Author's Note: This chapter is told from Scorpius' perspective.


The dark room was small and mostly in shadow. The sound of howling winds and waves crashing filled my ears. The sharp tang of salt stung my nostrils. Azkaban.

My heart leaped into my throat, it was so cold, I had to get out. I spun around. No doors, no windows just concrete bricks covered in black mold.

There was a loud raspy breath from one of the dark corners of the room. I wasn't alone. I patted my robes for my wand. No pockets. No wand.

"Scorpius…" Grandfather Lucius appeared huddled on the floor. He hissed at me. "Scorpius Malfoy."

I kept stepping back but the wall kept getting further and further away.

"Grandfather, please," I said desperate, helpless. "I need to leave. I don't belong here."

Grandfather laughed, empty. "My soul's gone. Your soul's gone. Our soul's gone. We don't belong on this earth."

I shuddered uncontrollably.

He coughed, to my horror, blood dribbled down from his smirking lips. It was black in this light.

"Look at your arm."

As he said it my left forearm started to burn. I hissed, my sleeve automatically came up. My arm was branded with the Dark Mark-

"Scorpius."

circled with a ring of blood as dark as Grandfather's.

"No, no, no." I cried.

"You can't leave now. No more blood traitors, mudbloods-"

"Scorpie, please."

"Take it away," I gripped my forearm. It made it burn worse.

"Insult to the name of Malfoy-"

"Scorpius!" The dream was shaken out of me. My eyes opened, twitching searching the room for him but I didn't get past Rose. She was on top of me, gripping my shoulders and shaking me hard.

I cursed sitting up. A layer of sweat had soaked through my top, it was like a second skin. Rose stayed on top of me, I met her eyes they were filled with concern.

"What?" I said, half-heartedly trying to pull her off me. I was too hot and too cold at once.

"You were having a nightmare." She stated, matter-of-factly. That was the answer I dreaded the most, the truth. "Scorpius, relax. You look like you're about to be sick." She wiped my forehead with the back of her hand. I was still shaking uncontrollably head to toe. "Breathe," she reminded. "I promise you'll feel better if you breathe. In."

I wheezed in.

"And out." I exhaled. She wasn't wrong, I felt better but it didn't shake the clamminess.

"Merlin, this is embarrassing," I said shortly.

And, of course, every other 'Grandfather-themed' bad dream related memory flooded back. The first time I had the bad dream at Hogwarts I woke up alone in the Slytherin dorm. It was three am, the rest of the boys were down in the common room. I could hear the loud thumping music and laughter. They were getting off their heads, Potter leading the way.

I thought that was the end of it. The next time I woke with the same dream, a couple nights later, Potter's face was staring down at me along with his group and what felt like every Slytherin in existence, even a couple of girls. I didn't care about them. I could take the teasing and impressions, as long as it didn't make it back to Rose, Abby or Kenny. That was a bloody miracle. From then on I slept with not one but two Muffliato charms around my bed and a charm that stopped my curtains from being opened.

The time after that was at home before Rose came. Dinky had been wandering the hall doing some early dusting when he heard me. He threw water on my face and slapped me out of it. I told him not to fetch Mother but of course he did 'cause he was 'worried about Master Scorpius' health.' Mother shook her head at me and told me to stop eating chocolate before bed it was clearly rotting my brain. Then she wouldn't leave me alone for the whole day. But she didn't tell Father, we both knew what that would lead to.

But did all those warnings make me simply tell Rose to sleep somewhere else? I can't imagine her being offended. No. 'Cause I would trade the Malfoy fortune to sleep in the same bed as Rose Weasley.

"Would you have preferred me to leave you in your dream world?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No," I sighed.

"That boggart really messed with you." She said, stroking the side of my face.

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "How?"

"Do I know? Well, you talked in your sleep." She said quietly. She rolled off me and hugged me to her.

"Oh, anything else?"

"You turned a lot and you stopped snoring."

"I snore?" I discreetly pulled my left forearm out from under the blankets and checked. I had to. Drops of sweat ran down my skin like tears but otherwise normal. A weight in my chest lifted.

"Yes," Rose said, grabbing my arm, sweat and all. "It's cute." She snuggled deeper into me burying her red curls into my chest.

