Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.

This one was a request from amata0221!

Chapter 12 Namesake

James didn't mean to offend him, but now his grandfather wasn't speaking to him. Usually when they were close to being of age, Mum would ask the kids if they wanted to take her last name. So far, she hadn't gotten any takers, and she was a good sport about it.

But then, Scorpius, being the little shit that he was, laughed in her face. He hated that Mum was famous, and unlike Albus, wasn't hesitant to show it. He was going through a phase, Mum had said when Dad started hollering at him as he stomped off. How could someone go through a phase for more than half their life?

Anyway, feeling bad for poor old Mum, James started snooping through her family photo albums and whatnot. She never knew her parents, so he didn't quite get why she was so attached to their last name. It was just a name. Malfoy sounded like Mouth Oil.

He didn't realize how awesome the original James Potter was until he read some letters he traded with Grandpa Sirius when they were kids. He never laughed so much while reading.

And then he came across this:

July 31st, 1980

Kitty Kat,

I hope I'll be able to give this to you on your seventeenth birthday and embarrass you with stories of your first bath or whatever other adventures are to come. But if I'm not… Well, Padfoot will have plenty of stories.

At first, I was afraid to hold you. You're so small! The meatball I had in my lunch was bigger than your head! Okay, maybe not. That would be a little concerning…

So Lils had to all but shove you at me. You made a face at the movement as if I smelled, but in that moment, you could have given me the finger, and I still would have thought everything was perfect.

I was a little apprehensive about your impending arrival, given the Prophecy, but my head can be full of cotton, as your mother will be happy to tell you. I wouldn't trade you for anything. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. Don't forget. And if Padfoot loses this letter I swear to fucking…

As you can see, I've never been much of a writer, Kitty Kat. I can't really express how much you mean to me on parchment. It would be better if I could tell you in person, but life doesn't always work out that way.

If your mother and I aren't here, we made the choice to protect you, and we made the right choice. Not because of the prophecy or Voldemort, because we love you more than anything.

Don't blame yourself. Love is worth dying for.

I want more than anything to teach you how to play Quidditch and embarrass you in public while your mum yells at me to apologize. I want to see you get married and take you out for ice cream after your first break up. I want to be there for everything. But I don't want to live in a world without you. You've only been here for a few hours, but I can't imagine going on without my little girl.

If I can't be there, I'm sorry, and I miss you just as much as you miss me. But know that Lily and I made the right choice, the only choice.

Love Dad

P.S. If Padfoot finds this letter twenty years too late, knock his teeth out for me. He'd lose his head if Remus hadn't stuck it to his neck with some gum second year.

James sniffled and turned over to the second page. He most certainly wasn't crying. That little snot Scorpius gave him a cold.

Kitty Kat,

I like my teeth, so please don't knock them out! I think Lily's is with your baby book… I'll get on trying to find it.

Happy 30th Birthday,

Padfoot

And so, James did his best to put everything exactly how he found it in Mum's messy library and told her he wanted to be a James Potter too.


"I told understand why he won't talk to Jamie," Kat whined as she pretended to gobble up Monty with a little snake puppet. He squealed happily and clapped his hands around the terrifying thing. Narcissa had made it years ago, and all the children had been afraid of it but him. "He literally has eight other Malfoys."

Draco shrugged as he straightened his tie. Why he still got dressed up on the weekends she would never know. "He was there when James was born. Maybe he thought they had a special bond since he saved his life."

"By calling me a slag," Kat muttered. "You know I'm going to have to fix this."

"Oh joy."

Kat rolled her eyes. She was no Narcissa Malfoy, but her husband could at least try to be interested in her schemes. "Today. So get everyone out of the house."

"Can't." Draco grinned evilly and didn't even correct her and say 'Manor.' He must have a scheme of his own. "I'm going to visit Edward today."

"Draco…" One, two, three… He had four daughters! Kat thought he would've learned by now. "If she finds out, she'll only get closer to him. It's a girl's way of saying, "Fuck off, Dad." And I'm too young to be a grandmother."

Draco narrowed his eyes and turned away from the mirror. "I'll take Fleamont and only Fleamont. He's too young to be a witness."

Here we go… Kat sighed. At least Sirius's face will be priceless, especially since he'll become a grandfather and a great-grandfather at the same time. Gross. "Monty is part of the plan. Take the rest of the brood to the zoo… And give Scorpius money to go off with Rose when he refuses."

"No," he said childishly. "Mother will do it. She likes spending time with them. For some reason."

"You're full of shit," Kat muttered.

"Love you too." With a kiss on her cheek and Monty's, Draco was out the door. Prat.


James didn't know what Mum was playing at, but all of the sudden, the house was empty. Even the house elves were gone, which was weird. The only time Mum bothered with them was when she wanted food. Then he saw Grandfather struggling with Monty.

