Author's note: this chapter is told from Scorpius' perspective.


I pressed my ear against the thick oak door, it was open a sliver so the ancient automatic Muffiato charm on the parlour wasn't activated.

"Draco, what did we do in the last twenty years to deserve this?" I could hear Mother. Her tone was pinched. I knew she was crying, that didn't pull me away from the door, Mother cried easily especially when she was angry. "Scorpius does not deserve this. Scorpius-"

"Is listening at the door, Astoria, sweetheart," Father said, blowing my cover. "I can see your shadow, son. Come in. You'll be able to hear better from the inside of the room."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Mother asked me when I reluctantly entered the room. She came over to me and pressed her cold hand to my forehead. I fought the urge to shake her off. She was the one who was halfway decent to Rose.

"I think I'm going to lie down," I announced. Father nodded and stood up.

"No," Mother said instantly. "You are not going to be alone at a time like this. We're here for you- Draco, sit down if there are any letters Dinky will bring them to you."

Mother dragged me to the sofa and forced me to sit beside her.

"I don't want to talk about this again," I stated while Mother made a not-so-subtle gesture at Father to sit at my other side. A trust barrier or some other nonsense that I did not have the patience for. "I've told you the facts about a hundred times now."

"We don't have to talk about that." Mother looked pointedly at Father who was now sitting beside me. I could feel his energy. He wanted to do something productive- defend the family name, investigate further- not waste time on irrelevant crap. "We could talk about school, quidditch or your friends. Maybe?"

I didn't reply.

Father tried. "How do you feel, Scorpius? I believe that is a question I forgot to ask you."

"Fine," I said quickly.

Father and Mother exchanged a look across me.

I sighed. "Numb. I don't know… I can't really feel it anymore."

Mother squeezed my arm.

"That is normal." Father offered me something that resembled a smile.

"We could go for a walk of the grounds," Mother suggested. "Or look through the photo albums. I've found some photos of your father when he was your age that look exactly like you."

Father laughed half-heartedly. "Astoria, sweetheart, please stop shoving the albums down everyone's throats. It's a miracle you didn't force the Weasley girl to look at them."

"They are interesting." Mother waved him off.

"I doubt Scorpius wants to look like his father."

I said, "I don't really have a choice."

"Are you going to tell us about the boggart now?" Father asked bluntly. "We didn't disown you when you told us about the attack. I doubt you could tell us anything worse than almost losing your life on a date with the Weasley girl."

I pressed my lips together. Merlin, not this again.

"Come on, Scorpius, we've probably heard worse." Father encouraged. "How about this…" he looked at Mother again. My thoughts flashed to the Pollycolly. I could picture him saying he was going to stop making it until I told him. "I'll tell you a dark story of mine-"

"Draco, maybe he'd prefer to show you." Mother suggested.

"Scorpius?" Father prompted me.

"I think I've seen enough for a day," I said, hesitating.

"Let me think then." Father shut his eyes. "I don't want to scare you. Any suggestions, Astoria?" Mother was gripping my arm a lot tighter, I could feel bruises forming.

"Mother, that hurts," I said, pulling my arm away.

Mother frowned. "Sorry, I didn't mean to." she patted my arm. "Scorp, what's the number one thing you've wanted to ask your father?"

"I want to know what Father's boggart is," came out before I could stop it. That question had been annoying the crap out of me since Grandfather Lucius crawled out of that wardrobe in DADA. I was guessing Voldemort but I had to know for sure. Would Father's boggart make the great Draco Malfoy blink?

Father didn't seem surprised, in fact, he actually looked relieved. "Fine. Astoria, where is the boggart you were telling me about?"


"I'll wait outside." Mother said and gave me a quick hug. "It's for the best, Scorp. You know certain things make your mother very sick and boggarts are one of them. I'll be right out here if you need me." She handed me her wand.

Father patted me on the back. He led me into the dusty room. The reassuring smell of Mother's strong French perfume left my nose as soon as he shut the door behind us.

"As you have probably learned in your defence classes," Father said, unbuttoning his sleeves. He didn't roll them up, he didn't like me seeing his deformed dark mark. "Boggarts are easier to deal with when they have more than one person to concentrate on. What's the spell, Scorpius?"