"Just like my sweat."

"I was just being a good person and ignoring it. You know it's the bacteria on the skin that makes sweat smell, like old sweat-"

"I really needed to know that after my 'nightmare.'"

Rosie poked me in the ribs.

There was a loud snap and Dinky appeared. The house elf was shaking, he let out a loud squeal. It would've been funny in any other situation.

I jumped up. "Another raid!?"

"Mr and Mrs Malfoy have returned."

"Since when?" I demanded.

Dinky's eyes grew wider. "An hour ago…" he said timidly.

"And they didn't sniff out Rose?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rose cast a nervous glance at the door.

"Dinky has been busy." Dinky defended. "Mr Malfoy is in hysterics. The raid… Miss Rose ought to block her ears, Dinky fears she might faint-"

"Say it," Rose and I said in sync. I was glaring at Dinky, my eyebrows were fuzzing the top of my vision. I was ready to draw my wand.

'Red bra, red bra.' Repeated over and over in my head like a siren.

There was a knock on the door. Dinky's mouth hung open.

"Scorpius, dear?" A voice came. My mother's high, shrill voice, there was no softness to it. "Are you awake?"

I pulled Rosie closer and murmured into her ear, "Hide in the closet."

She turned and frowned at me. "In your dreams," she mouthed slowly, edging away from me.

"Scorpius, I can hear you." She said. "Your father and I would like to have a serious conversation with you."

I swallowed. I quickly made a turning key motion at Dinky. He snapped his fingers and the door bolted with a loud click. Pretty useless against my mother and her wand but we needed as many seconds as we could get.

"Scorpius? What did I tell you about locking your door? Do you want me to get your father?"

"A minute, Mother," I called, sliding off the bed and joining Rose. She was shoving all her stuff into her bag. "I'm getting dress." I grabbed her cloak and swung it over her shoulders.

"This is serious. Why didn't you write to Father and I when the raid happened?" Mother's voice was more of a growl now. Blah, blah, we raised you better than that, blah, how dare you, blah, blah, you could've been hurt, blah, blah, blah, you can have this conversation in your night clothes.

Rose nodded at the bra still sitting on the desk, watching it as intensely and wide-eyed as Pumpkin eying up Dinky at the end of my bed.

'Do I take it?'

I shook my head, walked across the room and grabbed it. Even at a time like this, my heart sped up. I threw it into my wardrobe under a pair of dress robes I hadn't worn since first year and wouldn't be wearing again unless I shrunk down to Rose's size.

I couldn't plant her with the evidence and part of me, inappropriately, thought having my girlfriend's bra in my room was the coolest thing ever.

"Scorpius!" my mother's voice was almost a scream. "I'm not having this conversation through a door!"

Rose ran at me. She put her hands on either side of my face, standing on tip-toe.

"I love you," she whispered.

I kissed Rose.

"I love you too," I whispered. "I'll see you at Hogwarts."

She pouted.

"I'll write."

She still pouted, but let go of me this time. Dinky came forward with Pumpkin and a worried expression fixed on his face.

Then a voice came that made everyone in the room freeze.

"Sweetheart, why are you yelling?"

Father.

Rose clapped her hand over her mouth either in shock or holding back a laugh. I think it was a bit of both. I led her over to Dinky.

Rose whispered to me quickly. "If you ever call me 'sweetheart' I will hex you."

I grinned despite what was facing me. "Get out of here, honeypot."

She gave her hand to an anxious Dinky. "Whatever, darling."

Snap and the two of them were gone, nothing was left except that incriminating piece of evidence in my wardrobe.

"Scorpius!" there was a bang on the door. Father's roaring voice did nothing to get my thoughts off Rose. I wished we had a proper goodbye.

I slowly unbolted the pounding door and at the last second suddenly realised I was still in my sweat-drenched pyjamas. My hair probably looked like it had been through gale-force winds, the only thing that could've made it worse was if Rose wore lipstick.

Father was almost in my room first, Mother pushed him out of the way, not like her pureblood self at all.

"We shouldn't have left him," Mother announced, putting her hands on my face, nothing like the way Rose had a minute ago. "Look at him, Draco, he's traumatised."

