A/N: Thank you to Pendragon2601 for beta reading this chapter.
Chapter 11
Less than a week later, the Hogwarts Express was once again full of students. This time, they were heading home. Albus and Scorpius felt remarkably different than they had on the last train ride. They settled into a compartment together, and the conversation came easily. They were no longer getting to know each other. There was no hesitance in the way they behaved.
While last time they'd both been more than a little scared of what awaited them at Hogwarts. This time, both of them felt a similar sense of trepidation over going home again.
The beginning of the ride passed quickly, with the boys sharing sweets off the trolley and laughing together as the Scottish countryside flew by outside the window.
An hour of the trip had passed before Rose showed her face in the compartment. When she did, it was with two Gryffindors in tow. The Slytherins recognized the two girls from the classes they shared with the Gryffindors. They had probably even listened to Rose exchange a few words with them here or there, but they had never been introduced. Neither boy could recall the two girls' names, though the girls surely knew theirs.
"Hello," Rose greeted. There was a spring in her step as she entered the compartment and motioned for her companions to follower her.
Both of the girls were hesitant, glancing at each other before they simultaneously stepped into the compartment, as glued to each other's side as they could be while fitting through the doorframe.
"This is Laney and Katherine," Rose informed them, motioning to each girl as she said their name. The girls nodded in greeting but didn't speak.
Scorpius offered a jerk of his head in what was meant to be a greeting. He was so thrown off guard that the motion became unnatural, hardly even looking like a greeting.
The girls hovered by the door until Rose motioned for them to sit down. They analyzed their options, taking in what space was available. Albus and Scorpius each sat by the window, facing each other. There was plenty of room beside both of them, but the girls chose to sit on Albus' bench, making it clear that he was the safer option. Even so, they sat as far from him as possible without one being on the other's lap. The slightly taller girl, apparently Laney, was pressed up against the compartment wall by Katherine.
Rose chose to ignore their strange behaviour, taking a seat on the bench beside Scorpius for herself. There was deliberateness to the way she sat at a reasonable distance from him, not too far away, as a show for the other girls. Undoubtedly, they did watch her do so, but it was with judgmental eyes.
Watching the two girls with narrowed eyes, Albus wanted to demand to know what they were doing in his and Scorpius' compartment, but he didn't dare ask, not liking the possible ways such demands could go. Certainly it wouldn't make the girls have any warmer feelings towards Slytherin.
"Nice day, isn't it?" Rose asked, glancing out the window. As she spoke, there was a visible break in the clouds out the window that let sunshine through. The visible beams shone down on the Scottish Highlands. It was a picture perfect sight that one might expect to find on one of those Muggle postcards that Dudley Dursley was fond of sending the Potters once a year or so, but it was also fleeting, with the sun disappearing moments later.
"It is," Scorpius agreed, sounding far too enthusiastic about the overcast sky that punctuated most of their days. "I've always loved the Highlands. Spectacular place. Really beautiful."
Rose hummed in agreement, but no one else in the compartment responded to Scorpius' words. The other girls were scowling in a way that made it seem like they held a particular contempt for the landscape—maybe they did, but it was doubtful that that was the reason for their foul mood. Albus was too busy scowling back to bother responding to a conversation about something as pathetic as the view out the window.
The rest of the journey was largely the same. Albus' mood worsened and worsened as the two Gryffindor girls remained in their compartment. He and Scorpius learned nothing more about them as they sat there in silence. Rose poked and prodded them to speak, but nothing more than a few words came out at a time. It was remarkable, really, that someone could say so little for so long. Albus had half a mind to tell them so, but Scorpius held him back.
Each time that Albus thought he was about to lose his temper, both with the girls and with Rose, Scorpius sent him a look, one that showed that he sensed what Albus was about to do and that he didn't approve. Scorpius tried his best to converse with the girls for the entire trip, asking them question after question that they didn't respond to, choosing instead to look through him as if he hadn't spoken at all.
The closer they got to London, the easier it was to forget the girls were even in the compartment. The boys became wrapped up in other thoughts, each growing quieter. Their jokes died away, though Rose tried her best to keep up the conversation by herself.
It was clear as day that she was at ease. She was the only occupant of the compartment who was on good terms with everyone else, but in addition to that, she wasn't nervous about what would come after getting off the train.
Albus had been worrying for days about facing his parents for the first time since his sorting. They'd said in letters that they didn't mind, but when he was looking them in the eyes, would he be able to believe whatever sentiments they spouted? The worry was something he could no longer push to the recesses of his mind.
