The summer went by too fast for my liking, as much as I was waiting for school to start back up. I saw my friends the majority of the year, and this year I knew I wouldn't have to worry about separation from them, or anything like that. But my parents, I seemed to rarely see them anymore. With me gone, they had gone to throw themselves into their work, meaning they were both at the Ministry all the time. I should have been proud, but it made me feel lonely all the time in the giant manor. So, one night, my parents realized this- and the next morning, on my 12th birthday, all my friends appeared with their parents.

"Scorpius!" Rose came through the front door first, throwing her arms around my neck.

"Don't kill him- he's only been around twelve years." James rolled his eyes, pretending to not care, but when Rose let go, he walked over and grinned saying, "Happy birthday, mate."

"James! I wanted to say that!" another boy said from behind his father.

"Hey Albus." I chuckled.

He raced over, and held up his hand so I could high-five him. I did so and we continued with our goofy secret handshake.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter smiled gently.

She touched his arm and he nodded.

"I'll be there soon. I promise."

Then, it was her turn to nod, and she Disapparated.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came through the door finally, with Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley in tow. They'd be attending Hogwarts next year.

"Do you mind if they stay for the party?" Mrs. Granger asked Harry.

"It's up to Scorpius." He motioned to me.

"No, it's fine." I looked up from the younger kids to the adults. "Really, the more the merrier."

Hermione Weasley sighed, and tucked a curly strand of hair behind her ear and said she'd cover for Harry with Ginny and Ron if he decided to stick around. Then her and Mr. Weasley took hands and stepped into the fireplace, using the Floo Network.

It was just us kids and the famed Harry Potter here now.

He grinned. "Well, let's get this party started!"

"Daddy- you're not cool!" little Lily moaned.

A smile spread across my face, and looking at Lily, I saw the most adorable little girl ever. But she was only two years younger, and it felt rude to call her a little girl. She was as beautiful as Rose, if you thought about it.

"Yeah, here- let me give you guys the grand tour." I skipped to the front, and in response, Albus and Rose rushed forward, and linked arms with me on either side of me; and Mr. Potter looked at us in a form of looking to the past- he probably saw us as we saw us- the new trio. But the thing that really got him- was it was Weasley, Potter, and Malfoy…as Granger was no more. That name had conjoined with Weasley.

Room after room I introduced, and the longer the tour wound on, the more amazed everyone got at how large the place was.

Finally, we explored the drawing room- which is where we had all the gifts and party decorations.

We all entered the room, and separated, looking at the different things.

Rose was examining the portraits of my relatives, Albus and James the architecture, and the younger two- the colors and stuff.

Mr. Potter stopped in the doorway, and took in the sight.

"I haven't been in this room since…" he trailed off, and his eyes welled up with tears, but he blinked them away furiously. Lily and I noticed, and she stopped touching the furniture textures and trailed over to her father and took his hand, giving a soft, innocent smile.

He returned it, and I turned away, in time for he to lift her up and giving he a piggy-back around the room.

My dad had been so busy this summer, he couldn't help it, but he and Mum took too many vacation days according to them, not to anyone else. I suddenly remembered how Dad had done that when school let out, at King's Cross. I missed my dad, even more then my mum at that moment.

Rose noticed my own sadness along with Hugo, and the siblings went over and Hugo took my hand, and I looked down at the little redhead, and then Rose, on my other side, intertwined her hand with mine, and rest her head on my shoulder, as we looked on the scene.

I saw my friends enough, never my parents anymore- as much as they wanted to leave work- they just….they needed to work.

But towards the last week before summer ended, Dad said one late night he'd take me to Diagon Alley the next day for my books, and I didn't sleep that night, because I was too excited.

I got up at around 8 in the morning, and rushed to my parents' room to find the bed empty, and being made by our house elf.

"Master Malfoy- how can I assist you?" he bowed deeply.

"Have you seen my parents?" I asked.

"They left for work about two hours ago sir…they said for you to take the Floo Network to Diagon Alley…" he trailed off, as I had already stormed from the room, tears clouding my eyes with anger.

I should've known it was too good to be true. All summer had been great, but I looked forward to heading back all of a sudden. Once in Diagon Alley, I met up with the Potters and Weasley's, and we shopped all day.

Later, Mrs. Weasley stopped me, and told the others to go on ahead to the ice cream parlor. They skipped along, looking back at me as they went.

She knelt down to my height, and I looked away, knowing exactly what the words were that were about to come out of her mouth.

"You don't have apologize. It's not your fault. It's theirs." I muttered, averting her steady, knowing, piercing gaze.

"I wasn't about to say that. I just want you to know- you don't have to be so formal and uptight- we're you're family too. Your parents- your mother is like our sister, and our children all love you. Your parents wish they could have spent more time with you this past-"

"Yeah right." I murmured.

"Scorpius, look at me." I didn't. "Scorpius H. C. Malfoy." She turned my chin to face her, and I looked at now, her eyes were exactly like Rose's. I was talking to the mother of the girl I cared so immensely for.

"They've been doing important work for the Ministry…" she stopped for a moment, obviously not allowed to divulge more. "But they love you very much." She stopped, and smiled ever so softly. "You look precisely like your father. Same hair, facial features…eyes…figure…exactly the same."

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?" I tried to joke.

She was about to answer when Rose and Hugo's voices rang out. "Mummmmmmmm! Dad says you have the money!"

"Alright, we're coming!" she called back, and stood up. "Let's go, Scorpius." She held out her hand, and we walked through the street, as I realized she and my mum were so very much alike.