Author's Note: *bows* this author is terribly sorry for the very long delay, very, very sorry, on the bright side though this is a very long chapter. Anywho, thank you so much for the reviews for the last chapter, I absolutely adore receiving them; so it seems like most of you really enjoy Scorpius and find him to be simply adorable, well I do too so that makes me glad. Anywho I'll stop rambling and get on with the chapter. Enjoy and please review!
The manor is spotless for I have had the elves clean, and I mean really clean, the entire manor, well except for the dungeons but I do not plan to take Potter and his son down there. I stand at the top of the right (there are two sections) of the grand stair case that overlooks the entrance hall with my son and although my home looks better than it has since I last had anyone important over I am slightly dubious as to whether or not Potter will discern all that I have had the elves do, this bothers me greatly for I want him to notice the effort I have put in preparing for our sons play date.
Scorpius stands beside me, and looks like the perfect little aristocrat, his facial feature are frozen into a look of attention, but he is nervous and I can tell because the fingers on his right hand keeps twitching slightly, I smile lightly and place my hand lightly on his shoulder but he only tenses.
"Father," he says, he sounds a little sick and I worry slightly if this is a bad plan or not.
"Yes?"
"Will Albus like me?"
My heart does a weird flip of fatherly affection for Scorpius and I tighten my grip on his shoulder in comfort. "He'll love you," I assure my son. I look down at him and want to hit my head; maybe love is too strong of a word because now Scorpius has gone grey.
"I'll try my best to make him love me then."
I sigh, why is my son so intense? It is not a bad thing it is just, well sometimes it bothers me slightly, if this situation had been me and Father then Father would have said that there was no question to someone liking me, everyone adored Malfoy's. I shake my head a little as a small pang of longing for my own Father hits me, he might have made a few mistakes especially with instilling a sense of pride that became arrogance into me, but all parents make mistakes.
"Just be yourself," I say, something I heard only once and that was in my third year of Hogwarts and I had gotten mauled by that hippogriff because I had tried to capture the attention of a certain someone, Snape had asked me why I had done something so stupid and I told him he loked at me and coldly said to just be myself and then swooped off with that menacing cape of his.
"Father?"
I shake my head, ugh why am I going down memory lane so much lately? "Sorry, I was thinking."
"Oh, OK."
I bite my bottom lip, damn it, it sounds like Scorpius had said something but I have missed it, bothersome memories. I think about prodding him to say it again, but a house-elf joins us before I can even open my mouth.
"Sir."
I look down at the elf. "Yes?"
"Mister Potter and his son have arrived."
The elf looks a little giddy; probably from hero-worship for though my elves have no desire to be freed Potter does have a commendable reputation amongst them. "Let them in," I order.
"Yes sir," the elf says, bowing low and then disappeartes.
Scorpius's finger begins to twitch more and faster and I am no better off, maybe we should stand by the door or maybe go down the hall way some and when Potter enters reveal ourselves. The staircase had seemed like such a wonderful idea earlier but what if Potter thinks I am being superior and haughty and decides that he does not want his son near snobs, do we even have enough time to descend the staircase before Potter and his son arrives, the driveway is very long though it isn't snowing today so there will be no delay. Maybe I should have Scorpius and I go down there, but then will that make me appear too eager? Then I pause, why do I care it's just Potter, but it's because it is Potter that I care so much.
Before I have time to make up my scattered mind there is a loud knock on the door and both my son and I go rigid and watch as two of the elves opens the doors.
The sun shines today and as the large entrance doors are opened cold sunlight pours into the room and I am blinded momentarily; when my eyes adjust to the raw light I see Potter standing in the middle of it and my breath catches, he looks like a hero and for a moment he is just my hero because he is here at my home and he is here for me, his lips are moving and I wonder what he says but because of the distance he must be speaking too softly, then reality hits me on my head.
"Draco why are you all the way up there?" Potter calls.
I mentally shake myself. "I am waiting for you."
"Well come down here," Potter says, amused and I blush lightly, how will I get through today?
