Harry needed a drink. No, not a drink. What he needed was a friend to pep talk him out of the sordid gutter of shame in which he currently dwelled. There was only one place to go.

The sound of a fart came from above him as he entered Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes minutes before the shop's closing time. Fred had installed a Fart-O-Matic instead of a bell to alert him and George to a new customer's arrival. It was one of the last things he'd done before the war, and George still hadn't changed it some thirty-four years later.

Fart-O-Matics had gone out of production in 2004, so the sound felt almost vintage these days. Apparently, vintage was in style though, at least it was according to Harry's adult kids. Harry had no clue about style, and honestly, he didn't mind that fact.

"Welcome to Weasleys' Wizard—oh, hiya, Harry!" Ron called as he emerged from the back room where the office was located. "You look like you had a rough day."

"Yeah, well, blame your wife," Harry mumbled.

Ron groaned. "Is this just about you, mate, or do I need to be worried about Hermione's state when I get home?"

"Oh, thanks for the sympathy." Harry rolled his eyes. "But, no, it's just me who's affected. Hermione's perfectly fine. In fact, she seemed a bit chipper about the whole thing."

"What whole thing?" Ron asked as he came around the counter.

"I had a disciplinary hearing today about a case," Harry explained.

"Disciplinary! Blimey, Harry, what'd you do this time?"

"This time?!" Harry protested.

At Ron's raised eyebrows, Harry burst out laughing.

"Okay, fine, yes. It's not my first hearing. But this one was different. The worst I've ever had."

"What happened?"

"Well, it's rather embarrassing. But since Hermione's gonna tell you anyway and I need to vent, might as well do so to you."

"Oy, I won't judge you, mate!" Ron snickered.

"Right," Harry said. "Well, I messed up a case because of a potions-related mishap."

"A mishap?"

"I forgot that Bulbadox powder and porcupine quills cause an explosion and I blew up the evidence. So, now a murderer is going free because there's no proof against her," Harry said quickly.

"Oh, well that's just great. Is she someone I should be locking my doors over?"

"No, it was a crime of passion. But, still, I'm in the doghouse for sure."

"Well, I can't blame them for being livid with you, no offense. So, are you on suspension or something?"

"Not quite. I have to find someone to tutor me on remedial potions, so it doesn't happen again." Harry's face burnt as he said it.

"In your defense, Snape was shit as a professor."

"Thank you! That's what I said to Hermione, but she said that I was just lazy, and my biases had prevented me from learning second year potions where this distinction was taught. As if anyone can remember every bloody thing about potion ingredients!"

"Hermione can," Ron mumbled.

"Yeah, well, she's not a normal person, is she?"

"No, she's not." Ron grinned proudly.

Harry let out a sigh. "Anyway, now I need to find a potions master who's willing to tutor me. Which is just…embarrassing."

"It's not horrible, all things considered. Who will even know? Just us three and whoever you find to tutor you. Plus, you've kept your job and position, so really it's not a bad outcome at all."

"I appreciate the logic, but I just want to drink and whine tonight, if that's all right?"

"What are best mates for?" Ron smiled. "Let me lock up and then we'll grab a pint. I can only do one, though, if I'm to make it in time for supper. Can't be out too late, murderer on the loose and all…"

"Shove off," Harry said, and they both laughed.

Ron locked up and they headed down Diagon Alley to the Leaky Cauldron. They sat at their usual barstools and ordered a cask ale each.

"Sorry you've got to get a tutor, mate. But really, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Think of it as…what's the term? Professional development! That's it!" Ron said.

"I wish I shared your enthusiasm. Hermione wasn't very nice about it, to be honest," Harry said, remembering her exact words… Harry, you just didn't really try at potions, did you? Well, now you see why it matters. You ought to be glad it's up to me, otherwise, you'd be sacked for this. It's really quite unacceptable behavior from a Head Auror.

"Well, lucky she's Minister for Magic then. If she's unhappy but not sacked you, then you're fine," Ron reasoned. "Besides, you only have to get a tutor. It's not even a real punishment."

