Albus Potter and the Cunning Plan

by Lunadeath

Albus was getting tired of others thinking they knew him better than he did. While it was true that he'd been worried about what his family would think if he wasn't Sorted into Gryffindor, the main reason for it wasn't what everyone thought. He was worried because he knew that he was NOT a Gryffindor.

11. Plenty of Dirt to Go Around

Albus Potter and the Cunning Plan

Chapter eleven

Pairing(s): Albus/Scorpius (will become, but later when they're older), other minor ones (past, present, and future); this means there is going to be both slash and het in my story, but the het is mostly background.

Rating: PG-13 (will go up in later chapters)

Warnings: slight language, some minor canon is ignored (but not overly); minor angst and some violence, about what you might find in the average HP book. A few OC's for plot and all that. Also, POV is normally through Albus, but will at times deviate to someone else.

Alcohol, drugs, and sex only mentioned in some chapters.

Notes: Back to writing a big chapter… hope you all enjoy.

Summary: Scorpius arrives at the Potters, along with his father. Now Al's no longer the only snake amongst the lions. But will their fathers finally act like adults?

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, etc. But the original characters in here are mine. Don't use them without my permission.

.-.

Plenty of Dirt to Go Around

.-.

Not long after everyone finished eating dinner, and had pudding, the Malfoy family owl tapped on the living room window. Al was just descending the stairs to ask Dad about something when the owl arrived. He didn't recognize it because Scorpius had his own owl, and Al knew Horus on sight but not the family owl.

Ginny was nearest to the window because she'd been in the living room already, so she let the owl in before anyone came into the room. She held out her arm, thinking the owl would land on her to deliver the message, but the owl glided on by and went straight for Albus.

Shocked by the strange owl's behavior, but only for a moment, Al stretched an arm out instinctively and the owl landed gracefully on his forearm. He could barely feel the talons on his arm—the bird was well-trained. The owl then presented its leg with the attached parchment on it.

"Um, thank you," Al said. It was then that James and Dad walked in and watched Albus remove the letter. The beautiful eagle owl hooted in a dignified way, or what passed as dignified for an owl, and then hopped up onto Al's shoulder and settled down as if ready for a quick nap. Albus didn't mind too much; he liked owls.

"Who's it from?" Dad asked.

Albus beamed as he saw the Malfoy family seal. "It's from Mr. Malfoy! Shall I read it aloud?"

"Yes, please," Harry said. They all sat on the couch, Albus at the very end. James opted to stay standing, however, arms folded across his chest as he listened.

Al then read:

To the Potter household,

I believe to-morrow will be adequate enough to bring my son over, and he may stay there for three days. On the eve of day three, I will contact you via Floo Network in order to let you know ahead of time when I will arrive, so as to give you ample enough time to prepare your youngest son so he may be ready to return to the manor with us. If this is sufficient, do nothing. If there is a problem with the days and time, then owl me back to let me know and we'll work something out. Please let Bonaparte, our family owl, rest first before sending him back. He's already sent one too many messages for me to-day and he needs a break.

I shall fire-call you to-morrow morning before we arrive, so as to give you warning of our coming. I'm sure you're all quite anxious to meet me again, but please be patient. I am only one man.

Draco Malfoy

"Still a bit full of himself, isn't he?" Ginny said.

Albus was ecstatic. He beamed as he held the letter tightly to his chest. "They're coming tomorrow!" he said, practically bouncing. "Oh-my-god, I need to get my room prepared for Scorpius, it is fundamental!" Al then took off toward the hall closet, forgetting that Bonaparte was still clutching his shoulder. The old owl didn't seem to mind; he held on tightly and buried himself down against Albus as he ran. "Where are the extra pillows, Mum?" he asked inside the closet. He grabbed some of the really nice sheets and quilts.

"They should be on the top shelf," she said, grinning at Al's reaction. Harry was also grinning, his eyes sparkling with warmth. He was pleased to see Al so happy.

The top shelf was a bit too high for him to reach right now. With only a look, he got his dad to take a couple down for him. He was going to only give Al one, but Al asked for another just in case Scorpius was used to having two. Al sometimes needed more than one pillow himself.

With Dad's help, Albus was able to get a comfortable sleeping area ready for Scorpius. They had another smaller bed that used to be Al's, but hadn't thrown it away yet. It was a good thing they hadn't, otherwise Scorpius would have to sleep either on the floor or the small, fold-up cot, which wasn't all that comfortable and Al wanted Scorp to be as comfortable as possible.

Mum used her wand to make the bed, fluffing the clean pillows and tucking in the sheet corners. Dad helped move a dresser and trunk out of the way so that there was more walking space. Both items went on the other side of the wall by the closet. The cupboard was staying by the door, and thankfully they didn't need to move his writing desk which was against the wall by his bed, next to the window.

"You're all set," Dad said, ruffling his hair. It stuck up a bit in the back more after that, and even when Dad tried to tame it, it still wouldn't peacefully lie flat.

"His hair's a lost cause," Ginny said, laughing. "Like yours, dear."

"That's fine with me," Harry said, smiling endearingly at his son. "Just more proof that he's mine."

"Of course I'm yours, Dad," Al said, face beaming like a lighthouse beacon.

"We may lose him to someone someday," Mum said softly. It was a bittersweet thought, for both parents.

"There's a good chance some lucky witch will catch his eye," Dad said. "But until that day comes, he's my little guy."

"Your little serpent, you mean," James said as he passed by the door, which had been left partially open. He hissed softly and made a serpent-like face.

"James!" both parents chided.

"No flying for the rest of the holidays," Harry said sternly.

"What?" James gasped. "But, Dad!"

"I've warned you enough times about acting that way toward your brother, so you should know better by now not to do it anymore, and since you refuse to listen to me I'm grounding you."