I was watching Father very carefully, he was examining the room with an eyebrow raised, his face like a hawk, crunched up, it made his nose stick out like a beak. Note to self: Don't do that.

"Astoria," he drawled. "He normally looks like that."

Mother frowned and smoothened down my hair. I moved away from her doing it myself.

There was a snap and Dinky appeared behind them. He let out a nervous laugh. That made Father turn around and look at him.

"Drink, Mr Malfoy?" Dinky held up a tray of glasses that looked like butterbeer, a couple in the back looked like firewhiskey but the umbrellas made it look more innocent. Mother didn't miss that either.

"It's too early, Dinky." She said, plumping up her own hair. "But do make sure the parlour's dust-free-"

"Nonsense," Father cut across her. "We can have this conversation in my office."

"And go blind from squinting in the dark?" Mother challenged.

Father didn't respond. He was at my desk examining what was on display not as discreetly as he thought. School books, half done letters to Mother and Father and owl treats.

"Don't ignore me, Draco."

"What are we about to talk about, Mother?" I played dumbed.

"Don't be stupid," Father said.

"Draco." Mother scowled. "Do. Not. Speak. To. My. Son. Like. That." She drew in a breath, calming herself down.

"Our son," he corrected strutting over to us. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"Then stop acting like your father, it doesn't suit you." Mother said, sickeningly sweet. "Scorpius, dear, we have received some disturbing news we must talk about."

"Grandmother?" I faked shock.

"No, you," Father said, ice cold. "Over the last couple of days, we have talked to Professor Crepsley, the parents of your friends and we were sent a letter from the Ministry, it was like you were there ."

Before I could respond Father was steering me out of the room and down the hallway. Dinky and Mother were in tow, I could hear her heels clacking against the floorboards.

I chewed the inside of my mouth trying to keep my cool. I had to remember my pureblood excuses and manners.

Father topped short outside his office what felt like ten minutes later.

"Father and son," he turned to Dinky and Mother.

Mother nodded, bonding time, I could practically hear her think.

"I'll be in my parlour waiting." She said. "And listening."

Father shook his head, letting go of my shoulder. I had a chance to run but there was nowhere I could go that wouldn't make him frown.

He unlocked the door to his office with a flick of his wand. I quickly shut my eyes and relaxed my mind. My head had to be clear, it was part of the act. I couldn't have Rose's brown eyes and how soft her lips felt pounding in my mind. When Father was truly angry, no-nonsense like this, he sometimes liked to use his 'gift' as he called it or 'invasive skill that should be illegal' as I liked to call it. I knew he wasn't good enough to do it in a wide room with more than one person in it, noise made it hard to concentrate. His real talent lied in blocking other people from reading his mind. Not that he needed that during the Voldy times, the death eater.

He sat behind his desk. I sat in the chair in front of it without being invited. I crossed my arms barely able to make them out in the dark office.

We sat in silence for a long moment. I waited for that feeling of something shifting in my mind but none came.

Father began, "I'm disappointed in you, Scorpius."

I was so shocked.

"I'll give you a chance to explain yourself." Then he waited.

"Explain what?"

Father raised an eyebrow. "'Pardon, Father?' is the appropriate question."

I sighed, "What do you mean, Father?"

There was a shift in my mind, I jerked my head, showing him yes I can feel it and get the feck out of my head.

It was gone as soon as it came. All he saw was me feeding Andrew, I thought of that memory immediately.

"You spend your time at Hogwarts hanging around with a half-blood, mudblood and a Weasley." He stated.

I blinked waiting for more. Every one of my muscles were tensed.

"Care to explain?"

I'm madly in love with Rose Weasley. She would be a perfect extension to the family tree, don't you think?

"We were working on a project together."

"Three Ravenclaws and a Slytherin?" Father said. "How strange. Should I refresh your memory from what I have gathered? What the members of our society have mocked me about. Abigail Sliver mudblood, what else is there to say? Kenneth McLaggen, son of Cormac and Marietta McLaggen, a half-blood with a 'sneak' of a mother. And who could forget about the Weasel?"

"Weasley," I corrected sharply. "Rose Weasley."

"Ah, see you do remember." He was too calm. It was starting to scare me. "I heard it from Macnair, Nott, Goyle and Parkinson. It was a big laugh in their households when their sons told them the news. Macnair's son claims he saw you walking to class with Weasley not once but eight times."