"No, you're right. And I'm grateful for that, I promise. Don't tell Hermione I'm not, please! But I'm just…" Harry looked away. It wasn't easy to explain to Ron. People didn't expect Ron to be perfect and brilliant at everything. Then again, Ron wasn't "the chosen one," and that was a whole other thing he knew better than to bring up, even now when they were both in their fifties.

"Nah, I get it. Sometimes George is shocked I don't know some basic combination of stuff when we're trying to develop a new product. I can't believe he's so smart! And it's not like he's learned as we've gone like I have! He just knows all this stuff about potions and alchemy and these totally random charms or jinxes that you'd only learn in a book because they have no rational use. It's wild how much he knows. So, I get it."

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Actually—and I know this is going to sound completely bonkers—but when Draco's kid was really into Rose their final years at Hogwarts, he used to pop around the shop all the time. I'm sure he hoped to see her or whatever, but he's really gifted with potions and I would ask him loads of stuff whenever he was around. I only invented the Invisible Parrot because of something he explained to me."

"Really? That's such a best seller!"

"I know! It's great. You know… maybe you could tutor with him? I bet he knows loads more now than he did then. He runs Draco's old shop now that…" Ron trailed off, leaving the fact that Draco had passed away two years ago unstated. "Well, anyway, he runs the apothecary. The shop owners, you know, we all look out for each other, so I see him around often enough. He's a good guy. Really done well with the shop."

The idea of seeing Draco's son about tutoring was even more mortifying than the fact Harry was required to find a tutor. But Ron recommended him, and it wasn't like Harry had too many other options locally. Plus, the Malfoys' apothecary was incredibly well respected. It seemed unlikely Scorpius would've kept the reputation so high if he didn't have a strong understanding of potions.

"Oh, wow, speak of the devil," Ron said, looking at the other end of the pub's bar.

Harry followed his gaze to find a young man with medium length, stark blond hair and a tall, slender physique leaning over to order. Immediately he knew it was Scorpius, despite never having met the kid. Though, nothing about his features suggested he was kid. No, he was very much an adult and Harry's stomach flip flopped in that stupid way it did when he found himself attracted to someone.

"That's Scorpius?" he managed to ask Ron in a calm, normal voice despite his insides freaking out.

"Yeah," Ron said and then held up a hand to wave him over. "I'll introduce you."

"No, really, it's fine. I can drop by his shop. It's fine."

"What's wrong?" Ron frowned, dropping his arm.

"Nothing. He's already coming over, so no matter. I just didn't want to bother him, is all," Harry said with a smile he hoped looked genuine enough. Truth was, he hadn't found anyone attractive since his divorce from Ginny four years ago, and now that he suddenly had—and to a bloke at that—he really didn't know how to handle it.

"I can just blow him off once he gets here," Ron offered.

"No, no, it's fine."

A moment later Scorpius arrived.

"Hi there, Mr. Weasley. Everything going well?" he said.

"Yes, everything's great. And you can call me Ron, because Mr. Weasley is what people call my dad, and you're not, you know, into my daughter anymore," Ron said with a laugh.

"Definitely not into Rose in that way, no." Scorpius laughed.

"This is my friend, Harry," Ron said.

"Yes, I have heard of Harry Potter." Scorpius smiled almost sheepishly and then held out a hand.

Harry shook it.

"Hi, good to meet you, Scorpius."

"You too," Scorpius said, keeping Harry's gaze even after they'd released each other's grip.

"Harry needs a potions tutor," Ron said.

"Oh, really?" Scorpius asked.

"It's not a huge deal, really. I just need a refresher on some things and Ron says you're knowledgeable. Plus, you run the apothecary, so… It seemed like you might be a good fit?" Harry said, managing not to shoot Ron an incensed glare for such a blunt delivery.

"Er, well, sure?" Scorpius said.

"I can pay," Harry assured him.

"I don't need money," Scorpius replied.

"If you're not interested, that's fine," Harry said.

"No, I'm interested," Scorpius said. His eyes were penetrating, like they saw into Harry and through every façade.