As Scorpius and I descend the stairs I can feel as Potter watches me and it makes me want to go faster but at the same time slower so that he'll never stop, my wishful thinking is interrupted when the doors are shut and Potter, while still a hero, looses the mythical hero look. I look away from him and search for his son and see that he stands next to Potter looking curious and slightly frightened, for some reason this eases my fears of him turning out to be a little terror.
At the bottom of the stairs all four of us just stare at each other for a bit until the silence begins to bother be and so I break it.
"Potter, this is my son, Scorpius. Scorpius this is Harry Potter," I say.
Scorpius looks at Potter who smiles at my son warmly. "Hello Scorpius," Potter says, his mouth twitches and I feel a little annoyed; Potter probably finds my son's name to be amusing, well he named his kid after his dead hero and a dead man who hated him until he died; yeah that's not weird at all.
"Hello," my son replies back formally, and while the statement is for Potter, Scorpius looks at Albus while saying it.
"This is my son, Albus, I'm sure you two will get along."
I look at Potter with consideration, are his words the normal reaction of a parent, or does he mean them, I am sorry to say that I cannot tell. Scorpius nods and moves closer to me but then away from me.
"Hi!" Albus Potter says, a little too enthusiastically if you ask me, his early fright seemingly a long ago memory, his smile is so genuine that I really do believe that he and my son will be good for each other.
"Hello," Scorpius says once again, though not as shyly as when he addressed Potter.
"Scorpius," I say, "why don't you take Albus up to your room," I say. He and I have done a smashing job of refurnishing the room and now, I am proud to say, it is a seven year old boys paradise.
"OK."
Scorpius turns to Albus who has already left Potter's side and stands by my son and takes his hand; Scorpius looks surprised but then smiles and the two run off as I bite back a remark about not running in the manor. Once the boys are out of sight I turn to Potter who, oddly enough, looks a little sheepish.
"Would you like to take tea with me while they play, we can also play chess or I can take out the card table," I offer.
Potter smiles but then it drops. "Actually I have to work."
I blink at him.
"What?"
Did I hear him right? Did he just say that he has to work, is he really going to leave me with our sons alone, like some common house wife, ok maybe I am getting a little ahead of myself, but he could have warned me beforehand.
"I have to work," he says as she shuffles his feet nervously. He looks down at the carpet, runs his hand up and down the back of his neck where his unruly black locks fall, then looks up at me apologetically. "Look, Draco, I'm really sorry, I had every intention of staying and spending time with you because I really enjoy your company," here we both blush faintly, "but I got an owl just before I left the Burrow after dropping off James and Lily and well," he pauses and sighs. I wonder if he was ever this apologetic and flustered when he had to run out of that Weasley brood, not that it matters or means anything to me. "Something really big has come up in my case and I can't not be there."
I nod, I am a little disappointed, actually I am very disappointed, and then a thought hits me. "Is it field work?"
He looks at me with surprise and my face mirrors his, where did that come from, it sounded so, so, concerned.
"Yeah, actually."
It becomes silent and we stare everywhere except for each other.
"Well I best be going, I'll be back um," Potter pauses here and I look at him. Field work as an Auror can take a long time, it's common knowledge and there is no sure time of when those on duty can get off.
"Just owl me before you come," I say as I wave my hand in an off-hand manner. "If it gets too late Albus can spend the night."
Potter's eyes light up and it makes me both giddy and uncomfortable.
"Thanks Draco," he says with that stupid grin of him that makes me feel like we're so much younger. He then takes a step towards me and for a second I think that he is going to hug me so I hold my breath and wait, but he doesn't. His expression looses that gratefulness as confusion takes over.
"Bye Draco."
"Goodbye, Potter."
He shakes his head, he still wants me to address him as Harry, but I can't, it's just too intimate for us. He nods at me and then leaves me and I stand alone in my entrance hall.
XXXXX
Albus Potter is a very nice boy, I like him a lot, more than Pierre who would make me play maid and master and I'd always have to be the maid and clean or cook for him.
"Hey Scorpius, do you like to read?"
Albus and I lay on our backs on my bedroom floor; the carpet is so soft that I can sleep on it comfortably if I want to.
