Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.
Feeling The Bond
The two awoke to the sound of Phoenix yelling at the top of his little lungs, both turning on their bedside lights before throwing aside their covers, sliding out of their beds to hurry over to the crib where Phoenix was holding onto the railings, jumping up and down like a rabid bunny rabbit.
Reaching him first Scorpius lifted the baby from the crib, struggling to hold onto him since Phoenix immediately squirmed in his grasp, leaning forward like he wanted to embrace something in the direction of the bedroom door.
"What's gotten into him? Is he hurt?" Albus asked as he frantically looked the baby over as best he could. Phoenix wasn't crying, but the baby was obviously upset about something.
Looking up Phoenix gave his dark parent a pleading look, gesturing with all his might towards the door.
Brows furrowing Albus turned to take a look at the contents of the crib. "All the toys he has to have are in there. Do you suppose he wants his bear hat? It's not downstairs but he might not know that."
Shaking his head Scorpius sensed that that wasn't it. It was something more than that. Going on instinct the Slytherin walked towards the door, noting that that cut off the yelling right away, though not the urgency. "He wants to go somewhere. I say we let him direct."
Nodding his head in agreement Albus hurried over to his nightstand to retrieve his wand. They'd need it for light in case they were headed downstairs. Jogging back over to the door the Gryffindor opened it and motioned for Scorpius to go through and then closed the door behind them, the hallway dimly illuminated on either side of them. He was at a loss as to what Phoenix was so upset about. Did he think that Lily was still here perhaps? Their son was awfully fond of his aunt.
The baby wanted to go down the stairs so they went down the stairs, pausing when they reached the second level. Turning his head in the direction Phoenix was now pointing Scorpius's eyes widened slightly as a thought occurred to him.
"Could it…could it be Kreacher?"
The two shared a look and then took off running, their bare feet slapping against the hardwood floors.
Pulling ahead Albus reached the door first and yanked it open, hurrying through as he turned this way and that so that he could avoid the items piled up everywhere. They always kept a light burning low by the elf's bedside and with that dim light Albus could see that the figure lying on the small bed was still breathing, but in short, jerky gasps that seemed to shake the house elf's frail form.
Coming up behind the Gryffindor with Phoenix cradled against his chest Scorpius took one look at the elf and knew why their son had yelled. "Could we take him to St. Mungos? Do they accept non human patients?"
"There's no point." Albus said softly as he crouched down, gently taking one of the elf's limp hands between both of his. "Tori came to look him over a couple times but he wouldn't let her touch him. She thinks it's his heart. That and…a lack of reason to go on."
Not knowing what else to do, and going on instinct, Scorpius walked around to the other side of the bed, crouched down too, and leaning forward gently placed Phoenix beside the house elf on his side.
Immediately the baby leaned in close, placing an arm over the elf's concaved chest, looking up at the creature with such a poignantly sad and knowing expression.
While the two teenagers watched the elf's eyes fluttered open a little, the head weakly trying to turn to look in Phoenix's direction. Seeing this Albus gently reached out and carefully moved the elf's head for him so that the elf could see the baby lying beside him.
Though the eyes that gazed in Phoenix's direction were filmed over and unfocused, Kreacher's breathing slowed and there was a softening about the elf's features that suggested he knew on some level that Phoenix was there with him.
Staring up at the creature who lived with them Phoenix's eyes glimmered with unshed tears. The colors were almost gone now, the lights so dim inside the one his parents called Kreacher that he could barely see them. He didn't know what the lack of color meant, only that it was somehow wrong. Things that were like him, his parents, the funny one and the one who was like Kreacher but wasn't Kreacher…they had light and color and that was good. That the creature beside him had little color was bad.
Neither man could say how much time had passed before the elf's chest finally went still and stayed that way.
Reaching out Scorpius gently closed the house elf's eyes and then picked up the silently crying infant to cuddle the baby against his chest.
)
Scorpius had never been to a funeral for a house elf before. Apparently it wasn't the first ever, since Albus's father and friends had held a funeral for the house elf who'd served his family for a time. But it was definitely a rare thing. He wore his best suit because it was a funeral, and he wasn't the only one as he gathered with the others in the backyard of the Black family home. It was twilight, they hadn't wanted to wait longer than a day since storing the elf's body would have been a bit of a problem. And those who'd most wanted to come hadn't been able to make it till now.
Standing around the hole Albus had dug earlier was the entire Potter family, Ron and Hermione Weasley and their children, Andromeda Tonks, Teddy and Victoire Lupin with their daughter, and Tomo, who was wearing a black dress that Lily had worn as a child and had loaned the elf for the occasion. Scorpius stood at Albus's side with Phoenix, the baby having aged three months or so since the house elf's passing.
