorpius. I still have a hard time putting my own values in front of the ones they taught me. But this isn't about that. I don't want him to be in Slytherin because of the tradition. It's just… Our family was much respected before the war, but it wasn't like we were happy. We were constantly in fear of what You-know-who would do because we would be the first to deal with his anger. And after the war our family was dragged through the mud. The Malfoy name caused disgust in other people and I've been trying very hard to bring some respect to it." He sighed "Scorpius needs to be in Slytherin. That's the only way he'll be in Hogwarts. In Slytherin people wouldn't judge him as a son of a death eater. There he would be safe."

Surprise didn't describe what Astoria felt as her husband spoke. She never thought that Draco would think this way and she actually agreed with him. Scorp would be safer in Slytherin. If that wasn't possible, then the best option was home.

She laid next to her husband. "You know, you never cease to surprise me. When I finally think I know you back and forward, you'll say something like that and I realize I was far from right" Astoria said cuddling with Draco.

"Don't know if that's good, sweetheart but thank you, I guess" he said laughing.

"And by the way, I know how much you have been working for us to be seen in the right light. You are very different from your parents, Draco. You should know that. Goodnight baby." Astoria said, kissing him.

After all those years Draco was still capable to fell in love with his wife. When they met he was much younger and confused about who he wanted to be as a man. He no longer felt the need to follow his parents' inputs but to not do so was a very scary thing. Astoria helped him with that. She too was raised by a pureblood and traditional family but like him, she was not so sure about the radicalism that their traditions kept. They grew up and out of that, together and by doing so they created an inexplicable connection to the others. His parents approved of the marriage, for obvious reasons, but at that point he no longer cared about it. He would marry that girl. Thank Merlin he did. He thought.