"But—but—" James sputtered. "I was only joking!"

"Jokes can be taken very badly, young man," Ginny said. "You need to stop teasing your brother about being in Slytherin and start watching out for him. You understand?"

"Yes, Mum," James said despondently. He slumped away to his bedroom, which was where he'd been heading.

"That boy," Ginny sighed. "What are we to do with him?"

"Besides grounding him?" Harry asked.

"Well," said Ginny, smiling slightly. "Naturally besides that."

"I just hope he doesn't act like that when Mr Malfoy and Scorpius arrive tomorrow," Al said. "It would be embarrassing."

Harry smiled at his son. Albus was, so far, the only child of his to have acquired quite the vocabulary at an early age. James and Lily never said such things as 'zenith' or 'fundamental' instead of the simpler words. That was one of the reasons why he thought for sure that his son would be in Ravenclaw if not Gryffindor—well, that and Al spent most of his time with Rose whenever she was around. Harry thought she had rubbed off on him.

But no, his son didn't end up in Ravenclaw (nor Hufflepuff like Ron had thought; they'd both lost their bets that day at King's Cross, which was fine with them. Neither of them had a Galleon on them at the time anyway, so they called it a draw). Of course, he'd heard words like 'clever', 'resourceful', and 'witty' when describing Slytherins, so it wasn't like his smarts was a fluke. Harry didn't really mind that he had a son in Slytherin; he only hoped that Al won't suddenly get too involved in the Dark Arts.

.-.

That night, Albus had trouble sleeping. He couldn't help it; he was too excited to see Scorpius again (and maybe a little excited to see Mr Malfoy as well). It had only been a day, but for him that had been too long. Much too long to be apart from Scorp. He was also somewhat nervous. He wanted Scorpius to feel comfortable while here, and he was worried what his siblings would be like around him. James had been thoroughly scolded about his behavior around the Malfoys when they'd come, and James had been sulking in his room ever since.

Of course, James was still allowed to have his friends over. They weren't coming until sometime during the last half of the holidays, which worked out well for Al's schedule. He'd only have to put up with Mars and Jupitus on the day that he would be packing for the Malfoy's. Thankfully, Rose would be coming over soon, while Scorpius was here. He'd already written a letter and sent it off with his owl, Merlin, after getting things ready for Scorpius, so she would know when to come.

He didn't know when he'd drifted off to sleep, because he was soon being shaken awake by someone.

"C'mon, Al, wake up," Dad was saying. "Breakfast is ready, and then you're helping us prepare for the Malfoys' arrival."

"Morning already?" Al grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He yawned, still feeling dead tired. He was sure he'd only received half of his usual sleep time. Still, he was quite delighted that he'd be seeing Scorpius again in just a few short hours.

Albus quickly got dressed and ran downstairs to find that Mum had his plate ready. On the other side of the table, looking half-asleep and glum, was his brother. James shoveled food into his mouth without really registering what it was, looking zoned out. Al sat at the other end next to Dad, as he normally did, pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice. Mum set another full plate in front of an empty seat beside James, and then went back into the kitchen.

Lily was then heard racing down the stairs; her long, red hair flying out behind her. She plopped down in the seat which Mum had just set the plate of food, and immediately began to gobble up the bangers and eggs.

"Slow down, Lil," Ginny said, sitting across from her daughter with her own plate. "Or you'll choke."

"Sorry, Mum," she said with her cheeks all puffed out like a chipmunk's. "But I'm in a hurry. I want to see how my tadpoles are doing this morning since Dad put a Warming Charm around the pond."

"They're really not your tadpoles," James said off-handedly.

"Yes they are!" Lily huffed.

"No, they're not," James said. "They belong to no one; they're free, wild creatures like most of the others around here."

"Mum, tell Jamie to stop saying that!" Lily demanded. "Everytime I talk about my tadpoles, he's always—"

"Mum, tell Lily that I don't like it when she calls me 'Jamie', and she knows it!"

"All right, you two, that's enough," Ginny said sternly. "James, let your sister be; it isn't hurting anything if she's gone and adopted some tadpoles. And Lily, don't antagonize your brother; you know he doesn't like being called Jamie."

"Yes, Mum," said Lily.

"Aw'ight," James grumbled and went back to his eggs.

Albus sighed and opted not to comment. Dad did the same, deciding to pay more attention to reading the Morning Prophet than deal with his children's squabbling. Mum normally took care of the fights anyway, and they were mostly between James and Lily, or Al and James. Right now, though, Al wasn't in the mood to even speak to James. He knew that one wrong word might set each other off, and the last thing he wanted was for Mr Malfoy and Scorpius to arrive and see him brawling with his brother.

And speaking of which, the Malfoy family owl was still with them, somewhere. Albus was just wondering about when to send the Malfoys their owl back when said owl, Bonaparte, came gliding over their heads and had landed on the kitchen windowsill. Ginny sighed with annoyance and was about to get up, but then Harry stopped her and said, "It's all right; I'll do it."

Albus would have offered to do it, but he was still too short to reach the kitchen window, which was located right above the sink. Instead, he watched Dad march into the kitchen (which wasn't walled off; it was connected to the dining room and split apart by just a long counter and an island) and open the window. Bonaparte hooted his thanks, sounding quite regal, and took off toward the wood.

"Is he going home, then?" Lily asked. She'd been watching Dad, too.

"I think so," Harry said. "But he's going the wrong way, if he is. The Malfoys live in the opposite direction."

"Maybe he just wants to spend some time outdoors," Al said. He knew that his own owl loved to spend time out of doors a lot.

"I hope he leaves my tadpoles alone," Lily grumbled.