Harry swallowed hard.

"Great!" Ron said when Harry didn't reply. "Well, that's solves that, eh?"

He elbowed Harry, who nodded in response.

"Yeah, great, thanks! Er, we'll figure out a time?"

"I'll owl you," Scorpius said.

"And Scorpius?" Harry said more quietly.

"Yes?"

"If it's not too much trouble, could you keep this just between us?"

"Of course."

Harry smiled his thanks, relief relaxing his body.

"Well, nice to see you both," Scorpius said with a nod and then went back to his previous spot at the bar.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Ron whispered once he was gone.

"No, it wasn't," Harry said and drank some ale. "So, tell me, how are things with Hugo?"

"Oh, Merlin, that's a story!" Ron exclaimed and then launched into it.

Harry sipped his beer as he listened to the update on Ron's son, occasionally sneaking a glance at Scorpius, who appeared to be drinking alone and reading a book at the bar. During one of Harry's glances, Scorpius looked up, met his eye, and gave him the hint of a smile before going back to reading his book.

/\/\/\

A week later, Harry attempted to smooth his hair and rang the bell of Malfoy Manor. He'd not returned to the imposing structure since being held prisoner there during the war. Though in the final warm rays of sunset, the house seemed much less daunting.

"Welcome!" Scorpius greeted him. He motioned Harry inside with a bright smile. "Perfect timing. We've just finished supper."

"We?"

"My grandparents."

"Oh, I didn't realize they lived here." Harry frowned.

Lucius Malfoy had fled England with his wife the second he was released from Azkaban on a bogus acquittal over a decade ago. That was what everyone at the Ministry knew to be true anyway.

"Oh, no, my mum's parents, the Greengrasses," Scorpius clarified. "No, the Malfoys are in France. They came back for my dad's funeral, of course, but I haven't seen them since."

His smile looked almost relieved.

Harry nodded his understanding and said, "Sorry about your dad."

"Thanks," Scorpius said. "But you're here for lessons. Let's get to it."

Harry followed him the length of the wide entry hall and into the kitchens. A ball of fur was curled up on a dog bed and glanced up as they approached the door it lay beside.

"This is Imp. Had her since I was nine. She's an old girl now," Scorpius explained, bending to scratch behind the Crup's ears. "Do you have any pets?"

"Yes, my Kneazle, Candles."

"That's a nice name."

Scorpius' voice was warm and gentle, and it made Harry's inside do that little flip thing again. He'd never given Candles' name much thought before. She'd already had it when he'd adopted her the month after the divorce was finalized.

"Thanks." He looked down the stairwell the door opened to and the warm feeling in his stomach became a sickening churn. "Are we going down there?"

"It's where all my potions stuff is set up. Is that ok?"

"Sure." Harry forced a smile. He might not have been forced down this exact stairwell to the dungeon back in 1998, but it was still the same dungeon.

At least that's what he thought until he got down there.

The space was cheery and bright, a reflection of Scorpius. There were sofas and comfy looking oversized chairs throughout, as well as stacks and stacks of books and magazines. As they went deeper into the cellar, which seemed to stretch the entire length of the manor, the floor was covered in plants, almost like a greenhouse. The ceiling here was charmed to mimic the sky outside, and Harry saw the last of the day's sunlight was melting away in a fantastic purple.

"Wow!" Harry uttered.

"I redid this after moving back in when my dad died. He wasn't even using the space before that! Can you believe it?"

Harry could believe it, given what had happened down here. But perhaps Draco hadn't passed on the horrors of the war to Scorpius. Harry certainly had not gone into grim detail with his own children.

He met Scorpius' eyes, their blues deepened by the purple sky as they continued through the false atrium. "This is remarkable."

Scorpius beamed at Harry. "There is a lot of magic down here to work with, to be fair. It's the only part of the house that's never been destroyed since it was first built in the eleventh century."

They stopped at a long table that had four separate cauldrons on it. Two were pewter, one brass, and one gold. Only one was empty—one of the pewters. Scorpius stood in front of it.