"Sometimes," I reply.
"I love to read, but not nerdy things like my cousin Rose, I like adventures."
The tops of our heads are touching and I have, more than once, found that I like the way our hair looks together, white and black, it's kind of pretty.
"Does your mommy or daddy ever read to you at night?"
I frown. "No."
"That's too bad, my daddy used to read to me whenever he could, but since he got that promotion he hasn't been able to." Albus sounds sad and I want to give him a hug like I want because I now wish that Father or Mother had read to me, not that Father has had the chance since I have been in France with Mother for so long. Maybe if I ask him, he will. "Before Daddy stopped he read fairytales the most cuz Lily, that's my sister, she liked them and she was the youngest and the youngest always gets their way. My mommy was the youngest and she had only brothers but unlike Lily who only has me and James, but she had six brothers."
"Had?" I wonder aloud. I never knew that families could be so big, Albus is very fascinating.
"One of them died in the war."
My eyebrows furrow. "What war?"
Albus suddenly sits up and stares down at me like I have turned into a troll. "You mean you've never heard of the war?" I shake my head. "Whoa, and I thought my parents kept me in the dark, they won't tell me the details about it you see, but I do know that they all fought in it and that they were on the good side, which of course won cuz good always wins, and that one of my uncles died, also my cousin Teddy, who isn't really my cousin but he's my Daddy's godson so I call him cousin, his parents both died."
"That's sad," I say. I don't have a big family like Albus's but if I lost any of them I would cry. I wonder if Father and Mother were in this war.
"Yeah, but they're heroes, everyone who fights on the good side and dies or lives is a hero. I bet your Daddy was in it too and that he's a hero. I wonder why he hasn't told you."
I bite my bottom lip and sit up and face Albus. "Actually I haven't seen my Father very much."
Albus cocks his head to the side in confusion. "Waddya mean?"
"My Mother and Father are separated," I say, "I used to live with Mother in France, but now she's in Japan so I live with Father."
"Oh." Albus's curiosity dies and he looks down at his lap. "My parents are separated too," he says softly and I stare at him wide eyes. "It happened a few days ago."
I look at my new friend, his head is bent and his messy black hair obscures his eyes and nose but I see that his lips are pressed tightly together, after a few seconds his cheeks become shiny. That is sadness. I stare at him intensely and wonder what I should do, when I am sad I used to hug my bear, though now I go to Father; before I can decide Albus raises his head and looks at me bravely, no sign of tears.
"Let's play."
"What will we play?" I ask.
"I dunno," he says and pauses a moment to think, and while he thinks I watch him, his face is all screwed up and then it brightens. "Let's have an adventure," he says enthusiastically.
"How?"
"We can roam around your house, it's big enough."
This is true, "I don't know if we can," I say.
He frowns and cocks his head to the side. "Why not, it's your house."
I pause to think this over, is this really my house? I do live here but it's more Father's house than anything though it is called Malfoy Manor and I am a Malfoy. "OK then, but if the doors are locked we stay out of them," I say.
"Of course," he says with a bright smile. "We wouldn't be able to get into them anyways, not until we're older and can do magic, now come on." he gets up, grabs my hand, and then pulls me up and out of my room so that we can have an adventure.
XXXXXXXX
I have just finished a firecall with one of my wealthier clients and I now sit in my study, a freshly made cuppa rests in front of me, the smell of Earl Grey fills the room and relaxes me considerably. Since Potter's son and Scorpius ran off I haven't heard from them and I have half a mind to go check on them, after I finish my tea though. I raise my cup to my lips and take a sip, the hot tea instantly warms me as I swallow and I instantly feel more at ease. I am still a little miffed about Potter leaving his son here and then going off to work, but I need to get over it, we set up the date and he got called into work, it happens all the time, though he could have asked to re-arrange the play date that way we could spend time together as well- I pause in my thoughts.
The tea sits, murky in the tea cup, steam curling out into the semi-cold air, I am being stupid. I don't need to spend more time with Potter, I want to, yes, but he's dealing with a divorce and the last thing he wants is another relationship, especially one with me, so really I should just give up, but to be frank I just can't. Something inside won't let me, maybe it's the way he insists on calling me Draco as opposed to Malfoy or how he looks at me sometimes, but then maybe I'm just twisting his attempts at friendship into something more.