It wasn't until a half hour after they'd finished breakfasting when there came the sound of an incoming fire call. Dad had rigged their fireplace so that whenever anybody tried to call them it would make a certain noise inside the house so they'd know. Dad said it was dead useful, because back when he was a kid he'd had an experience where he'd used the Floo Network to chat to someone (he wouldn't exactly say just who), and the person he tried contacting didn't even know that he was being called for, and therefore it had led to a horrible mistake. It was best to have some sort of alarm that told them they were being hailed in the living room. (It may had been developed by Aunt Hermione…)

Harry knew, as well as Albus, just who had set off the incoming fire call alarm system, and they both quickly went into the living room. James opted to stay near the door to the hallway, too curious not to listen in but not enough to be in the line of sight. Mum went outside, claiming she'd rather check on the garden gnomes than see Malfoy right now, and Lily sat on the couch, curious like James but a little braver (or was it naïve?) to be seen by Mr Malfoy.

Dad knelt beside the fireplace, as did Al, and sure enough Mr Malfoy's head was already there, floating in the flames. Lily had a nice, clear view between her dad and brother, so to Draco it looked as if she were standing right between them, but he knew she was sitting on something in the background by the looks of her. Mr Malfoy was also a bit surprised to see Harry and his youngest son be there before he could call out for them.

"Potter," Mr Malfoy drawled in greeting.

Dad smiled lopsidedly. "Good morning, Draco. How're things?"

Malfoy looked as if he couldn't believe Potter had just said that. "Things are fine," he said. "Are you ready to receive us, or do you need a bit more time making your place look more like a house and less like a hovel?"

"My house is not a hovel," Dad said evenly. Al saw the tic in Dad's left eye, though. "It's bigger than you think it is, Malfoy."

"Not as big as mine," Mr Malfoy said, smirking devilishly.

"Don't start," Dad warned. "There are children present."

Albus and Lily had no clue as to what their father was talking about (what was wrong with discussing who had the bigger house?), but James seemed to understand what the adults were getting at and snorted in amusement. Harry glanced at his eldest son, warning James with just a look, and James clamped his mouth shut but was still smiling.

"Right," said Mr Malfoy, "let's get down to business, then. I have a ten o'clock appointment that I wish to keep. My son will be arriving at noon today, with one suitcase, his broomstick, and his wand."

"Aren't you coming over, sir?" Al asked quickly. He could already feel some disappointment hammering in his chest.

Mr Malfoy turned his gaze toward Albus. "I have plans," he said shortly. "Sorry to disappoint you, young Potter."

"But—it'll only take a few minutes," Al tried. "You could come over a half hour before your appointment and have a cuppa, and see for yourself that we don't live in a hovel."

"Al," Dad said stiffly. "If Mr Malfoy doesn't wish to come over—"

Albus could see the tension in Dad's face. There was something going on here, and Al would like to know what. He knew Dad and Mr Malfoy had been rivals, like they'd discussed already, but he wondered if there was something else keeping them from wanting to be in each other's company.

But Al wanted the bridge between their families to start mending as soon as possible. It would be harder to get things going if they waited too long. It might even jeopardize his friendship with Scorpius in the near future, and that was one of the worst things that could happen. The decision for Mr Malfoy to come over or not might be the turning point in their lives. Who knew what would happen if Mr Malfoy didn't come over?

So he put on his best puppy dog eyes and clasped his hands together as he stared at Mr Malfoy's floating head. "Please, sir. I'd be honored if you came over with Scorpius. You could see for yourself where Scorpius will be staying for his visit, and what the place is like. We won't make you late for your appointment by making you stay longer than necessary."

Dad was confused as to whether he should back his son on this, but after a few silent moments of deliberating Mr Malfoy chose to come over for a few minutes, mainly because:

"I wish to see for myself what sort of place my son will be exposed to for the duration of his stay."

The only person who seemed pleased with Mr Malfoy's decision was Albus, and maybe Lily, but that was only because she wasn't looking bothered at all about it, merely curious.

"Don't you worry, sir," Al said. "I'll make sure you're treated fairly."

"As you've said before," Mr Malfoy said. "But I won't hold you to that promise, young Potter. Your father will no doubt make me feel unwelcome."

"That's not true," Harry said immediately, speaking to Malfoy. "We're civilized adults and I'm sure we can act like it, especially in front of the children."

"We shall see," Mr Malfoy said before his head disappeared from the fireplace. Harry and Albus stood up, the latter more excited; the former still had some dread about the decision.

"Everything will be fine, Dad," Al tried reassuring him. "You'll see."

.-.

Lily Luna Potter, the youngest Potter of the family, was often underestimated. Although she wasn't as scrappy and daring as James, or as cunning and resourceful as Albus, she brought that extra something to the family. She was scarily loyal to a fault, and she would often help her parents in whatever they needed help in. It didn't mean she didn't like her leisure time, of course; she just enjoyed helping her parents get stuff done.

Like right now, for example. They were preparing for Mr Malfoy and Scorpius's arrival, which was very soon, and Mum was getting the kitchen cleaned. Lily offered to help, after she'd seen to her tadpoles of course. She would almost always do housework with her mother, and she felt it was sort of her duty. After all, her and Mum were the only girls there, and boys were very messy.

Lily was always proud of her achievements. James would often scoff and tease her about her cleanliness, that she had a fear of getting a little dirt under her fingernails, but that wasn't true at all. She would often help Mum in the garden too, and there in the flower beds and vegetable patches was plenty of dirt to go around. Albus usually only shrugged his shoulders and just did his own thing, never teasing or complaining. Well, of course he wasn't complaining—what was there to complain about? Lily did a lot of the housework with Mum, so of course Al wasn't going to raise a stink.