"This can be your cauldron for our lessons."

As Harry stepped up to the table, their arms brushed against each other. Scorpius cleared his throat but didn't shy away from the unexpected touch. Tingles rushed up Harry's arm, drying his throat on their way down to his stomach.

"Well, we should get started," Scorpius said. "I thought we could start with the Wit-Sharpening Potion to help you focus and retain information. If we make a store for you, then you can take some before each lesson."

"Sounds good."

"This is an easier O.W.L. level potion, so you probably learned it in fourth year. Do you remember it at all? The ingredients?"

Harry flushed and shook his head.

"It's okay, that was a while ago." Scorpius smiled reassuringly.

Harry laughed. "You can just call me old, it's fine."

"That wasn't what I meant," Scorpius protested, eyes wide and mouth grimaced, like he'd just put his entire foot in there.

"I'm not offended, don't worry." Harry smiled, placing a hand on Scorpius' shoulder. He'd meant it to be comforting, but Scorpius swallowed audibly and stepped away from Harry.

"Okay, well, what are the ingredients, since I don't remember at all," Harry said quickly, hoping to move them on from whatever discomfort his friendly touch had caused.

"Right, we'll need ginger root… armadillo bile… ground scarab beetles." Scorpius moved lithely through the room, collecting the ingredients from floor-to-ceiling shelving as he listed them.

He set everything down beside Harry's cauldron and then uttered, "Oh wait." He shot out his wand, summoning something towards them. Harry ducked as a knife came sailing from behind him.

"Merlin! Warn me next time!" Harry cried.

"By Dumbledore! Are you all right?" Scorpius went sheet white.

"I'm fine, Seeker reflexes, but still."

"Normally I'm alone down here. I didn't think. I'm sorry." Scorpius looked truly apologetic and Harry felt bad for yelling.

"It's okay. How about I handle the weapons from here on out?" he said with a sly smile.

"It's not really a weapon. It's just a tool to cut things." Scorpius pointed the knife at the ginger root.

"Right, and this cellar is just a room, not a torture dungeon," Harry said. "Nothing starts out evil."

Scorpius stared at him a long moment. "What do you mean?"

"That anything can be fashioned into a weapon." Harry shrugged. "That's basically my job. Stopping people from creating weapons to use."

"No, I meant about this cellar being a dungeon."

"Oh." Harry scuffed his foot on the floor. "I guess your dad never told you. I don't…I don't really want to talk about that tonight. If that's all right?"

"Yes, that's all right," Scorpius said gently. "Perhaps we can set up an arrangement. I teach you potions, and you give me the historical context no one has been willing to tell me?"

Harry appraised him. "It won't be pleasant for you to hear."

"I didn't expect it to be. Otherwise, why would everyone go quiet when it comes up?"

"Fair enough. Well, I'm game, but not tonight. I need to be ready to talk about it. It'll be just my side of the story though. I'm sure there's a lot more I don't know."

"It's more than I have now," Scorpius said quietly.

A strand of hair fell into his face, and Harry fought his urge to tuck it behind his ear for him. He'd made it clear earlier he didn't want Harry to touch him, not that touching someone's hair was ever appropriate outside of an intimate relationship. Of course, Harry wasn't sure why he was offering to relive the worst memories of his life for someone who he wasn't in an intimate relationship with, but it certainly wasn't the stupidest thing he'd ever done.

He stuck out his hand. "Okay, so then, I guess we have an agreement?"

Scorpius shook his hand with a hint of a smile.

"Now, how much ginger root do we need for this potion?" he asked Harry, filling the cauldron with water.

"Er… the entire thing chopped up?"

"Oh, Harry. Maybe we should start with an easier potion?" Scorpius frowned.

"No, I just… don't remember things like this well." Harry felt his face burning.

"Flash cards then. I'll make you some flash cards," Scorpius said brightly and Harry was reminded of Hermione the year she'd given him and Ron homework planners.

"You really don't have to."

"No, I'm your tutor. I really do have to, because clearly you need them." Scorpius smiled playfully.