Scorpius, for his part, didn't have to face disapproving parents due to being a Slytherin. He wasn't even particularly worried about seeing his parents, knowing that they would be the same as always. What worried Scorpius was the combination of people who would be on that platform once they reached King's Cross.
Draco Malfoy wanted nothing more for his son than happiness. No matter how rocky their relationship could be, Scorpius repeated that to himself frequently. It was what his mother had always told him. He'd listened to his father's regrets when it came to friendship, and he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Draco would be relieved he'd made a friend. Who cared if said friend was a Potter?
No, he wasn't worried about his parents disapproving of Albus. He was, however, worried about his parents and Albus coming face to face with each other. Scorpius couldn't imagine how such a meeting would go, and he'd rather keep it that way. He imagined it wouldn't be good, especially if Albus' parents got thrown into the mix. He hadn't lived with his father for eleven years without hearing his complaints about Harry Potter.
Both boys struggled to contain their nerves as the train began to slow, taking deep breaths as they gathered their things. Neither wanted to admit what they were scared of. Even if the girls hadn't been there, it was unlikely that either would have confessed, feeling too vulnerable in their fear.
The platform was as hectic as it had been on September 1st. Except now everyone was bundled up in winter cloaks, which had the effect of making it seem like there were even more people crowded into the space. Families were everywhere, packed onto the platform like sardines. Students began streaming out of the train cars, and the crowd managed to become even more of a mess.
With all three girls having disappeared as soon as the station came into view out the window, Scorpius and Albus were left alone to watch the happenings on the platform from their compartment window. Neither made a move to leave.
Letting out a large sigh, Albus turned to Scorpius, face set in a deep frown.
"I suppose it's time to go," he said, earning a short nod from Scorpius.
It was funny, really, how sad Albus was to be leaving Hogwarts. He'd had a miserable time there. That much was certain. However, faced with the prospect of being home, he was able to come up with at least a few reasons why Hogwarts might have been preferable. Reasons that hadn't been on his mind when his family was far away.
The noise of the platform increased as the boys stepped off the train. A few nearby witches and wizards did double takes as they recognized Albus as the son of Harry Potter. Albus kept his eyes averted, wishing not for the first time that he had inherited more from his mother in the way of appearance.
With all the commotion, it was difficult to find who you were looking for without pushing your way through the crowd and hoping you'd be successful. The Malfoys came into view first. Scorpius tugged on Albus' sleeve to indicate the couple, standing to the side of the platform, as removed from the rest of the crowd as possible. Neither of the adults had yet to catch sight of their son, though both sets of eyes were watching the crowd.
"See you after Christmas," Scorpius said, taking a step towards his parents.
"Hold on." Albus hadn't planned on this, but in the heat of the moment, he spoke without thinking about it beforehand. "Would you like me to go over and meet them?"
Scorpius' eyes widened before he could control his expression. His eyes flickered between his best friend and his parents in indecision.
"I'm not sure if that's a great idea," he admitted. It wasn't like he could reveal something that Albus didn't already know. They were both aware of the animosity between their fathers and families.
Albus knew why Scorpius wasn't eager to introduce him to his parents, but he wished that the boy would have gone for it. Albus found himself feeling incredibly curious about Draco Malfoy. He had heard so much of him between his family and Scorpius, yet he had never actually been able to meet the man.
"Alright," he agreed, feeling it was not the best to argue on the platform.
Astoria Malfoy had spotted them, and she waved eagerly at Scorpius, a wide smile taking up most of her face. From what Albus could tell, she was the happy sort, and it fit with what Scorpius had shared about her.
"Bye, Albus," Scorpius said. There was a moment of hesitation where Scorpius didn't know what to do. He made a move as if to hug Albus but then thought better of it. Then he raised his hand as if for a handshake, and once again, he lowered it in a moment of hesitation.
Albus smiled. "Goodbye, Scorpius." He took a step forward and hugged the blonde boy. It was a short hug. Albus was far too aware of the many eyes on them as they interacted, the Potter boy and the Malfoy boy. People couldn't believe it.
Scorpius was a light pink when they pulled away, though neither of them were sure if that was from the hug itself or the whispers they could hear around them. At any rate, he smiled at Albus as he took a step towards his family, both parents watching them. Astoria's smile had grown soft, while Draco's expression remained as unreadable as it had been before he'd spotted his son.
As Scorpius pushed his way through the crowd, Albus took a moment to watch. He observed the way his best friend kept his eyes downcast as he approached his family, the way he glanced up to smile at his mother and then, with more hesitation, his father. Astoria hugged him tightly. Draco squeezed his shoulder.