It wasn't as if Albus or James hadn't done their share of chores. They would help out whenever needed (or when they were told). It was just that they were now at Hogwarts more than home, and she had two more years to wait until she got her letter. All she had to look forward to now was helping Mum and keeping her room tidy.

Now she'd get to know Scorpius a little more during his stay. She'd met him at the platform at King's Cross, but she didn't know him personally like Al did, so she wasn't about to treat him like he was some horrible germ. Scorpius was Al's friend, and knowing Al as much as she did, she knew she could trust his judgment. But if Scorpius did anything that displeased her, she was going to let him know.

"Lily," Mum said, turning to her. "Could you toss this out to the pigs and chickens?"

"Sure, Mum," Lily said.

As she carried the bucket full of scraps and slop to the door leading out to the back garden, the fireplace in the living room came to life. Their alarm charm sounded and suddenly there was a thunderous sound on the stairs. Albus was running like mad down the steps, looking anxious and excited, and almost ran into her. She was just able to keep the bucket from capsizing.

"Watch it!" she gasped.

"Oops, sorry, Lil Red," Albus said, smiling crookedly. Then he was racing toward the living room. Lily sighed at her brother's antics and carried on.

But not before sneaking a peek around the corner. Scorpius was there, standing in their living room, dusting his robes off. He was much cuter than she had first realized, when she'd first met him on the platform. Not long after that, Mr Malfoy came out of their fireplace, but with less soot and more grace than Scorpius had.

Dad then came into the living room to greet the Malfoys, and Lily decided that that was her cue to leave. It was probably not a good idea for Mr Malfoy to see her gaping at them with a pail full of slop, not to mention she still wore a bandanna over her head and her hair was in an untidy ponytail. She didn't want to see a sneer or disgusted look on their faces, so she rushed off to do her task so that when finished she could make herself more presentable.

.-.

Albus had been so excited to see Scorpius and Mr Malfoy again that he could barely stand still, nor could he stay sitting.

The moment he'd heard the sound that someone was about to come through their fireplace, Al had rushed down the stairs to meet them. He nearly knocked over Lily in the process, almost upsetting the bucket of slop she'd been carrying. With inborn quick reflexes, Lily was able to save the bucket from tipping. She was annoyed, but no damage was done.

Albus almost threw his arms around Scorpius in his glee, but with Mr Malfoy standing there, Al forced himself to tamper down his emotions. He couldn't stop smiling widely though, even if he could help it, and Scorpius couldn't stop his own smile, although it looked as if he were trying. It must be that Malfoy pride of theirs that was making Scorpius more composed than he normally would be if they were still at school. Al gave in just a little to his feelings, however, as he tugged Scorpius into a half-hug with one arm and patted his shoulder.

"I'm so happy to see you again, Scorp!" Al said.

To his surprise, Scorpius's cheeks pinked. He hissed, "Don't call me that in front of Father."

Albus glanced up and saw that Mr Malfoy was regarding them closely. He might have been surprised by their interactions, but Al had missed it; he'd been too wrapped up in Scorpius to notice.

Slowly, Mr Malfoy said, "He calls you… 'Scorp'."

Again, Scorpius blushed lightly, and nodded. "I don't let him call me that very often, Father, don't worry..."

"That's true, sir," Al said. "I usually call him that in private, but I'm just so happy to see him that it slipped—"

He turned to observe his own dad's reaction to all this, and was surprised to see him fighting a laugh. Dad was clearly enjoying the reactions between his son, Scorpius, and Mr Malfoy.

Al then saw Mr Malfoy looking over at Dad, and Al wasn't sure if he could read their facial features too well, but they seemed almost amused—or maybe even a little unsure of how they were supposed to proceed. Mr Malfoy was stiff and formal in his mannerisms, and Dad was going for politeness and acceptance. It was so different from the way Dad was with Uncle Ron. There were no manly hugs followed by rough pounds on the back; no friendly punches on the arms; no comfortably shared grins; no friendly teasing…

But that was what Albus was hoping to achieve by bringing their families closer. Or at least something similar. It probably won't be the same kind of thing that Dad and Uncle Ron had, or even Dad and Aunt Hermione. Whatever could be achieved, Al was willing to make it happen.

Speaking of which, he realized he was being a terrible host… well, Dad was, but he wasn't about to call his own dad out on it. Instead, he decided to step up and do it.

"Mr Malfoy, would you like a cup of tea?" he asked.

Mr Malfoy smirked. "Ah, yes—the hospitality that you have boasted is finally coming out. Yes, young Potter, I would like a cup. Milk first, and no sugar."

"Yes, sir," Al said, and immediately went toward the kitchen.

"Shouldn't you be showing Scorpius to your bedroom first?" Dad called out.

That stopped Al in his tracks. Oh, right; he was supposed to be helping Scorpius get all settled in for his stay and here he was pandering to Scorpius' Father's needs first.

"Right!" Al said as cheerfully as possible. "Um, okay… er…"

Scorpius laughed. "You can do it later, Al. I'd like some tea as well. That is, if you don't mind."

"Oh, I don't mind," Al said quickly. "Okay, I'll make tea for all of us."

Dad laughed. "Are you sure you can handle it, son? You've never made tea for more than two people before—"

"I can handle it, Dad," Al said. He was embarrassed that Dad even brought that up in front of Mr Malfoy, who was smirking in amusement.

"I'm surprised you don't have a house-elf to do that stuff, Potter," Mr Malfoy said.

"We really don't need one," Dad said. "We do just fine on our own. Besides, Hermione would probably have kittens if I owned one."

"I thought Granger—oh, sorry," Mr Malfoy laughed humorlessly. "I mean, Mrs Weasley—I thought she made sure that house-elves got pay and benefits and all that. Isn't that why she'd created that department for house-elf rights in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?"