"Fine," Harry said. "How much ginger root do we need?"

"Two pieces. About two centimeters in width each."

Harry plucked the knife from Scorpius' hand and sliced the ginger root. "Add it to the cauldron?"

"Yes, then mix it until it turns lime green."

"Does the direction matter?"

"No, but good that you asked. In the final step it will matter."

Harry grinned proudly.

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Mix the potion, Harry."

Harry added the ginger root slices and mixed it until the liquid turned lime green.

"Good, now you'll want to add enough armadillo bile for it to turn blue while still mixing it gently. It's usually about sixty milliliters but it depends on the acidity of the water."

Harry pulled the stopper from the bottle of armadillo bile. It smelled pungent and he hoped that wouldn't transfer to the potion itself. He started to pour, and Scorpius gently reminded him to stir. It didn't take much to turn the potion blue, as Scorpius predicted. The smell, fortunately, did not permeate once he resealed the bile bottle.

"All right, so now just the scarab beetles?"

"Well, those are next, yes, but there's more to do after that."

"How do you remember all of this?"

"Years of repetition. It just takes practice, like anything else." Scorpius nudged him. "The flashcards will help, I promise."

Harry met his grin with an eye roll, but they held each other's gaze for a long enough moment that Harry noticed Scorpius was just slightly taller than him. He wondered what it would be like to stretch up to kiss someone rather than bend down. He shook the thought, as it was entirely inappropriate. Scorpius had already pulled away earlier. He wasn't interested in Harry in that way.

"Okay, so how much ground scarab beetle am I adding, or is this just to feel as well?" Harry asked.

"Just a sprinkle. I start with a pinch usually, then see if it turns red or not. If not, then I add another pinch."

Harry followed his directions, and one pinch was all it took.

"Great, now you'll add more of the armadillo bile until it's yellow. After that is four pieces of ginger root, which will make it lime green again."

Harry followed Scorpius' instructions until the potion was the same lime green as the Healer robes at St. Mungo's.

"Perfect, now here is where you need to stir it clockwise. It will turn purple once you've set it. Should take between twenty-five to thirty rotations."

Harry stirred clockwise twenty-six rotations before the potion turned purple.

"And there you are!" Scorpius exclaimed. "Well done, Harry."

"Is it safe to drink?" Harry asked.

"I should hope so! You brewed it flawlessly."

Harry transfigured the pewter stirring rod into a cup and dipped it into the potion.

"I see you don't need Transfiguration lessons," Scorpius remarked.

"No, I mastered that practice." Harry raised the half-filled cup towards Scorpius. "Cheers!"

He drank down the potion and set the cup down. Scorpius took it and dipped it for some of the potion, swallowing it down just as the potion's effects took hold of Harry. He felt immediately calm, as though everything was moving in a deliberate manner.

"Is it working?" Scorpius asked him.

"Yes, you'll feel it shortly."

Harry noticed the pupils of Scorpius' eyes widen then tighten again as the potion took effect. In fact, he noticed much more of his surroundings than before.

With the potion clearing his mind of the emotions associated with this cellar, he could see it for what was there. Shelves of well-labeled potions ingredients, a sectioned off area for brewed potions, climate-controlled spaces to dry out plants he'd grown in the atrium, a label station for the bottles that would be sold at the apothecary. Scorpius was running an entire production factory down here. Briefly Harry wondered how Draco had run the apothecary without using the cellar. Clearly inefficiently since Scorpius had taken advantage of the space once he could.

"Why are you embarrassed you need a tutor?" Scorpius asked him.

"I'm not. It's more that I'm embarrassed I don't already know this information." Harry frowned as he thought deeper on the subject. "No, really, I'm just ashamed to let people down. I hate letting people down."

It was true, almost as true as if he'd been under Veritaserum. He knew it was more akin to questioning someone while under the influence of Felix Felicis, like he'd done with Slughorn and several difficult-to-catch criminals over the years. This potion felt more like his mind became a cloudless day.

