The Burrow Brunch
Chapter 11: Keeping Secrets
"She likes Scorpius?" Al exclaimed, flinging himself onto Lucy in his excitement. "'Bout time she copped up."
"Now, now," Lucy cautioned. "Don't go bandying it all about the place! We can't let anyone else know."
"Well, you heard it from Molly!" Albus protested. "And she heard it from Vic, who heard it from Fred, who heard it from James, who – "
"Yes, yes, all the cousins know," Lucy interrupted impatiently. "Except for Hugo. And I'd prefer if we kept it that way. He takes after Uncle Ron a bit more than would be good if the secret got out."
"And speaking of Uncle Ron…" Al realised. "We can't let him find out either. I think he was mostly joking that day at the platform, my first year. But the way he reacted when the Malfoys came to brunch the first time… it makes me think he still thinks of Mr. Malfoy as, like, the enemy."
"Now, that's a little quick to judge." Lucy and Albus spun around to see that Uncle Ron had joined them, a cupcake in his hand. He took a seat on the couch. "I haven't been mean to Draco Malfoy when he comes to visit."
"What's this I hear about Draco Malfoy?" Aunt Fleur asked from the doorway. "Why is everyone in here?"
"The kids are thinking I still hate Malfoy," Ron explained, licking his finger for cupcake crumbs.
Fleur crossed the room and sat next to Ron, putting her hand on his knee. "Children, I know you will not understand," she explained, "but we know the Draco Malfoy of the war, and we have gotten to know the Draco Malfoy that he is now. And he has matured. He has grown up from his school days, when he deluded himself into thinking he was powerful enough to kill Dumbledore at your age, Albus. He married a sensible woman and brought up a sensible son. He's changed, hasn't he, Ron?"
Ron nodded, folding his hands. "Everything you said and more."
Al and Lucy glanced at each other a bit skeptically.
"Right; we'd better go outside, or they'll start brunch without us," Lucy excused herself and Albus. "And no spilling the beans, even to the other aunts and uncles," she muttered in Al's ear as she steered him out.