"Yes, but it's not as if all the house-elves are accepting the new terms, and it wouldn't be right for me—or my family for that matter—to own a house-elf without giving it pay and all that. Ginny and I have agreed that our family would get by just fine without a house-elf. And besides, it would just promote laziness—I mean, even more laziness—in our children, and it would probably spoil them a bit too much—" Harry paused and assessed Malfoy's reaction to what he'd just said, because it could be taken as an insult, since Malfoy was raised in such a manner.

Mr Malfoy didn't seem to care overly, but if he did he was hiding it well. He shrugged as if it didn't matter to him. Then he stared at Harry and when Harry didn't get the message, he sighed and said, "Well, aren't you going to ask me to have a seat? Or am I just going to stand around by the fireplace and risk my new, expensive robes to catch fire?"

"Oh, right," Harry said with sudden realization. "Yes, have a seat, Draco. And you as well, Scorpius. I'll just go see how Al's doing."

"Yes, you do that, Potter," Malfoy said, smirking. He sat in the nicest, comfiest chair in the house (which was Harry's) and settled back into it as if he were back in the Slytherin common room holding court. Scorpius took the spot on the sofa closest to his father and tried imitating him. Some things never changed.

Albus was just finishing making a cup of tea for him when Harry walked into the kitchen.

"Doing all right, then?" he asked.

"Just fine, Dad," Al said. "I do have a lot of questions though, if that's okay."

"Maybe we should wait on those until after Scorpius leaves," Harry said nervously.

"But when he goes home I'm going with, remember?"

Harry had been trying to forget about that, but he knew he couldn't go back on his word. Besides, it was only fair that Albus got to spend some time at his friend's house, even if it was at Malfoy Manor.

"We'll talk later anyway," Harry said. "Maybe when you're back from the Malfoy's."

"Will we have time to?" Al asked. "I mean, school will be starting up again when I return."

"I'm sure that you'll have at least one more day of your break here at home before going back to Hogwarts. During that time we'll talk about whatever you wish. Now, let's not keep the Malfoys waiting. Remember, Mr Malfoy has work in a few minutes."

"Why's he working today, though?" Al said while placing all the full teacups onto a tray to carry. "You're on your break for the hols, so why isn't he?"

"Draco probably has different days off than me," Harry said. "I'm lucky I got these days off as planned; it almost looked as if I wouldn't be home for Christmas."

Albus remembered the letter he'd received from Dad that time, warning him that his work was so hectic lately he wasn't sure if he would be able to have his holiday break with the rest of the family. Lucky for them, Dad was able to pull a few strings so he wouldn't miss his time with the family.

Dad asked if he needed help carrying the tray, but Al shook his head. He wanted to impress Mr Malfoy, but now that he thought on it more, while carefully balancing the tray as he walked into the living room, he wasn't so sure this was something that would impress the senior Malfoy. It sure didn't seem to be working on Scorpius, because he was giving Al one of his usual amused smirks. Al almost stuck his tongue out at him, but held himself in check. Lily had got up from her spot, looking a little too apprehensive to be too near Mr Malfoy.

Draco was looking around the room, his expression boarding on bored and a little amused. At the moment, he was staring at the wizard pictures on top of the mantelpiece from where he sat, scanning them with an unreadable look.

They were family photos, mostly. Some were of Dad with Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron, and Mum together. There was one of Neville—Professor Longbottom (if he recalled correctly, it was when Neville first received the job at Hogwarts as Herbology teacher, because in it he was beaming, waving, and clutching a piece of parchment announcing his employment), located at the far end. There were pictures of Albus, James, and Lily—some together and some alone. James's photo was of him riding his first broom, and he flew around in the foreground and background for a while before zooming out of the frame entirely. Lily's picture showed her as a toddler still learning to walk (she's always been embarrassed by it being up there, but their parents wouldn't take it down), and one of Albus playing with his first potions kit. The Albus in the photo had a little cauldron filled with his first potion he'd ever successfully made (it was a cure for cold sores), and he was indicating at it with delight radiating his little face.

It was somewhat embarrassing for Mr Malfoy to see that photograph of him, but from the look on Mr Malfoy's face he had nothing to be ashamed of.

Dad noticed where Mr Malfoy's gaze was as he sat down on the other armchair opposite him, where Mum usually sat. When Albus gave Mr Malfoy his tea on its saucer, it diverted his attentions on that instead of the pictures.

After Mr Malfoy took a sip of his tea, frowning, he set the cup down gently and said, "Well, Potter, I see you were right after all; you don't live in a hovel."

Too right they didn't, Al thought as he handed Scorpius his tea, and Scorpius smiled his thanks. Their house was large enough to accommodate two more children if their parents so wished, but luckily for them (for that was how James and Albus felt, but Lily sometimes wished for a little sister) Mum and Dad decided to stop having kids after Lily was born. It made Al wonder if they'd stopped because they got exactly what they'd wanted, or if it was for some other reason.

"I told you it was bigger than you thought," Dad said with a grin. He sipped his own tea and then directed his smile at Al. "Very good tea, son."

"Thanks, Dad," Al said blushing.

"It's adequate," Mr Malfoy said, taking another small sip.

"Don't be a prat, Malfoy," Dad said, voice suddenly much more harsh. "Not to my children. Direct your barbs toward me if you can't help yourself, but do not bad mouth my son."

"Calm yourself, Potter," Mr Malfoy said. "I was only stating a fact. I'm used to the way my house-elf makes my tea. It isn't like your son will get it right the first time."

Albus felt a tinge of disappointment at Mr Malfoy's words. He set his tea down, debating with himself whether he should leave or not. But it felt nice to be sitting beside Scorpius after their time apart, so he stayed put.