I stomach churned I knew what was coming. Shame crept over me. I turned to the dust-covered mirror attached to a dressing table.

"Spell?" Father repeated.

"Riddikulus," I finally answered.

"Ready your wand," he instructed. "No movement required just point and say, Riddikulus-"

"Father?"

"Yes?"

"Can you go first?"

"That's how I planned it," Father said. "I'm warning you, Scorpius, my boggart isn't just one thing, it is multiple things that might not make any sense to you. Don't be frightened, remember it's not real."

Father took out his wand. I gripped the dresser, my heart was speeding up again.

"Father?" I said as he raised his wand. "What if my boggarts after changing? After today?" I said my voice was filling with hope.

Father lowered his wand considering it. "Boggarts are our deepest fears. Maybe."

He raised his wand again. The wardrobe creaked open, I stepped back. I was expecting Voldemort himself to step out instead Mother and I walked out. For a second we looked normal then blood started to pour from our every pore. I winced. I looked at Father, he didn't flinch. He quickly glanced at me then back again at the boggart. The image blurred as the boggart started to change. The sharp sound of fire crackling filled my ears. It felt like the room was baking. Flames gushed up from the carpet painting the room orange. A hand stuck out of the flames and disintegrated. Then a scream filled the room.

"MOTHER! MOTHER! MOOTHERRR HELP ME, PLEASE! PLEASE!" A woman's voice cried out, high and animalistic. I clapped my hands over his ears, digging my nails into the flesh. Please let it be over.

Bodies, some masked, others broken, crawled out of the wardrobe towards Father, grabbing at his feet. Father remained expressionless. After a couple of seconds, he raised his wand and they were gone. I was suddenly aware of how loud I was breathing.

The sudden stillness of the room felt unnatural.

"Go on, Scorpius," Father ordered, stepping aside.

"Father, I'm not… I can't do it like you just did."

"That's because I had years of practice," Father explained. "You are not weak it takes practice. Trust me, take the first step to making it better."

I gripped Mother's wand and raised it. It was lighter than my own wand and the wood felt smoother. I didn't like it.

"Remember it's only me. I am not going to disown you if I come out of there. I understand how you feel."

I blinked. "It's not you."

Father's face was unreadable. He raised his wand at the wardrobe.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Any confidence I had, any positive thought, disappeared when a grimy arm reached out of the wardrobe. The left one, the was dark mark clearly printed on the filthy skin. I stepped back until the back of my knees knocked into the bed sending a cloud of dust into the air. Father put his hand on my shoulder. He must've thought it was reassuring, I thought it was anchoring that bloody wardrobe. The wardrobe creaked open painfully slow. Why...?

I was starting to sweat again as Grandfather Lucius' weathered face, wide bloodshot eyes and oily hair appeared. He was wearing his Azkaban robes, as he always was whenever he entered my dreams.

"Scorpius! Help me! Help me! My soul, my soul! MY SOUL, BOY."


"Scorpius, where are you going?" Mother called as I marched past her.

"I'm going to read to Grandmother. Father said I could." I said my voice sounding tight.

"Scorpius, come back here you look- Draco?." Mother exclaimed as I took the corner.

I finally caught my breath when I was out of sight. My clothes were clinging to me like a second skin, ringing with sweat.

Never. Bloody. Again.

I leaned against the wall for a long second, trying to stop my hands shaking. I wasn't sure whether it was Father seeing my weakness or seeing Azkaban-Grandfather in again in the flesh that was making my every nerve shake. I slid down wallpaper onto the dark wooden floor.

So this was my life:

I had performed the leg-locker curse on a death eater after he had fired a violent destructive curse at my girlfriend. And my father had to deal with my boggart. I was a grade-O wizard alright.

"Is Master Scorpius feeling okay?"

I opened my eyes to see Dinky in front of me. With one hand he was twisting the end of the grey sheet-like thing he liked to wear and with his other boney long hand he was holding a feather duster.

I shook my head.

"Dinky thought so," Dinky said kindly. "Master Scorpius looks like he has seen death. Dinky will help master Scorpius to his room or would Master Scorpius prefer food, perhaps a butterbeer?"

"Draw me a bath," I ordered. "I feel disgusting."


Author's note: Back to Rose and Scorpius next chapter. And R-O-M-A-N-C-E!