Scorpius landed on his feet back in the infirmary, but only was able to keep his balance with Harry's arm around his waist.

"Easy now. Easy," Harry said as Scorpius practically toppled over. Dizziness seemed to flood over Scorpius, the weakness in his limbs weighing him down as if they were loaded with lead, his vision fading into mere mists and swirls. They made their way to Scorpius's bed, and Scorpius felt a great rush of relief as Harry uncorked another vial of currant-scented booster, tilted Scorpius's head back and poured the potion down his throat.

Scorpius gulped at the potion eagerly, sick to his stomach but desperate for something to distract him as Harry sat down on the opposite bed and watched.

The room stopped its spinning, and Scorpius placed his hands on either sides of his hips and bent forward, staring at the ground and trying to calm his quaking heart. A variety of emotions flooded over him, and he wasn't sure which one he ought to be feeling. He was angry- angry for his father to betray him, even before he was born. Angry at Harry for showing him these memories. Angry at Voldemort for torturing his father. Anger for Hagrid, whom his father had so brutally tormented.

Then again, he was sad. Overwhelmingly sad and drenched in self-pity. His mother was dead, and that left him alone in the world.

Shame. He let his father down. He let Rosie down. Why hadn't he fought? Why hadn't he seen what was happening? Why hadn't he left? Why hadn't he killed Viedemal when he had the chance? Why did he have to be born into this? Why his father couldn't even save himself? Why couldn't he be happy? Why couldn't he be normal? Why did he have to see those memories? It was so much easier to hate his father without knowing the explanations.

It was all so very confusing.

"I know this must be very hard for you, Scorpius," Harry said quietly.

Scorpius's head shot up, focused anger pulsing out of him in waves. "Hard for me? What do you know about it?" he spat. "Why did you have to show me those memories? WHY? I was better off not seeing it!" Scorpius yelled, his voice cracking. "My father was a sick, twisted, cowardly bastard who sold me to bloody Voldemort! He did not care one sickle for me and that's the best you can come up with? 'I know this must be hard for you'? How big of you! How original!" Scorpius said sarcastically. "You know what? While we're at it, why don't you tell me a lovely bedtime story about conquering evil, where the boy gets the girl and they live happily ever after!"

"Scorpius-"

"No, you listen! You didn't have to show me those memories! You don't know what it's like to have everyone abandon you and tell you that you're wrong or weak or sick because you don't live up to your name! You don't have to pretend and keep quiet when all you want to do is scream and you still get kicked down for it! And you know what? Fuck you! If you think that those memories make up for anything my father ever did, then you're wrong! He was still a bloody fucking coward who'd rather kill off his own family then sacrifice himself! Don't let his act fool you. He. Did. Not. Care!"

"That's a lie, Scorpius, and you know it," Harry said evenly. "Think back. Your grandfather's trial. Your mother. Your father's study."

Scorpius took off from his bed, towering over Harry. "OK!" Scorpius said, pointing a mad finger at Harry. "Let's think about it! The lawyer said that you testified against my grandfather, causing my dad to spend the family fortune to get him out of jail! And you- YOU were a provision in Voldemort's vow! YOU kept dad from killing himself so we wasted all that time and energy for something that would have happened already and Rosie wouldn't be sick if it wasn't for you!"

Harry's face took on a look of immense hurt, and Scorpius couldn't stand to look at it any longer. He gripped onto his hair in a desperate attempt to arrange his thoughts and sat down heavily on the bed, feeling the hot splash of tears drip from his eyes.

It was unfair- so horribly unfair for this to happen- but worse to blame Harry for it. Scorpius just wanted to close his eyes and wake up with the world as it should be, even if it meant having a bastard of a father. Even if it meant seeing Rosie only in secret.

Harry, to his credit, seemed to understand. Scorpius did not realize that his eyes were closed until he felt Harry's hand on his knee as he knelt before Scorpius. Scorpius let go of his own hair and looked directly down into Harry's eyes.

"I'm not here to excuse my actions and you have every right to be angry with me." Harry said simply. He removed his glasses with one hand, keeping them out of harm's way. "If you want to hit me or hex me, then I won't stop you."

Harry kept his eye contact with Scorpius evenly. Determinedly. Scorpius was shocked by the trust that Harry suddenly put in him. A relative stranger- the rival of his father and one of the most powerful wizards in modern-day England offered to let Scorpius have an uncontested go at him. But Scorpius surprised himself even more by drawing back his fist.

Keeping his arm poised, Scorpius watched as Harry made no move to restrain Scorpius or protect himself. The urge was strong to pound Harry down, rip him to shreds or at the very least break his nose like his father did so many years before. To hurt Harry Potter wouldn't be enough though. He felt so angry that he wanted to rip the castle apart by hand- to bring it and everyone in it crashing down. He clenched his fist tight, so tight that his knuckles turned white, his hand shaking violently as he tried to built his resolve into action.

