Revelations

Dear Grandma,

I'm so sorry for not writing before now. Everything's been so mixed up and confusing over the last while that I just didn't get a chance. I'm sure Dad told you that Rose and I got together, and that he wasn't exactly pleased about it. I suppose he's probably still furious with me, but at this particular moment in time I don't really care. Well, I do a little, but not enough to let it ruin the fun I'm having here.

Oh, I suppose you don't know where "here" is. I'm staying with Al's family. They've been really great, taking me in at such short notice and agreeing to let me stay as long as I need to. Al's dad started telling me some story about how his godfather had run away from home once, but then James blew something up and he had to go and sort it out, so I never heard the rest of the story. Mr Potter's godfather was Sirius Black, wasn't he? It would probably be an interesting story to hear. Mr Potter tells a lot of interesting stories.

I think I can hear Rose screaming something about James having handcuffed her to a chair. I should really go and rescue her.

Love, Scorpius

P.S. I almost forgot to mention, we're going to the Burrow in a few days! I can't wait!

P.P.S. In case you were worried, I managed to get the handcuffs off Rose, but then they started trying to bite my fingers off, so Mrs Potter had to pin them to the floor and yell at James to come and fix them, which he did eventually. I've still got all ten fingers, but it was a close thing.


Scorpius,

Yes, your dad did tell me, and I'm absolutely thrilled. I knew it would happen eventually, of course, and I'm very glad it finally has. It's good to know Rose has come to her senses at last.

I've been very concerned about you, however, and it's a great relief to know that you're safe and being taken care of. I assume you are going to ask me not to tell your dad where you are, and I suppose I can understand that, so I won't, not now that I know you're okay. However, if he asks then I will tell him you're in good hands.

You are right; your dad is still quite angry, and is being highly stubborn and pig-headed. Don't be too hard on him, though. I'm not going to try and make excuses for him, but I am going to remind you of something I don't think I reminded him of enough when he was your age. Your dad loves you, and he always will. Fathers often find it harder to show that than mothers. When your dad was sixteen (like you are now) Grandad put a lot of pressure on him to do some things he didn't want to do, and unlike you he wasn't able to stand up for himself, because he didn't have friends to support him the way you do. Grandad was very hard on him sometimes, but that didn't mean he didn't love him, and it doesn't mean your dad doesn't love you. On the contrary, it's a sign of how deeply he cares about you that he is so angry with you, ridiculous though that may sound. Just don't give up on him, Scorpius. He'll come round eventually.

On a lighter note, I look forward to hearing about what you get up to at the Burrow. I know you've always wanted to go there, and I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun. Don't forget to write and tell me all about it.

Lots of Love,

Grandma


Dear Grandma,

I know Dad loves me. I never doubted that. That's hardly the point though, is it?

Anyway, I'm at the Burrow! It's hard to believe I'm finally here. Every single year, Al and Rose have come back from their holidays telling stories about all the things that happened at the Burrow, and every year I've wished I could have been there with them. And now I am!

From all of Al and Rose's stories, I'd sort of built up an idea in my head of what it would be like. In many ways I was right, but at the same time there's so much more than I ever imagined. Al and Rose always talked a lot about James and Fred and Roxanne and their Uncle George, and all the pranks and jokes that took place. They made it sound like complete chaos all the time, which it is. But the one person they never mentioned was Molly Weasley. She makes the Burrow what it is. Without her it would just be chaos. With her it's … more than that.

I think Molly Weasley is probably one of the loveliest people I've ever met. She told me to call her Molly, and treats me just like one of her own grandchildren, fussing over me and making me eat third and fourth helpings at every meal. She tells me I'm far too skinny and need to eat more, but I've been told she says that to everyone and not to worry about it. It's nice to know that she treats me like everyone else. It's as though my name and my family mean nothing here. She turns the Burrow into the most warm, welcoming, cheerful place, where everyone is important and special and nobody is judged.

You'd like Molly, Grandma. I know the two of you weren't exactly friends before, because Arthur and Grandad didn't like each other, but it's a shame. I can see why Grandad didn't like Arthur – his obsession with muggles is very funny and kind of sweet, but Grandad wouldn't have seen it like that – but you and Molly are quite similar really.

She's very scary when she's angry, though. A couple of days ago, while we were degnoming the garden, James and Fred kidnapped a bunch of the gnomes and shut them all in Uncle Percy's wardrobe. (I know he's not really my uncle, but I've got used to calling him that because everyone does.) The gnomes completely wrecked Uncle Percy's robes and stuff, and then when he opened the wardrobe door they went a bit mental (because they'd been shut up for so long) and started running around, scattering all his important papers everywhere and ruining some report on Ministry safety regulations. He went mad, which was pretty funny. Anyway, Molly yelled for ages. I don't think I've ever seen James so scared.

Rose and Al's Uncle Charlie is coming to stay tomorrow, and we're having a big party, because he's been away for the last three years apparently. I can't wait to meet him, and I'm really looking forward to the party. James, Fred and Uncle George have been put in charge of the fireworks – probably to keep them out of trouble – so those should be pretty impressive, and the whole extended Weasley family is coming over.

Everyone's been really nice to me, which was a bit of a surprise. Rose made it sound as though her family might be a bit prejudiced because of Dad, but they're not really. Rose's dad is great. We're going to a Chudley Cannons match next week, which should be great, though Rose has refused to come, so it's just going to be me and Al and Mr Weasley and possibly Mr Potter.