I take another drink of my tea and down it all in one gulp, it burns and I swallow quickly which doesn't help at all, but there's nothing I can do. It's like how I fell for Potter, after the war he helped me and my mother, well he helped during the trials, and plus he had saved me during the war and thoughts of him began to assault me until I realized, somehow, I was infatuated with him and there was nothing that I could do. Despite my marriage to Astoria I was obsessed with Potter and to try to hide from it all I was either at work or drinking with Blaise, those were dark days, but I got out of it, and it took one slip up with Astoria to render me alone, still I've done alright, I've switched to tea and I have a successful business, my son is back with me, and Potter, well somehow Potter is in my life.
The room has become unbearably cold and I look over at the fireplace to see that this is due to the fire dying, I sigh, something needs to be done, and I do not speak of my lack of warmth.
In the midst of this realization the clock chimes and I realize that it's past one and I have neglected to eat and feed my son and Potter's son lunch. I summon one of the house-elves and give it the orders to have lunch prepared.
"Yes, Sir," it says and then is gone with a crack. I stand up and stretch, I need to go fetch my son and his playmate for lunch.
I leave my study for Scorpius's room only to find it empty, my eyebrows furrow together, where could those two have gone off to?
XXXXXXXX
Albus and I silently walk down one of the creepier hallways we found, all of the window's drapes are drawn so no daylight fills this hallway like all of the others we have passed through; the only thing illuminating our walk is the light from the hallway we have just left. As we walk down our path, looking for something but not knowing what that something is, the light becomes dimmer and while I am not particularly frightened and neither is Albus, the look on his face is more like a determined hero than scaredy-cat, we walk close to one another, just in case anything scary does happen.
I look behind me to make sure that the lightened hallway is still back there and then I feel Albus grab my arm to stop me from continuing to walk.
"What is it?" I ask as I turn to look at him.
"Look," he whispers and I do. In front of us is not another dark hallway but rather a very large door with funny but pretty things carved into its wood. "I wonder where it leads," Albus breaths.
"Open it and find out," I prod because I too wonder what is behind that door. Albus nods and begins to reach out for the big door handle and I feel the excitement mount.
"What are you two doing?"
We scream and jump into each other's arms and fall back against the massive door. Nothing grabs for us though so I look up and see my father, he stands in front of us a confused look on his face.
"Hello Father," I say.
Albus takes his head from its hiding place in my cheek and looks up at my father as well, then he lets go of me and stands up.
"Mr. Malfoy you scared us."
"So it would seem," my father says and continue to look at us, a slight frown on his lips, I wonder if he's mad.
"We were having an adventure," Albus explains. Father looks at him and then at me and I scramble onto my feet.
"That sounds like fun," Father says and then his face becomes kinder. "I'm afraid you'll have to pause in your adventure though as it is lunch time."
"OK, I'm hungry anyways, what about you Scorpius?"
Albus turns to look at me eagerly. "I am," I say. Albus smiles real big at me and then I look at Father who has a slight frown again.
"Come along then," Father says and walks off, Albus and I follow behind.
XXXXXXX
It had taken me quite awhile to find my son and Potter's, I had to eventually ask one of the house-elves if it had seen the two boys and it had informed me that they had been heading towards the western part of the mansion, the least used. When I had finally found them it was to see them creeping down a dark hallway towards one of the many imperious doors in the manor, then when I had their attention to inform them of lunch Potter's son had been buoyant as Scorpius just stared at me intensely, pausing only to give a warm look to Potter's son.
I lead Scorpius and Albus Potter towards one of the smaller dining areas for lunch. I wonder if I am jealous of Albus Potter for my son seems to be a little warmer towards him while he's so intense with me. I have yet to stop frowning as we make out way, Albus Potter chattering on about a book he read, I want to look back to see how Scorpius looks but I resist.