I shrugged, ignoring the panic brewing in my chest. "We have to use the same corridor-"

"In one week. Walking together, Scorpius."

"What does it matter to you?"

"Excuse me?"

"It doesn't upset your bloodline-"

"You are my only son! You're a Malfoy!"

"That can't have friends!?"

"She's more than your friend… ADMIT IT!"

I pressed my lips together and said nothing.

Father sneered. "You have a crush, that's what it is. And let me put the other pieces together, the brassiere is hers and you stole it."

"No!"

"You smile at her, you can barely smile at me or your mother and you carry her books-"

When she lets me.

Father continued, "Why must you drag your name through the mud? You're dragging the rest of us with you. Your mother and I are humiliated."

"But it isn't true."

"You're lying." He said plainly. "You let your emotions get the better of you."

I frowned then I felt it, the shifting feeling in my brain, like a draft. I jumped up.

"NO-"

"You like her eyes, they are brown, big and beautiful," Father said sarcastically, his voice as high as a house elf's. "Her hair's so red and her freckles- oh, her freckles!"

"You promised you wouldn't read my mind!"

"That was when you told me the truth, Scorpius."

"Or told you the right truth."

"You've gone soft because she lets you hold her hand."

My eyes burned. I walked right up to his desk, put both my hands on the dark wood and hissed, "Maybe I let her hold mine."

"Boy, she's playing you. It's a joke. Everyone's laughing at you, at us."

"She's not."

"Draco?" there was a knock on the door. "Scorpius?"

"You made your mother cry." He hissed.

I stepped back, wounded by this but still, the hatred for my father felt like it was about to explode.

"Come in, sweetheart." Father bared his teeth. "Scorpius has something to say."

The door creaked open. I took a deep breath. I had to think rationally about this, but my mind was spinning too fast to seriously consider what this could mean long term. I wanted nothing more than to spit it in Father's face: I snog the face off of Rose Weasley every day at Hogwarts.

I had to think about everything, outside Father's office.

I suddenly felt Mother's hand on my arm.

"I knew it wasn't true," Mother voiced. "What did I tell you, Draco? Scorp is a smart boy he would never associate himself with such vulgar company."

Father stood up and shook his head, "I was right. Worse than right." Slowly hissing out every word. "'Okay, Rose, but you have to call me Scorpius. Malfoy has been sounding weird for ages.'"

Mother face crumpled in confusion. "So you were luring a Weasley?" she asked.

"He has a schoolboy crush on Rose Weasley."

"Did he tell you this, Draco?"

"The evidence-"

I inputted quickly, "He read my mind." Hoping that would win me points in Mother's corner.

Mother instead clapped her hands to her mouth. "It's just a crush, he can - he will - get over it."

"They hold hands, they walk to class-"

"Guess what!" I announced, exasperated. "She's my girlfriend. I will not be getting over her ever. Look into my mind now, Father. You won't like what you see! A lot more than hand holding!"

There was a long beat of silence.

Mother was the first to speak. "Scorpius," she said calmly. "The… underwear, you didn't…."

"What?"

"The hippogriffs and the newts." She prompted.

My face flushed with colour. "No, Mother."

"Then it's fine," she said her voice unnaturally high and quivering.

"Fine?" Father demanded. "Tell me fine when you see a ginger grandchild or when we're chucked into Azkaban when the head Weasel sees us like annoying flies-"

"Draco, for five seconds can you act like a normal wizard in your own house."

"Or when our son gets hurt. Astoria, is that what you want?"

She shook her head. "No, but I want you to consider this first as a father then as a Malfoy."

Father growled something unintelligible.

Mother turned to me, I noticed her hands were shaking, "Scorpius, are you happy?"

"Yes,"

"Then it's fine for now. There's plenty of time to worry about the rest."

I had an overwhelming desire to hug her, so I did. She went stiff with shock first then hugged me back.

Father with a swirl of his cloak left the room. "This isn't over," he called over his shoulder.


Author's Note: Sorry for the wait school sucks my writing time up faster than a dementor could take a soul. Thanks for supporting me, the favs, follows and reviews mean the world to me. Thank you!