By the time that Scorpius glanced back to where Albus had been standing, Albus was gone, meandering through the crowd in search of his own family. Passing by Uncle Percy and his brood, Albus kept his eyes averted, not wanting to get drawn into what he could hear was a thrilling conversation on Molly's likelihood of becoming Head Girl.
Albus' own parents were a little further down the platform. James had already joined them and was spiritedly recounting a prank he had pulled a few days before. Lily listened eagerly, proving herself to be the perfect audience.
Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione weren't in sight. Knowing that Rose had been one of the first off the train, Albus assumed that they'd already gone, leaving the Potters to wait for their reluctant son to show his face.
"Al!" Lily exclaimed, seeing him first. She ran forward, hugging him before Albus could brace himself for the impact. James frowned, disappointed to lose his audience. It was clear that neither Harry nor Ginny were paying any attention as their oldest son struggled to get someone to listen.
"You're taller!" Lily exclaimed. She'd loosened her grip on Albus in favour of bobbing up and down on her toes in her excitement. "How was Hogwarts?" she asked. "What's the Slytherin common room like? Was it like how James describes the Gryffindor one?"
Albus could only blink. The months at Hogwarts had desensitized him to Lily's abundant energy and incessant need to ask questions. His mind couldn't keep up.
"Lily," Harry said with a laugh, stepping forward to place a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Let him breathe for a minute. You have plenty of time to hear about the Slytherin common room."
Lily pouted, continuing to look at Albus in the hopes of getting an answer, but Albus looked past her and to his parents. He didn't much feel like describing the common room.
"You have everything?" Ginny asked. She sensed how he was feeling in a way the rest of the family didn't.
Albus nodded, looking down at his trunk. It was all that he'd brought with him, his owl having been off flying when he left. She'd find her way to Grimmauld Place on her own. She'd made the trip enough.
"Let's get going then," Ginny said, reaching out to take one end of Albus' trunk. Albus grabbed the other, with Harry and James similarly carrying James' trunk across the platform to a more secluded corner.
Ginny held out her hand for Albus to take, and feeling the familiar sense of unease that came before apparating, Albus gripped her hand tightly, with Lily doing the same on Ginny's other side. Albus didn't have a chance to look at his father and brother before Platform 9 and ¾ was disappearing and being replaced by the front step of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
The sight of the familiar house filled Albus with a confusing mix of comfort and dread. He'd lived his entire life here until September. He had many good memories in this house, but it also reminded him that he was stuck with his family for several weeks and would have to face head on that he was the lone Slytherin in the family. This was what Albus had been dreading most since the Sorting Hat had shouted "Slytherin" at his sorting.
Albus remained quiet as the family shuffled inside. The elderly Kreacher was waiting inside the door when they entered, and he entered the fray of Potters with eagerness.
"Welcome home, Masters James and Albus," Kreacher said brightly. "Kreacher will get your trunks."
A snap of Kreacher's fingers, and the trunks were gone, having been deposited in each boy's respective bedroom.
"Thank you, Kreacher," both boys muttered. It had been drilled into them from a young age that they were expected to be polite to their house elf, no matter what other families did. Kreacher smiled at the thanks, still not used to getting anything like praise despite it having been common for the entirety of Albus' life.
Albus tried to edge towards the stairs as a means of escaping, but he didn't get far before he was being herded into the kitchen by his father.
"It's been a long day," Harry said. "I'm sure you're both hungry."
James agreed, and Albus forced himself to nod as well, not wanting to be obvious in his hopes of escape. They sat around the table at their usual spots, and for the first time, sitting in his usual chair felt foreign to Albus. Sitting there had never been cause for much thought before, but now Albus felt like he was intruding, even as the familiarity of the routine came back to him.
Harry and Ginny moved around the kitchen, pulling what food they could find from the cupboards and fridge. It wasn't a meal technically. It was odds and ends and snacks and the like, but there was enough there to constitute at least a small meal, even if it was a strange one.
Albus busied himself with eating, hoping he could avoid getting drawn into a conversation with his family. He would eat and then ask to be excused to his room.
Even as he planned it out in his head, he knew it wouldn't happen. He'd come back from his first term at Hogwarts. Albus hadn't forgotten the fanfare that James had faced when he was in the same position.
"Is the Slytherin common room really under the lake?" Lily asked. It was a tidbit that their father had given them in his stories. The one about him and Uncle Ron polyjuicing themselves into Slytherins had always been one of Lily's favourites, and she had expressed amazement at the idea of the room being under the lake before.