Wow, what a stupidly long letter, and I've not even described half of what life at the Burrow is like. I guess that will have to wait until I see you. I can probably still see you this holiday, can't I? Even though … well … you know.

Write back soon!

Scorpius


Draco,

I received a letter from Narcissa today, informing me of the fight between you and Scorpius. I can't believe you would let our son walk out of the house. What were you thinking?! He's a sixteen-year-old boy! More importantly, he's our son! Nothing he ever does could be bad enough that you throw him out completely. I don't care if he's dating a bloody house elf; he's our son and we will support him no matter what.

I sincerely hope you intend to make some effort to find Scorpius as soon as possible. For all we know he could be living on the streets! I'm coming back from France early, and we're going to find him immediately.

Draco, darling, I know it sounds like I'm furious with you right now – which I suppose I am – but I know why you behaved the way you did. I just wish you hadn't. I thought you'd moved on from all that awful stuff in the past. Don't let your father ruin your relationship with Scorpius. He doesn't control you anymore.

Love, Astoria


Draco Malfoy,

My wife and I have debated whether I should write this letter or not, but have come to the conclusion that we have to. Your son, Scorpius, is staying with us. He arrived on our doorstep in a terrible state a little while ago, and to begin with we respected his wishes just to stay for a while without his whereabouts being known by you. However, we feel that as his father you have the right to know that your son is safe and well.

Having finally coaxed the entire story out of him, however, the knowledge of his whereabouts is all we believe you have the right to. Should you attempt to come to the house and bring him back by force, or threaten him in any way, I will get the Ministry involved. I would also like to point out that Ginny has grown very fond of Scorpius and would not take kindly to any attempt to hurt him, and that she is as handy with a Bat-Bogey Hex as ever. In addition, we are now staying at the Burrow, along with around twenty or thirty people who would be happy for any excuse to hex you.

Yours,

Harry Potter


Mother,

I'm an idiot. I truly am. I honestly can't believe what I've done.

I received a letter from Astoria this morning. Of course, she was absolutely furious with me – and rightly so – and for the first time I began to question what I'd done. I went up into Scorpius' bedroom. I haven't been in there since he was about nine – and certainly not since he started Hogwarts – but I knew he'd redecorated since then. I think perhaps I was hoping he'd have decorated in Hufflepuff colours and would have Muggle Studies textbooks all over the floor, so I could go back to feeling angry and believing he'd let me down. It was easier than feeling guilty, and thinking maybe I'd been wrong.

Whatever I was expecting his room to look like, it wasn't what I saw. He had decorated in Hufflepuff colours, but not only in Hufflepuff colours. One wall was painted yellow and black, one red and gold, one blue and bronze and one green and silver. Not that you could see the colours very well, because he'd stuck photographs all over the walls. Most of them were Hogwarts friends I think. The entire Weasley family were present on the Gryffindor wall – except for one or two who made it to different houses – as well as that Potter boy he's friends with. Al I think his name is. Then there were all his Hufflepuff friends on the Hufflepuff wall. But that wasn't all. He had a whole range of friends from Ravenclaw, and even from Slytherin. I think I recognised some of them as children of my former classmates. It was truly incredible to see how many friends he had from all four houses. Do all the houses mix more now, I wonder, or is Scorpius just unusual? It was certainly never like that when I was at Hogwarts.

You were on the Slytherin wall, too, and Astoria. And I was right in the middle. I suppose I'd always thought he was a little ashamed of having a Slytherin father, but it was as though he was proud to have parents from Slytherin.

I feel awful. I suppose I'd always thought of Rose as luring him away from his family and his Slytherin background, or as though it were some sort of battle between me and all his school friends. I felt like they were taking him away from me, but looking around his room it's completely the opposite. We all fit together and we're all important to him, and I wish I'd known that before I tried to make him choose.

He really is in love with her, isn't he?

You were right, of course, about me being jealous of him. Why should he have such a wonderful life as a sixteen-year-old, when I was so miserable and scared that year? The answer, I suppose, is that he has earned his happiness, whereas I hadn't. And he's just lucky, like all the children of his generation. It's no reason for me to punish him, however.

Astoria's wasn't the only letter I received today. Harry Potter's arrived just as I was coming out of Scorpius' room, informing me that Scorpius is staying with him. I don't think I realised quite how worried I actually was about Scorpius until I discovered he was safe and breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

What should I do? What can I do? Should I write to Scorpius? What would I say? What could I possibly say to undo the things I said?

I really am an idiot. Perhaps he would be better off without me in his life.

Draco


Draco,

Yes, Scorpius is a little unusual. And the houses do mix more than they used to, but mainly thanks to Scorpius' influence.

As for what you should do, I'm not going to try and make excuses for the things you said. They were inexcusable, and I'm very disappointed, but no one is better off without their father as a part of their life. If you love him enough, you will give up on that stupid pride us Slytherins are inclined towards, and you will apologise to him. You will take back every single thing you said, and then it will be up to him to decide whether he is willing to forgive you or not. Perhaps he will not be, and he would have every right to feel like that, but I don't think that will be the case. Scorpius is a very forgiving person, a trait that we Slytherins constantly underestimate but that gives Hufflepuffs a power we could never begin to comprehend. Now, stop writing to me, and write to your son.

Mother