"Look, you hurt my son's feelings," Dad all but growled. "You better apologize—"

"No, Dad," Al said quickly, raising his eyes from his lap. "It's okay… Mr Malfoy's right to say that it isn't the same as the tea he gets at his place. It's better that he'd told me."

Harry leaned over and rubbed his son's back. "But I don't like seeing you upset—and he had no right to make you feel like that—"

Mr Malfoy rolled his eyes, probably in annoyance, and some impatience.

"It's okay," Al repeated. "Honest. How else am I to learn?"

"You shouldn't have to do this in the first place," Scorpius said. "You're not a house-elf."

"But we don't have a house-elf!" Al exclaimed, the hurt coming through in his voice. He willed himself back to calmness; he had to remember not to act like such a Gryffindor with his feelings on his sleeves.

Scorpius set his cup down on the coffee table before putting a calming hand on Al's back. "It's fine, don't worry about it. It doesn't matter to me whether you have one or not. And really, the tea's not that bad." Scorpius turned to Mr Malfoy. "Right, Father?"

"Yes," Mr Malfoy said. "If I didn't like it, I would have said so. I'm honest enough to tell you that."

"I remember your honesty," Harry said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "You were never one to not say something, especially if it was in your favor…"

"That was ages ago. We were kids," Malfoy said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're going to continue our little grudge, Potter; I thought we were going to behave like civilized adults."

Harry sat back in his chair, fuming and clenching the arm rests with his fingernails. During their little confrontation, he must have been sitting on the edge of his seat, as if ready to spring at Mr Malfoy in a rage. Thankfully, he'd held himself back. Probably thanks to their kids being present.

There was no way he was going to let that stew, Al thought. So he tried to change the conversation to something lighter.

"Um, Scorpius tells me that you used to be on the Quidditch team at Hogwarts, Mr Malfoy. Aren't you pleased that Scorpius made it on the team?"

"I am quite pleased, yes," Malfoy said, raising a surprised brow. He had a feeling he knew Al was changing the subject so as to avoid any fights. He looked somewhat grateful. "My son is an excellent flier. He's a chip off the old block."

Dad snorted, slowly pulling himself away from his anger and annoyance, if his face's color was anything to go by. "You may have been a pretty good flier in school, Malfoy, but you were a horrible Seeker."

"It depends on what one considers horrible," Mr Malfoy stated. "How many times have I fallen from my broom?"

Dad's face went back to its crimson hue and his eyes shone in a way that scared even Al. "There were good reasons why—"

"Dad, calm down," Al said, placing a hand onto Harry's knee. "Mr Malfoy was just stating a fact, I'm sure. Right, Mr Malfoy?"

"That's correct, young Potter. You see," Malfoy said, turning to Harry, "even your son understands that I'm just telling it like it is. It's no wonder he was placed in Slytherin and you weren't."

And there it was: the one issue Albus wasn't sure would ever have been brought up. Not that he was ashamed to have it pointed out in the open like that, but he thought his sorting was now old news and wouldn't be talked of again. Apparently he was mistaken.

It also almost sounded as if Mr Malfoy was calling Dad a name, like they were still school children… but for the life of him, Albus couldn't think of what it could be.

"Are you calling me stupid, Malfoy?" Harry snarled.

Oh, that was it. Al sighed.

"I didn't say it," Mr Malfoy said, sounding a little amused. "You did. All I said was that your son was put into Slytherin because he has different traits than you, which is why you were in Gryffindor."

"Funny," Harry said, scowling. "Sounded to me like you were saying my son got into Slytherin because you consider him to be smarter than me."

"Dad, please…" Al tried again, but this time Dad was too preoccupied with glaring at Mr Malfoy to pay him any heed.

"Sounds to me," Mr Malfoy raised his voice slightly, "as if you're hearing only what you want to hear, which is no surprise. You Gryffindors always had a way with only hearing what is being said, and never considering the meaning behind the words. You're always misinterpreting things. This explains why you and Severus never got along."

"Can't we just—wait, what?" Al said, suddenly confused to hear one of his namesakes called by his first name. He was used to hearing Severus Snape referred to mainly as Professor Snape.

"You leave my past with Snape out of this," Dad growled. And Albus never heard Dad use Professor Snape's name without the honorific attached, either. This was getting too weird. He had always been referred to as Professor Snape when talked about, and usually nothing else.

"Why's it so wrong to bring up Severus? I'm only—"

"You're only trying to lord things over me, as usual," Dad nearly yelled. He stood quickly, and it almost looked as if he were going for his wand. Albus and Scorpius stood up too, as Mr Malfoy stood immediately after Dad did. Their glaring show was only getting worse and worse as they continued to exchange insult after insult, slur after slur, until they both got their hands into their robes, reaching for their own wands.

"Dad, stop it!" Al begged, putting a hand on Dad's chest. He didn't think everything would get blown out of proportion this fast. Scorpius was also keeping a gentle touch on his father's wand arm, hoping that there was no fight about to break out.

"Father, please," Scorpius said.

Mr Malfoy and Dad were glaring at each other for only a few seconds more until their sons' voices seemed to finally get through to them. The tension in the room seemed to melt as their gazes unlocked from each other and settled on their sons.

Both adults seemed to almost sag, and then without looking at each other they sat back down in their respective chairs. Mr Malfoy turned his head away as if too embarrassed to even look anyone in the eye, and Dad hung his head in mortification once it hit him just what he was about to do, and in front of their children!

Mr Malfoy opened his mouth as if about to say something (apologize perhaps?) when he suddenly gasped, startling everyone there. His gaze had landed on the large clock hanging just to the left of the fireplace.

"I'm late for work!" Mr Malfoy then rounded on Dad. "Thanks ever so much, Potter. Thanks to you, I'll have to work overtime."