The head of the Potter family had purchased a box to put the elf in, wrapping the creature up in a quilt once made for Kreacher by Hermione, Teddy, Rosie and Andromeda brought flowers from their gardens to lay upon Kreacher's grave. For his part, and at Albus's suggestion, Scorpius had carved a large rock into a gravestone marker for the elf's final resting place. His handwriting was neater than Albus's.
They had buried the elf with a number of Black family heirlooms, things Scorpius was pretty sure would have fetched the Potters a lot of galleons. But apparently they'd been precious to the elf and that was what mattered.
He liked being adopted by a family that would do that for a house elf.
With the help of his parents Phoenix was allowed to put flowers on the grave first, his parents had helped him pick them from the backyard. They were very pretty and bright and his dark parent said they were like the stuff on his head. He didn't understand why they were being put in the dirt, but it was obviously important so he did.
Setting the flowers she'd brought on top of the grave after the baby Hermione briefly touched her fingers to the headstone before straightening. "He's with his Master Regulus now."
"He must have been holding out for the boys." Ginny murmured softly, one arm wrapped around her husband's waist, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Holding on until it was time for them to go back to Hogwarts."
Looking over at the boys Harry's lips curved ever so slightly. "But he got to end his life serving a master he truly wished to serve to the best of his ability. That's what he would have wanted, one last chance to honorably serve someone with Black blood in his veins. He died happy, I'm sure of it."
Staring down at the grave Andromeda had to agree with her grandson's godfather. This was indeed a good end for the last of the Black family servants. A very unusual end for an elf of course, but then she'd imagine that if Hermione Weasley had her way there would be a notice in tomorrow's Daily Prophet notifying the world of Kreacher's passing. Not that she thought that was wrong exactly, Andromeda mused silently, just a very…new idea for someone as old as herself.
"Do you think house elves end up as servants for their deceased masters in heaven?" Teddy asked no one in particular as he moved to stand beside his grandmother. "I mean they're so happy to serve so that would be their idea of heaven, but can it really be heaven if you're a servant?"
Hugo shook his head from where he stood comforting his mother, who was one of the few people there who was genuinely sad about the elf's passing and wasn't just there because it was the honorable thing to do. "That's one of those questions that can never really be answered, Teddy. It's right up there with why bad things happen to good people and why women insist on traveling in packs to the loo."
Rosie looked over at her little brother in amusement. "There's so much you boys don't get, isn't there?"
"Don't you two start one of your who's smarter arguments." Ron warned the pair. "You know your mother will join in and own the both of you anyway. Now's not the time either." He wasn't the most sensitive of guys, the Gryffindor thought ruefully, but even he knew that now wasn't the time or place.
Hermione's lips twitched in amusement before answering Teddy's question. "I think heaven must vary from person to person, each living within their dreams or memories. So right now Kreacher is somewhere doing what he wants to do and at the end of the day that's what matters."
Considering her words, she was rumored to be the smartest living witch of their time, Scorpius smiled a little. He was glad the sad, pain filled elf was somewhere happy now, not left behind in the house to die alone while they were away at school. He hadn't known the creature well at all, and couldn't truly mourn the elf's death, but knowing how his kind had treated house elves in the past, Scorpius figured that whatever the creature had done in its life, it had earned the right to pass from this world and into a happier one.
)
Going in search of Albus after their guests had left for the night Scorpius raised an eyebrow when he found the man lying on his bed in their room, looking up at the ceiling blankly. Since Tomo was looking after Phoenix downstairs the Slytherin walked over to sit on the bed, looking over at the Gryffindor questioningly. "Something wrong? You were even quieter than me today."
Turning his head Albus looked over at the other man for several heart beats and then spoke. "Do you think that if something happened to both of us, Phoenix would die too?"
Since someone had just died Scorpius supposed it wasn't surprising that the man was thinking such morbid thoughts. "The odds of us both passing away any time soon are slim to none, you know that. We're both only seventeen, and in excellent health. But yes, I'd imagine, if he was still a baby, and we died, he'd pass away as well. But soon enough he'll be old enough to survive without us, at least energy wise."
"And even if he did survive…who would look after him for us? Our parents would fight over him like crazy, and that wouldn't be good for anyone."
Scorpius had to think hard about that one for a minute or two. "He could go to Teddy's. You know he and Victoire would take him. And he's related to us on both sides, so our parents would have to accept that he was the best choice for the job. His blood connection to us would factor in too, maybe. And above and beyond that, they'd love and take and care of him, raise him right."
The Gryffindor considered this and then nodded his head slightly. "Yeah. That would work."