Lunch is chicken soup with apple slices and it warms me up pleasantly, the whole while we eat Albus Potter still goes on about the book he had read or is still reading, I can't remember.
I sit and eat my lunch and take in this scene, it is a very nice one and I am secretly glad for Albus Potter's presence for it makes things less tense, though I wish things could be like this even without Potter's son.
"Mr. Malfoy?"
I look up to see that Albus Potter's eyes are trained on me; he has the same brilliant emerald eyes as his father.
"Yes?"
"How did you and my Daddy become friends?"
I stare at him for a moment, what a peculiar question I wonder why he asks it, when I was his age I never asked such weird questions to adults because I knew that they didn't like it, but then with the lot he's around, the Weasley's, he's nothing like me.
"Why do you ask?"
I briefly glance at my own son to see that he also looks at me and still with great intensity, why is it that I now feel like the child?
"I just wanna know." I stare at him, and my gaze must be slightly hard because he squirms a little and lowers his eyes as he begins to fidget with one of his apple slices.
"We went to school together."
There's no need to get into the grim truth of the matter.
"Oh. What house were you in?"
"Slytherin."
He looks at me with surprise. "Oh," he says and then begins to eat his apple slices, a reaction that was to be expected.
Eight o'clock is here and I sit in one of the lounges on the most comfortable of the plush dark purple chairs. On the rug, Albus Potter sits while my son lays whilst Potter's son tells Scorpius all sorts of fanciful tales, some undoubtedly Muggle (no magical tale would be silly enough to have a girl named after lettuce locked up in tower by a witch) but some actually from the wizarding world. The boy is a rather good story-teller and I have found myself more than once enraptured by his odd tales.
"So then the King set fire to the playhouse but the Prince didn't notice because he was too in love with his doll, so he burned away for an empty love."
I look over at my son to see what he makes of the gruesome tale and I see that a frown is on his face.
"But he was his son," Scorpius says at last.
"Doesn't matter," Albus Potter says and lies down. "It never does in fairytales."
A look of deep thought and slight disturbance appears on my sons face and I think he glances towards me, but I cannot be sure.
Albus Potter then yawns. "Mr. Malfoy," he says and looks at me. "When is my Daddy coming back?"
I look at him and wonder the same thing. Potter neglected to specify when he would be coming for his son, nor has he contacted me at all today. Oddly enough, rather than this being an annoyance, I find myself OK with this, and besides I did say that his son could stay the night if Potter was too late in leaving work.
"I don't know."
Albus's eyes widen a little and then he turns his head so that his mouth is right next to my son's ear and I can hear that he whispers something, but I cannot make out the words. Scorpius turns to look at him, unsure, but then Albus Potter gives Scorpius a look of pleading.
"Father?"
"Yes?"
I know what's coming, and I'm going to say yes.
"Can Albus spend the night?"
"Of course he can."
I know this whole thing, this entire day, this entire moment is so alien to me. It's like being a family, except I feel like the mother, I will have to have a talk with Potter about that, though he'll probably just laugh at me if he isn't too exhausted.
"Hooray!" Albus Potter says and jumps to his feet quickly. "Come on Scorpius."
I watch them run from my sight and have the urge to delay them but then decide against it. I should probably go have a peek at my study desk to see what letters from work have arrived for me today.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
I do not mean to be so late, I really don't, but somehow time just slipped away from me and one moment it was nine and then next one in the morning. I feel utterly foolish and confused as to why I have chosen to come here. Is it because I feel guilty or because...no, I'm not going to think about that, I still haven't fully recovered from Ginny leaving me and it wouldn't be fair to heap my troubles onto Draco when he's already being so nice to me, something that is probably very hard for him.
After work I thought about going to the Burrow to check on Lily and James but then figured that everyone would be asleep and that my eldest and youngest child are alright, they are with their Grandparents after all, then I thought about Albus and remembered that he is still with Draco, and without thinking I apperated here, to Malfoy Manor.
The manor is quite imposing and a little scary, but it is past midnight so it's understandable, but there's also this undercurrent of terror for me, I remember the last time I was here, not counting when I had dropped Albus off.