The boy was wailing, and the only time he cried was when he was hungry. The sprog would smile through a loaded nappy as long as he wasn't hungry. Mum joked and said that Uncle Ron was Monty's real father because of his appetite and red hair. James shuddered at the thought of Mum and Uncle Ron.

But Grandfather didn't seem to know that, and Mum was nowhere in sight, which was even weirder. She never missed out on an opportunity to call Grandfather stupid.

"Give him some cake, and he'll pipe down," James said awkwardly. "There's a reason he's so chunky."

Grandfather glared at him but spoke to him for the first time in two days. "Oh, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he's a baby," he drawled. "Go to the zoo with everyone else, James."

They went to the zoo without him?! It was literally the coolest place in the world! Assholes. James narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't invited."

"Oh. Pity." Grandfather didn't seem fazed in the slightest and added childishly, "I suppose it was a trip that was only for Malfoys… Get back to bed, Katherine."

James turned and jumped back in surprise. Icky pasty skin and shadowed eyes showed him that Mum was sick. Mum was never sick.

"Leave 'im alone," Mum said in a raspy voice. "He only wants to 'elp."

He most certainly did not want to help. Monty reached out for Mum, but she ignored him, leaned over and vomited all of Grandfather's shoes. Slowly, while holding his breath, he took Monty from Grandfather. They were in for a long day.


Apparently, Mum was very demanding when she was sick. Somehow, she acquired a tiny bell that James was sure he would be hearing in his nightmares. Every few minutes, she would ring it, asking for an extra blanket, warm water, cold water, not that cold. Any time Grandfather would get close to her, she would throw up on him. Monty wasn't used to his mummy being indisposed of, and for once, a brownie couldn't calm him down.

By lunch, Grandfather pulled him to the side in the hallway. "We have to get rid of her."

James raised his eyebrows. "Mum's incredibly old, but I don't think a nursing home will take her yet."

In response, he shoved the wailing Monty at him. "I mean, we need to drug her."

Drug her?! They couldn't drug Mum! She was sick! James opened his mouth to argue, but then he heard that damned twinkle again. "Jaime!" Mum moaned. "Do you think you could get me some crackers? The ones without the salt."

James glared at Mum's door. She hated the ones without the salt and would send him back to the kitchen as soon as he brought them. "I'll get the potion."

James grinned as he poured a sleeping potion in a mug of steaming hot chocolate. Mum could never resist chocolate.

"I would prefer not to have that vomited on me." Grandfather sneered at him and poured noodles into a pot. "It's soup. Tell her you made it to go with her crackers. It'll settle her stomach."

James frowned as he leaned over the pot. Wasn't chicken noddle soup supposed to be yellow? Not green? "But this is Mum. She'll actually drink the hot chocolate."

"Ja! Ja!" Monty reached for him from his height chair, so James decided to shut him up with half a banana. The brat grinned and started mashing it with his fingers, making satisfied noises as he spread it across the little table and stuffed it in his mouth.

"She'll eat this if you said you made it," Grandfather said stubbornly. "Since you are her son."

James thinned his lips. There it was. "I wanted to be a Potter to honor my grandfather." The old man turned away from him and started stirring the pot. "James. He really loved Mum. And she doesn't have any Potters besides herself. And Scorpius hurt her feelings."

"You are James Sirius. That's honoring him enough," Grandfather said flatly. "I remember him. You look like him. You talk like him. Have his sense of humor. His laugh. You were a Malfoy in name only."

And now he wasn't. James never thought about that. He was the least like Dad's side of the family out of all of his siblings. Mum said that was why he was her favorite. He would believe it too, if he didn't know for a fact that she secretly called all her children her favorite when she was alone with them.

"That's not true," James muttered, not sure if it was. "So you wouldn't care if I was like Rory or that rat Scorp? Good to know who your favorites are."

Grandfather looked down on him with that Malfoys are better than everyone expression. Being on the receiving end of it for the first time didn't feel too nice. James felt ten times worse when he got the real reason the old man hadn't been speaking to him. "Now you have everything from James Potter and nothing from me."


Draco didn't know what he was going to say to Edward as he stomped up the stairs to his apartment. Before knocking, he froze. Aurora said she had to work, but what if she was in there? He certainly didn't want to catch her in a compromising position. Draco swallowed back bile as he softly knocked. What happened to the days she would tattle on her siblings instead of keeping secrets herself? Daddy! Lily stole sweets before dinner again! Tell her that's wrong!

Edward opened the door a couple of minutes later, not sure if he did in fact hear a knock or not. He blinked in surprise and opened the door wider. "Draco?"

Draco folded his arms over his chest, doing his best to look menacing. "Do you think I don't know what's going on?"

Edward most certainly did think that. He pursed his lips, wondering how he should answer. The boy wasn't Slytherin enough to choose his words carefully and keep a blank expression. "Is this about Scorpius trying to rent the apartment next door?"