"It is," Albus informed her, inwardly groaning. He had given in, and Lily was sure to never leave him alone. She'd keep reeling off the questions for the rest of break. Albus would get no rest. "But it's not that special or anything," Albus said, trying to kill her excitement. "All it means is that the lighting is green."
Lily's smile didn't dim. If anything, she looked more excited about getting an answer of any kind, no matter how inadequate.
"And everything's green?" she asked.
Albus resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his little sister. Typically, he could put up with her, but he had lost the ability after being separated from her for several months. He was finding it difficult to listen to her talk, and he wished she would let him eat his food in silence.
"Yes," Albus replied.
Albus knew another question was coming, but he let his eyes trail from Lily to the other members of the family, who he expected to be engaged in a different conversation. Instead, they were watching him too. James looked rather bored, but Harry and Ginny were both smiling at Albus.
Albus felt his cheeks flush as he looked away, but he wasn't sure why he was embarrassed.
"What's the atmosphere like?" Ginny asked. Lily nodded her head, showing her approval of the question though it was unlikely that it was a question she would have asked herself.
Albus shrugged, not knowing how to answer that question. Was now the time to tell his parents about how he'd been ostracized by the other Slytherins? He'd avoided mentioning it in his letters, and he had good reasons for that. He had no intention of them finding out.
His eyes flickered to James, half expecting his brother to out him, but James was zoned out, not paying any attention to the rest of the family's conversation. Albus hoped it stayed that way. Telling on Albus would bring James far too much satisfaction for Albus to be able to convince him not to do it.
"It's...interesting," is what Albus decided to say. He watched his parents' expressions and was surprised not to see any indication that they were disappointed in his answer.
In fact, they kept asking more questions. Everyone, except James, wanted to know what his classes were like, what Scorpius was like, if the Slytherin beds were as comfortable as the Gryffindor ones (not that Albus could compare). Question after question passed, and Albus got the impression that his family was genuinely curious and not just trying to make him feel like they were.
He wasn't sure what to make of that.
XXX
Draco Malfoy was a quiet man. He wasn't shy or introverted like Scorpius had once thought him. No, at some point in time, Scorpius had begun to realize that his father was quiet because he didn't know what to say, not because he chose to keep thoughts to himself.
Not only was he a quiet man, but he was also a man who, over time, had learned to control everything he did: from his facial expressions to his actions. All of it was like one large performance, even at home. Only on rare occasions did the performance stop, and almost all of those occasions were precipitated by Astoria, who had never been one to try to fake anything.
Malfoy Manor was also quiet. It had been since Scorpius' birth, long past the days when Voldemort and his Death Eaters had used it as their own.
Today, the house saw few, if any, visitors. The occasional Greengrass was permitted inside, but even that was rare, with Scorpius typically seeing that side of his family when he visited their homes. By and large, the only people who stepped foot in the mansion were Malfoys.
Narcissa was in the front hall as soon as they'd stepped in the door. She clutched Scorpius to her chest for a moment before releasing him, but it was still quiet, as she hardly said a word. That had been Grandmother Narcissa's way since Scorpius had known her. She expressed her love for him in various ways, yet it felt like something that wasn't to be discussed and almost something to be hidden away.
No, what she did want to talk about was more pressing business that would affect the family.
"You've befriended the Potter boy."
It wasn't a question, and Scorpius cringed as soon as he heard it. The judgment was clear in Narcissa's voice. From the beginning, Scorpius had been more concerned with how Narcissa would react than he was either of his parents, but he'd been hoping that his own father's hesitance would prevent her from even finding out. Apparently, that had been too good to be true.
"Yes," Scorpius whispered, unable to look her in the eye.
Her eyes scanned him up and down several times as if looking for something. Scorpius wasn't sure what. Had Albus managed to brand him in some way that he hadn't noticed?
Whatever she was looking for, she ended her assessment with a nod, looking towards Draco and ignoring Astoria, a common theme of their relationship though they lived in the same house.
"The trip to London went well?" she asked.
Draco nodded and put up with the mandatory niceties that came along with being a Malfoy.
"It did."
This answer satisfied Narcissa, who gave another nod. This was all she had to say, as she turned on her heel and disappeared down one of the halls that branched off of the entranceway.
Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief at not having to further explain his choice of friends. He couldn't come up with a reason for why his grandmother hadn't scolded him like she often did when he behaved in ways 'not befitting a Malfoy'. Turning to look at his parents, Scorpius noticed the way his father looked at where his grandmother had disappeared with trepidation and the way his mother's eyes were averted towards the floor. Something had happened while he was gone. Scorpius was sure of it, and he suddenly felt even more nervous about the next time he had to face his grandmother.