"Thanks to me?" Dad gasped, outraged once more. "You were the one—"

"Dad, Mr Malfoy has no time for another argument!" Albus snapped. Harry turned his head in disbelief at his own son, mouth gaping. "I mean…" Al stammered, softening his voice. "You two can argue about it some other time… at work, perhaps? Right now Mr Malfoy has to leave."

Draco looked rather grateful to Albus for the interruption and then grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the flowerpot sitting on top of their mantle. He tossed them into the flames and then stepped in right away.

"Ministry of Magic!" Mr Malfoy shouted, and in a blaze of green fire he was gone.

There was a few moments of uneasy silence before Dad let out a long sigh and turned to face him.

"Al—" he started, but Albus interrupted with, "Yeah, I know, Dad… I'm sorry. Am I… grounded?"

"No, of course not," Dad said. He sighed heavily again, suddenly looking much older than he was. "None of this is your fault. You were right to stop us… who knows what would have happened if you and Scorpius hadn't—"

"We would've seen a wizard's duel up-close and personal, that's what!" James said. He'd still been in the doorway to the living room all this time, quietly watching everything. "Come on, Dad, you could have taken him."

Dad laughed. "Maybe, but I really don't want to fight with Draco anymore. He isn't my enemy."

"That's not how it looked to me," James stage-whispered to Lily, who giggled in return.

"Definitely looked like wanting to fight," Lily agreed, grinning. "Maybe Dad's just afraid to admit he would have lost…"

"Who's side are you on?" Dad demanded, but without any real heat. "Perhaps I should give an up-close and personal demonstration after all, since you're both so eager." Dad had that playful gleam in his eyes, as if he were debating on whether to practice his wand-work on his own children; and although they knew Dad wasn't serious, they still felt a nervous shiver go down their spines. Al always thought it was Dad's blazing, green gaze and powerful aura that did it.

"I—I need to start on some homework," James said and hurried up the stairs.

"I need to check on my tadpoles," Lily said hastily, and ran to the back door.

Albus and Scorpius laughed.

"Father can do the same thing," Scorpius boasted. "It must be something only a war veteran learns."

It was then that Bonaparte returned, flying in from the back door Lily must have just opened. They all stopped to stare as the eagle owl alighted on the seat Mr Malfoy had just vacated and hacked up a small pile of mouse bones. It was both disgusting and funny all at once.

"Bet Mr Malfoy couldn't do that, though," Al said.

.-.

Al helped Scorpius get settled. His room was just big enough to allow both beds, but they had to be next to each other, leaving a small space between them. Scorpius didn't mind.

"I guess you Potters are doing well enough," Scorpius replied. He looked around the room at all of Al's things. He seemed to particularily like the snake figurine on Al's desk.

"We're very well off, thanks," Al said, beaming. "My parents just don't like flaunting our money. Sets a bad example, they'd said."

"I see nothing wrong with a little flaunting," Scorpius said haughtily. "Nothing wrong with showing the world that you're rich and powerful. It opens doors."

"My parents have opened plenty of doors, thanks, and not all of them with power or money. Besides, it also makes others resent you, all the flaunting. I want my friends to respect me for who I am, not what I can buy."

"You'd be surprised," Scorpius said. He flopped down onto the bed he would be using for the next couple nights, and sighed. "I did get on the Quidditch team thanks to money and power."

"You're born into a rich family, and one that gets things done in ways that others cannot." Albus sat on his own bed, facing Scorpius. "Although my family is well off and has power, mostly thanks to Dad, it doesn't mean that it's right to use it to get your way all the time. Dad says that modesty is the best policy when dealing with things."

"Your Dad's just soft."

"My Dad isn't soft! Have you already forgotten that little scene just a few minutes ago? Dad's got a way of making others surrender without a fight."

"So does Father," Scorpius said with airs.

"Well, your Father has to use money and scare tactics more often then not. Dad doesn't."

"Your Dad is afraid to use his name to get what he wants."

"Dad doesn't like the publicity. He's had enough of that his whole life."

"Father says to use whatever leverage you can to get ahead in life."

"Even at the expense of others?" Al raised an eyebrow.

"It's not like that—not any more, anyway…"

"Let's face it, my dad's ways are a lot better. Otherwise he wouldn't have survived his experiences."

"Father's done plenty of surviving. The right way of doing things: craftily."

"Dad's been crafty! He just doesn't like bragging about it."

Scorpius looked at him. "Are we having one of those 'my father's better than yours' arguments?"

Albus chuckled. "Dunno… might be. I don't know if either of us would win the argument, though. Both our fathers have done well enough to survive."

"True, true."

There was a slight pause.

"But Dad's still better," Al said.

"Is not!" Scorpius gasped, sitting up and preparing himself to launch at Al.

"Is too," Albus said without a care. Scorpius sprang from his mattress then and landed on top of Al.

"Take it back, you—you fake snake!"

"Oi!" Albus growled. He rolled them over so that he was now on top, pinning Scorpius to the bed. "I'm not a fake snake!"

"You were raised by lions," Scorpius said, grinning devilously. "You're obviously lacking in brains."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

They grappled, but not really wanting to hurt each other too badly, then ended up rolling onto the floor beside Al's desk. Al landed on his back, Scorpius colliding heavily on top of him, taking his breath away. Their fall upset the chair; it tipped and the bookbag on it fell and landed hard on their legs—Albus's right and Scorpius's left. The bag was Al's, which still had all his textbooks inside.

"Ow!" they both cried out.

"Boys, what are you-?" Ginny came in, her hands covered in rubber gloves and a scrubbing brush in one of them. It was obvious what she'd been doing before running into the room to see what the yelling and ruckus was about. "Al! Are you roughhousing with Draco Malfoy's son?" she sounded both impressed and confused. It was a first.