No. If anything, Draco wanted Scorpius to have a dose of the real world. Then he would stop letting the little things get the best of him. "This is about Aurora." Edward paled. "May I come in?"

As soon as the door was shut firmly behind him, Draco found himself ranting and raving like some sort of commoner. "You were there when she was born! She was like your baby sister! You used to call her your sister! What is wrong with you? Victoire dump you one too many times?"

When Edward whispered, "Yes," Draco advanced towards him, causing the boy to hold up his hands in surrender. "I asked her to marry me, and she said no."

That did nothing to reassure Draco. In fact, he took out his wand. "So you hop into bed with my daughter?" he yelled incredulously. "She's fancied since she was eleven! Which was when you were sixteen by the way!"

Edward shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I want to be with someone who wants a life with me. Vicky and I don't want the same things out of life. I know she loves me but…"

"Aurora is a child," Draco seethed. "You're using her by indulging in her fantasies!"

For the first time in years, Edward's face contorted in anger. "That's not true! She's always been there for me—"

"She's a CHILD!" Draco screamed. "She—"

"She's a child to you," Edward said coldly. "She's grown up a lot in the past few years. If you could see that, you wouldn't have a problem with her making her own choices!"

"I have a problem," Draco growled, "because as soon as Victoire comes back from the Harpies tour in Asia, you're going to toss her to the side. Does Victoire love you? Not enough obviously. Because she won't let you go. And my daughter is going to pay the price for it!"

By the slapped in the face expression, Draco could tell Edward truly believed that wasn't going to happen. He almost felt bad for him, but then he remembered how Aurora wouldn't get out of bed for days when Herb dumped her. Edward turned bright red.

"Vicky asked me to go to Asia with her." He clenched his fists. "She told me the truth. That she never wanted to get married or start a family and that if I loved her that I should be okay with that. And you know what? I wasn't, and I was sad and lonely, and Rory wanted me to feel better. She didn't want to say I told you so or complain about Vicky. She wanted to take me to movies and have fun, and it felt right… Things felt right for the first time in a while."

Draco still didn't want to believe him. Aurora was his daughter, his baby, and he wasn't about to let her get hurt because Edward was reeling from a failed proposal. "If you hurt her—"

The very insinuation made Edward's eyes and hair turn black. "GET OUT!"


James frowned. Adults were pretty damn stupid. Not a good thing to be thinking, since he was closer to nineteen than not… "I have everything from you, and nothing from him." Grandfather huffed like the bitter old man he was. "He wasn't there for my birthday parties or to break up the fights between me and Scorpius. He didn't put me on his shoulders to see dragons. You were there for everything, and he wasn't. And reading his letters made me miss him like Mum does."

"He wasn't that great," Grandfather said stiffly, not wanting to acknowledge what James was saying. "He was a bit of a jerk."

"More than Scorpius?" James asked with his best fake sarcasm.

Grandfather didn't pick up on it anyway. "No… As soon as you could walk, you followed me everywhere…"

"Because you had candy." James laughed at his own joke. "And you knew everything. I figured you had all the secrets of life since you were eight hundred years old. And since Mum calls you The Thing that Never Dies, I don't need your last name since you'll always be around."

Grandfather must know that that's I love you in teenager language because he softened and gestured to the hot chocolate mug. "I've wanted to knock her out ever since I met her."

James grinned, knowing things would be back to normal now. "It lasts fourteen hours."


Kat sat up the next morning with a start. "Those fuckers!"

Draco was sitting on the carpet, holding Monty up in hopes he would soon be able to stand on his own. "How did you manage to get a stomach virus half an hour after I left?"

Kat rubbed at her eyes. "I ate five of George's new and improved Puking Pasties."

"You sick fuck…"

Literally… Kat stretched. "They drugged me! I repair their relationship, and they drugged me!"

Draco smiled as he let Monty go, and the boy tumbled on him and started giggling. "Would you expect any less?"

"No." Kat halfheartedly pouted and stiffly rose from the bed to head for the bathroom. "How'd it go with Teddy?"

"He's furious. I'm furious. I had to walk around London for a while to cool off." Draco frowned and picked Monty up to kiss his chubby cheek. "I don't know what to do."

Kat shrugged. There was really nothing they could do. She was just glad that Lucius had gotten over himself after she puked on him a few times. Reminding people they loved each other was easy. Making people fall out of love? Not so much. "If they really do love each other, we don't have much to worry about, do we?"

"Grandchildren with webbed toes," Draco mumbled.

With a yawn, Kat stretched again and turned the shower on with her wand. "Maybe he'll name them Drake and Kat."

"I can't wait…"

If they were meant to be, Kat couldn't either.

Poor Scorpius! He's just a sensitive kid with an insensitive family. :P

Thank you for reviewing ShadowMystic56, harryislife, Ern Estine 13624, and gr8rockstarrox!

ShadowMystic56: ¡Pero Ron creció y aprendió de sus errores! Lo siento por mi pobre español!