With a thud, Scorpius's hand dropped onto the mattress.

Harry let out a sigh of relief. "Come," he said, putting on his glasses. "I think it's time that we had some tea and maybe something to eat." He stood, helping Scorpius to his feet. To his surprise, the boy didn't protest, just let himself be dragged to the corner with a small table big enough for a game of cards or tea for two.

Harry prepared their tea, letting Scorpius sit in silence as he piled the biscuits on two plates. The boy had not truly eaten since he arrived at the greenhouses more than a day before, and he looked too pale and drawn not to be hungry. However, Harry noticed that Scorpius had no interest in eating as they settled and sipped their tea.

And then, something happened that no one had seen in a very long time. And to tell the truth, it would have shocked many people indeed. Harry began to speak openly and freely about his time at Hogwarts.

He told Scorpius about the sorting hat, the philosopher's stone. The Basilisk. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. The talked about the Triwizard Tournament, his failed attempts at romance with Cho. He talked about the D.A. He talked about Dumbledore and Snape and what it was like to live on the run. To his own surprise, Harry even began talking about the Dursleys- a group of people that he had seemed to been determined to completely forget.

As he talked, Scorpius felt himself drawing out, enraptured by Harry's stories. The man's adventures certainly lived up to his reputations. He even felt like laughing when Harry's told him about the horrendous nature of Ron Weasley's desk robes and the Weasley Twins pranks. He felt himself leaning in when Harry recalled his Quidditch matches and battling the dragon.

Then Harry talked about life after school. About the aftermath of the war. Lucius's trial, Ginny's career as a Holyhead Harpie and Harry's training as an Auror. He talked about getting married, and how he nervous he had been. Scorpius almost spit out his gulp of tea when Harry recounted how George Weasley had caught him practicing his vows to a coat rack and bewitched it to answer back.

Harry talked about becoming a father, raising children. It became evident to Scorpius how much Harry loved his family, though, from the sound of it, it did not seem that Harry shared this information often with his children. Scorpius thought back on his shaking friendship with Albus before Viedemal came and destroyed his life. It always seemed that Albus was under the impression that his father didn't really care, or would even have preferred if Albus just not speak to him at all.

"Have you ever told your kids any of this?" Scorpius said, completely forgetting his own worries for a brief moment. "I've known Al since our 1st year and he's never mentioned any of this before."

"Well," Harry said, looking a little ashamed. "Honestly, I don't tell my kids a lot of this. Which is something that's going to change."

"Promise?" Scorpius said.

"Promise," Harry replied.

It wasn't long before the sun began to rise. Harry placed another vial of booster on the table, but Scorpius took his time on taking it. Now that he was in a pleasant conversation rather than bursting out in fits and exploring memories, he found that the effects of the booster lasted longer. One day, as Harry assured him, he would be able to regain his powers and live normally.

But 'normal' had not been a part of Scorpius's life for a long, long time. He doubted that 'normal' would ever be part of the plan.

Scorpius let Harry's words flow over him, just barely catching Harry's offer for Scorpius to stay with the Potters (which he accepted) and Harry asking about the location of Draco's will so they could get permission to put Scorpius under treatment at St. Mungo's (Kreul will know, but good luck getting him to give it to you).

"What about Rosie?" Scorpius said, glancing at her forgotten bed.

Harry let out a deep sigh then shared all he could about what he knew, sharing details and theories about Viedemal's horcrux and Scorpius's protection over her. He explained how Scorpius's willing sacrifice saved her life, but left her scarred. "Alive, but cursed," as Harry put it quietly.

They sat in silence for a long moment, Harry watching Scorpius as he got up and walked to Rosie's bed. From his stance, Harry could tell that the last booster was beginning to wear off, but Scorpius made no move to retrieve the vial.

Instead, he just stood there, looking forlornly at the blankets, eyeing a red hair that had been left behind, the scent of jasmine gently wafting under his nose. He closed his eyes and breathed it in. No matter what he had been through, that scent had lingered and he didn't realize how long he had gone without it until he took it now. The brown eyes, the gentle touch. All that which was Rosie seemed to take him over, making him feel light-headed and wonderful. This magic was stronger than any he had felt before- as cheesy and as common as it sounded, it was true.

But then opened his eyes and remembered reality. Rosie had almost died. He had almost died. Rosie was stuck in St. Mungo's, cursed and blessed all at once. Who knew if she'd ever be the same again. And Viedemal, according to Harry, was still at large and would be on the hunt for him, and then Rosie once she learned that she had survived.

Scorpius felt Harry's arm around his shoulder, not even registering that he had gotten up from their tea until now. "What are you thinking, Scorpius?" Harry said quietly, as if not sure whether the question would be welcomed or not.

Barely above a whisper- so that Harry had to strain to hear him, Scorpius replied.

"I love her," he said as the jasmine, once again, invaded his senses. "I still love her."

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AN: stay tuned for the epilogue!