Going on instinct Scorpius reached out and gently smoothed the other man's rumpled hair down. "You're going to lose all your hair from stress if you play the what if game. And I think Phoenix would appreciate it if only one of his fathers goes bald." Ruefully the Slytherin lifted another hand to touch his own forehead, knowing that someday eventually he'd probably have to shave all his hair off or suffer a terribly receding hairline. His hair wasn't as bad as his father's had been at his age, but it wasn't as thick and full as Albus's by any means either.
Chuckling low in his throat Albus's lips curved into a small smile as he reached out to return the gesture, stroking the man's fine, blonde hair down. "Maybe you'll end up taking after your mother's side of the family. And if not…you won't look that bad with no hair."
"Says the man who will probably have a full head of hair until the day he dies."
A curious look came into the man's green eyes. "Do you think Phoenix will have the same hair problems as your side of the family?"
Scorpius shrugged, knowing that they wouldn't know that for a while yet, hopefully. "Even if he does he's got the high cuteness factor that I lack." He pointed out. "He'll be able to pull off any look."
"Ah, ah, you've got your cuteness factor too. You just don't realize it." Waving a teasing finger Albus sat up and shifted over so that they were face to face. "I would never marry a not cute wife. Cuteness is definitely one of my requirements."
Cheeks heating up from the other man's words and closeness Scorpius's eyes shyly closed to half mast. "Well I guess as your faithful, biddable wife I have to agree, huh?"
"Faithful is good, faithful is another necessary trait in a wife. Biddable not so much." Grinning, the Gryffindor leaned forward and placed a kiss on the surprised Slytherin's forehead. "Thanks for cheering me up though, Wife."
Going from pink to red Scorpius's cheeks flamed with color, his eyes huge as his face changed into the most dumbfounded expression the Slytherin had ever worn in his seventeen years of life.
Feeling a little dumbfounded himself, both because of what he'd done and the Slytherin's reaction to it, Albus was more than slightly shocked to find himself blushing just a little too.
And it was the fact that the Gryffindor was blushing too that had Scorpius calming down enough for him to pull himself together. "Want…want to go down and play with Phoenix? That would…that would probably make you feel a lot better."
"Yeah." Albus waited until the other man got off the bed and then shifted over and got to his feet as well, walking towards their bedroom door together. In tandem they headed out of the room and down the hallway in thoughtful silence until they reached the stairs. Heading down Albus waited until they were almost to the second level before speaking his thoughts. "You blush around me a lot, don't you?"
Smart enough not to look at the man and give the Gryffindor more ammunition to mull over Scorpius just nodded in agreement while looking carefully in front of them.
"I like that about you." The Gryffindor said softly. "I like you."
Surprise had Scorpius looking over with pink cheeks and an equally soft expression. "I…I like you too."
"Good." And slinging an arm over the Slytherin's shoulder the two walked the rest of the way downstairs like that.
)
As previously planned the two boys and Phoenix headed to Hogwarts the day before everyone else arrived to get settled. The set of rooms they were directed to had two bedrooms, bathroom, parlor, study, and small kitchen unit. Since it was pointless for them to each take a bedroom and alternate who had Phoenix in their room the boys had decided to share one of the rooms and reserve the other for Phoenix's stuff. Plus the boy would probably be big enough for his own room before first term came to a close. They'd gotten used to sharing a room over the past month, or at least that was what they told everyone who commented on their decision. But they'd gotten rid of the king sized bed and managed to replace it with twins without too much trouble.
After getting settled in the two poured over their schedules and their requested copies of Albus's relatives' schedules as well. They'd have to wait to see their friends'.
"But from the looks of it we should be able to pull this off without you having to drop any of your classes." Albus said as he consulted the 'Phoenix watching schedule' they were putting together. "And our short outing before has proven Phoenix can handle being away from us for a couple hours."
"He doesn't like it though." Scorpius pointed out, looking over at the baby currently lying on the parlor floor on his blanket, gnawing on one of his plastic building blocks while his grandmothers watched him fondly.
"He likes when I watch him." Lily pointed out smugly as she leaned over his brother's shoulder to get a look at the schedule they were working out.
"And you can't let your studies suffer because you're playing babysitter all the time." Harry sternly informed his daughter and the boys, just in case they needed the reminder. "He'll have to get used to not having you guys around all the time. And if he can't then you guys are going to have to take a year off until he is old enough to handle it."
Draco smirked in Harry's direction. "Maybe your kids can't handle the added pressure, but I assure you Scorpius can."
"Are we really going to play the who's kid is better game, Malfoy?"
"Why would there be a need to? One only has to look at their school records to know which son is better."
Sharing exasperated looks Albus and Scorpius just shook their heads and went back to their timetables while their fathers argued.
It was what made the two happy after all.