Not knowing what else to do, Scorpius stood in the front hall, his trunk at his feet, until he couldn't take it anymore. He reached down and lifted his trunk, dragging it across the floor.
The commotion roused both of his parents, and Astoria tugged her wand from her robes.
"We'll need to send your trunk to your room then."
A wave of her wand, and the trunk was floating its way up the staircase. Astoria followed after it, guiding it as she went. There was no one left in the hall except Scorpius and Draco. The two of them looked at each other in trepidation.
If it was a choice between Narcissa or Draco, Scorpius would always choose his father, which was perhaps odd when his grandmother was more willing to show affection in her own muted ways. She was also more likely to yell at him. Narcissa was continuously annoyed with Scorpius' behavior. The fact that he'd done nothing to warrant anger seemed to be what annoyed her the most.
Draco, on the other hand, rarely showed much affection for his son, yet he did in strange ways that Scorpius had recently begun to pick up on. Aside from Astoria, Draco was the one person in the family who hadn't expressed doubts that Scorpius was a 'real' Malfoy. Scorpius wasn't sure that his father knew how important that was to him.
"Albus Potter was an interesting choice," Draco commented. His voice held none of the judgment Narcissa's had, though there was hesitance. His lips quirked up in a small grin, amused at the thought of his son being friends with a Potter.
Scorpius shrugged. He wasn't sure what he could say to that. It was kind of, but he hadn't chosen Albus. Albus had shown up in that train compartment and chosen him, for which Scorpius was abundantly thankful.
"You get along well then?" Draco asked. There was a hint of worry in his voice.
Scorpius nodded, but he wasn't sure what to say.
"We do," he said, feeling the need to give his father something. Otherwise the man was grasping at straws, and the last thing Scorpius wanted to do was discourage him from making conversation. "We're not that much alike personality wise, all things considered, but I guess we have similar circumstances."
Draco's eyes widened for a fraction of a second as he took in his son's words. Scorpius himself hadn't thought that through before he said it, but there was no concealing it from his father once it was out there. He would have to make of it what he could.
"I see," Draco said. For once, he had been thrown off guard enough that he could not conceal his emotions. His lips were tilted downward, and his forehead was creased in a frown.
"I suppose that would make sense," Draco continued. "Undoubtedly Albus Potter attracts his fair share of attention just like his father, eh?"
Scorpius shrugged. "You could say that, but I don't think he's much like his father at all."
Draco nodded. "No, no, I suppose a Slytherin Potter would attract a different sort of attention. Quite different from his father really."
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence where Scorpius debated how to escape this conversation with his father in the least awkward way possible. Then Draco spoke again.
"I know I've never met the boy. As he was willing to befriend a Malfoy, the son of a former Death Eater," Draco averted his eyes to the floor as he always did when referencing his past, "I'm willing to suppose that he's quite different from his father. I can't say that I understand your choice of friends, Scorpius, but I won't discourage the friendship."
Draco glanced towards the doorway Narcissa had disappeared through.
"Your grandmother, however," Draco said, "will. I know you realize that. I won't argue with her; it would do no good. I do ask that you don't argue either, but you are free to disregard her advice. I'll see to it that you face no consequences."
Scorpius' throat tightened. Nothing about Draco's words was particularly touching, yet it was so unlike how his father typically responded that Scorpius worried that tears were stinging at his eyes. He blinked rapidly, willing them away. Crying was the last thing he needed. His father wouldn't know how to handle it.
"Thank you, sir," Scorpius managed to choke out.
Draco offered a slight nod, not directly looking at Scorpius.
"Now, off you go," the man said with a wave of his hand. "I have business to attend to. We'll speak again at dinner."
Scorpius hurried away, thankful for the dismissal. Dinner, with Astoria and Narcissa present, would be a far less strange affair. Scorpius would have to do nothing but answer a string of questions about life at Hogwarts in as few words as he could manage. And then listen to Grandmother Narcissa rant about "the Potter boy", but that would require no response on Scorpius' part. She wouldn't ask for it.
A/N: When I wrote this, I figured it was a stretch that Kreacher would still be alive, but I wanted him to be, so I just went with it. (He's going to have a somewhat important conversation with Albus in chapter 13.) But then, not too long ago, Jo tweeted about Kreacher dying at 666, which I thought was kind of funny after I'd felt conflicted over whether or not to include him in this story. But, yeah, he's in here.