"Yes, so do I. My father always assured me I could never let him down, but I feel like I have. Like I could have done something differently to find a way to save him," Scorpius said.

"I'm sure that's not the case," Harry said softly.

Scorpius nodded thoughtfully then asked in a brighter voice, "Can we sit down?"

"Of course."

He led Harry to one of the sofas in the first room they entered. As they walked, Harry thought of when they'd met at the Leaky Cauldron. The conversation was clear in his mind except for one thing.

"What did you mean when you said to Ron that you definitely weren't into Rose in that way?" Harry asked as they sat on an emerald green sofa's plush cushions.

"Oh, only that I'm gay so obviously I wouldn't be interested in Rose," Scorpius said. "Why are you asking?"

"I just couldn't make sense of the comment."

"Is it all cleared up for you?"

"Yes, but…I also wondered about earlier. Did I offend you?"

"When?"

"So, I did offend you," Harry said glumly.

"No, you didn't offend me tonight. You've never offended me."

"Why did you step away from me when I touched your shoulder then?"

"Oh." Scorpius looked away for a moment, then looked Harry in the eyes. "Because I like you and it felt like you were being patronizing."

"You like me?" Harry asked, hardly able to believe it. Clarity of mind didn't mean Scorpius couldn't lie. In fact, it only meant he could lie better. It was the reason they didn't use this potion in interrogations.

Scorpius blushed. "I realize now that I didn't need to move away."

Harry had to play the words a couple times before he understood what Scorpius meant. "Am I so transparent?"

Scorpius laughed as he nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"I have two questions for you," Harry began, scooting closer to Scorpius. "The first is if it's inappropriate for me to kiss you while we're under the influence of this potion, which has certainly altered our minds?"

"No," Scorpius whispered. "That wouldn't be inappropriate."

"Good." Harry grinned. "And the second is if it would be problematic to kiss you since you're my tutor?"

"I don't foresee any problems with it. It's not like you're paying me or anything."

"True, but I don't want to lose such a good tutor. It's risky, isn't it?"

Scorpius placed his hand on Harry's thigh and looked into his eyes with an intensity that made Harry dizzy, even with the Wit-Sharpening Potion.

"It's not problematic," Scorpius said.

They leaned towards each other, their lips meeting midway and Scorpius' hand creeping further up Harry's thigh. Harry moved a hand to Scorpius' face, pulling him deeper into their kiss. He felt abuzz with excitement, not having kissed anyone since Ginny. Not having kissed like this for probably a decade.

Scorpius pushed his tongue into Harry's mouth and Harry wrapped his arm around his waist and inched even closer. Scorpius tugged at his hipbones until Harry lost his balance. He fell into Scorpius, who laughed as he guided them backwards onto the length of the sofa.

"Was this your plan all along?" Harry asked as he hovered over Scorpius.

"'Fantasy' is probably the better word."

Harry took off his glasses and Scorpius made a little noise.

"What?"

"You look so sexy without your glasses," Scorpius said.

"Well, in that case, perhaps I should permanently fix my eyesight."

"I've never understood why some wizards do not."

"Mm, habit, I suppose? I've never even looked into it."

"Well, it suits you." Scorpius reached for his face and pulled his lips to his own.

Harry lost himself in their kiss. In how their bodies felt against each other. Scorpius began to roll his hips and Harry groaned with pleasure.

"No," he whispered against Scorpius' lips. "Not tonight."

"No, of course, I'm sorry." Scorpius' voice wavered.

Harry pushed himself up so he could meet his eyes. "I need to know you longer. I've only ever been with one person before."

Scorpius nodded beneath him, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," Harry said gently.

"No, don't apologize, please."

"Can we continue kissing?" Harry asked.

Scorpius' face brightened to what Harry had come to understand as his natural disposition. He leaned down to kiss him more, hopeful for what might come from this relationship. Certainly more than a refresher on remedial potions.

He reasoned that sometimes Hermione and Ron had the uncanny ability to force him into exactly the right thing. And under the influence of the Wit-Sharpening Potion, Harry had no doubts that a relationship with Scorpius was the right thing.