Albus slowly got to his feet, helping Scorpius up with a hand. "Um… yeah, sorry about that, Mum. It was nothing, really. Just, um…"

"A friendly squabble is all, Mrs Potter," Scorpius said smoothly. He brushed down his robes. "Just your typical argument about whose father is better."

Ginny sighed and looked at the ceiling as if hoping it would give her some patience. Which was odd, Al thought, because Mum did that often when she would catch him and James fighting. Was there something in the attic that had magic powers or something? Maybe she was looking for some answers in the plaster.

"I won't say who I think is right, then, because you're our guest here, Scorpius. Now, lunch will be ready soon. Unless you don't want any, in which case I'll give your shares to the pigs and chickens." With that said, she turned and left the room.

Scorpius made a face. "You have pigs—and chickens?"

"And garden gnomes," Al said, nearly laughing at the expression on Scorpius's face. "What? Granddad finds them amusing. We mostly keep a few here because of him. Besides, they were a gift from him, and no one likes turning down Granddad's gifts."

Scorpius's nose wrinkled. "He gave you gnomes? Well, I suppose it would make sense since he's a Weasley. But why the pigs and chickens?"

"That's easy," Al said, leading them out of his room and toward the kitchen. "The pigs usually take care of the garbage and other unwanted scraps, and the chickens eat a lot of bugs. Not to mention that their eggs are excellent."

"Right," Scorpius grumbled. "Because you don't own a house-elf. Do you even shop for groceries?"

"Of course we do," Al said, staring at his best friend oddly. "Otherwise we wouldn't have much to eat."

James and Lily were already sitting at the dining room table, eating soup. There was also sandwiches, glasses of pumpkin juice, fruit, and a pitcher of water.

By the look on Scorpius's face, he seemed as if he were expecting something a bit more extravagant. Coming from a rich family, Al didn't doubt it. Scorpius was just going to have to get used to things being more humble here when visiting.

They were nearly done eating when Albus realized what had been amiss since he came downstairs.

"When's Rose coming over?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," Dad said, as if just remembering something. "I got an owl from your Aunt Hermione about that. Rose will be here later this evening."

"Why so late?" Al asked. He'd thought for sure that Rose would be there around the same time that Scorpius arrived.

"Your aunt said that Rose is finishing up a homework assignment."

"Already?" Al gasped. "But we just started our break!"

"Apparently she was halfway done with it anyway and wished to complete it while things were still fresh in her mind."

Scorpius then nodded in understanding while the rest of the children shook their heads in dismay. Albus could understand wanting to get your homework done, but that was mental.

"That's Ravenclaws for you, I suppose," he said.

Albus knew that Rose liked getting her work done, but honestly—he thought she was supposed to be half Weasley.

James was the first to finish eating and left quickly, saying he had to polish his broomstick, and then Dad finished almost right after James and left saying that he had some things to look over for work (papers of some kind), so it was just Scorpius, Albus, and Lily left at the table.

Mum was still in the kitchen, doing the washing up, so she was a few feet away, which meant they couldn't talk about some things that they wanted. He wasn't even sure he wanted his little sister to hear any of it.

Then Scorpius suddenly spoke, taking Al by surprise. But Scorpius wasn't addressing him—he was directing his words to Lily.

"So," he said, "Lily, is it? I hear you have two years to wait until you get the Hogwarts letter."

Lily frowned as she stared at Scorpius, as if wondering why Al's friend was even talking to her. "That's right," she said slowly.

"Do you know what house you'll be in?"

"Of course not," she said. "No one knows for sure until they're sorted."

"I knew for years what house I'd be in before I got my letter," Scorpius said, sounding rather haughty. "Albus here had a good idea too, before he was sorted, and so did Rose. You can't tell me for certain that you have no idea."

Lily looked him straight in the eye and said, "I really have no idea."

"She'll be in Gryffindor," Mum said suddenly, coming out from the kitchen. "Just like her brother James, and her parents."

"Are you sure?" Scorpius challenged. "You thought Albus was going to be in Gryffindor, didn't you?"

"Scorp!" Albus gasped, astonished that his friend even spoke like that to his mother.

Ginny looked somewhat offended but seemed to rein in her anger. "Listen, young man, I may have thought that Albus was going into Gryffindor, but that doesn't mean that I really knew it was a for sure thing."

Al stared at Mum, flabbergasted. He'd thought that she'd thought he'd end up in the same house as everyone else.

"Albus has always been…" Ginny searched for the right word. "Unique. He didn't act like a typical Weasley, which threw me off. He did—does—act a lot more like his dad, but with slight differences. I've still been hopeful, however, thinking that even though he was a mite different than either of us he would get sorted into one of the three houses—which I'm sure you know which I am speaking of."

It was Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. That was what Mum meant. Which rather explained her confused surprise when she saw that Al had been sorted into the one house she hadn't thought he'd get in.

"But the same could be said for your daughter," Scorpius said. "You might think that she would get put in Gryffindor when in fact she might surprise you like Albus did and also be sorted into Slytherin."

Mum looked almost as red as her hair. Albus thought fast on how to defuse the situation before something horrible happened, like Scorpius never being allowed to visit again, but then the situation was saved surprisingly by Lily. She stood abruptly from her chair and swept a sweltering glare at all still present.

"If everyone is quite through with trying to choose my own house for me, I think I'll go check on my tadpoles."

She left the room in a huff, and silence fell in her wake. Ginny was less red than before, but her cheeks were still pink. Al wasn't sure if she was embarrassed or still upset.

After an awkward pause, Scorpius said, "Well… maybe she will be in Gryffindor after all, with a temper like that."

TBC