I approach the gate and I walk through the wrought iron bars as if they were smoke. How odd, I thought Draco had this place more protected or maybe I am just allowed in, I'm sure that, with the right sort of magic, you can let certain people in while most others stay out.
As I walk up the drive my mind registers of freaking cold it is though it is not snowing it looks like it had been just a couple of hours ago because the snow looks so fresh under the moonlight.
When I reach the imperious doors I pause, why am I here again? Surely Draco will be asleep and why would he want me to come and wake him up, but then again my son is here. I make a quick decision and knock on the door. In less than a few seconds one of the large double doors opens and a little house elf with only an old green apron on stares at me.
"Mister Potter?" she, at least I think it's a she, asks. "What is you doing here so late? My masters and your son is sleeping, they is."
"My son is still here then?"
"Yes, sir, he is. Now, Mister Potter, sir, you must be going, it is late."
"Um," I fidget where I stand, "can I come in?"
The house-elf gives me an inquisitive gaze but for some unknown reason she opens the door to permit me to walk in. The foyer is no more warmer than it is outside and I wish that I had just left for my own comfortable bed, but I can't stop now can I.
"Where is Draco?"
"My master is sleeping, yes he is, and he never likes to be woken up. Nimb can see you to a room, Mister Potter, sir, but you must be letting my Master sleep."
I nod and let her take me up the impressive staircase. I don't pay attention to how many floors we go up or how many doors we pass or even what turn we take, but eventually Nimb stops in front of a door. "Here is a room for you, Mister Potter, sir, but Nimb is asking you's to be very quiet because my Master does not like to be woken up."
I nod and the door shuts behind me. I stand in the room and then I realize that I don't have pajamas, but that's OK, I've slept in my boxers on occasion and from the look of the comforter on the bed I think that boxers will be alright even on such a cold night, and yet even though the huge bed is so very inviting I don't want to collapse in it just yet.
From what Nimb said Draco's room is near mine and maybe it's the lack of sleep, yes it is probably the lack of sleep, but I want to see him even if he is asleep. I open the door quietly and with as much stealth as I can, which is more than the average person I am proud to say, I begin to open the doors. It takes me my fourth try to find his room.
The curtains are opened so that the moonlight can drown the room in its cold light, and it reflects most magnificently upon a pale face that peeks out from a bed much larger than the one I'll be using tonight. Cautiously, I walk forward until I can now pretty much make out the details of Draco's face and I smile a little. He looks like a little kid when he sleeps and more vulnerable than ever, normally Draco is so cold and closed off but now I feel like I could take him in my arms or touch his hair and...I pause in thought. What am I thinking? I should go back before I become even more delirious.
I turn to leave but as I do Draco makes a small, distressed moan and then clearly says, "Save me."
I turn around, I feel like a caught minor criminal, but I see that Draco still sleeps, it appears that he sleep talks, and while I don't mind hearing more I feel like I am about to collapse any moment from exhaustion so I silently make my exit from where I was not invited to go to the room I was shown so that I can sleep.
XXXXXXX
I run but the heat catches up with me. It's all wrong, it's supposed to be winter but it's so hot, too hot, I am going to burn. I reach up but only the scorching air takes hold of my grasp, no, no I can't, I won't, but there's nothing I can do, no one is here to save me.
There is a small clicking noise and I open my eyes quickly, the fright from my dreams stays with me as I scan my bedroom frantically for any unwanted intruders but all is silent, all is calm, it is only me and the cold moonlight. I roll onto my back and push the covers down some so that I can freeze a little.
It has been awhile since I've dreamt of the Fienfyre; I wonder what brought it on? A minute or more passes and my body begs for warmth, I wrap myself up in my covers again and as I drift to sleep something keeps me from the fear that I will dive back into my nightmare, I don't know why but something has changed, I wonder what?
A/n: So I hope you really liked the chapter and it made up for being so late. Albus and Scorpius are so cute; I hope I didn't make things to sappy. Anywho please oh please review, it makes me happy and actually does encourage me to write quicker...this last time well things happened, sorry, by the way can anyone guess what fairytale Draco was referring to? *bows* please review.
