Skeletons chapter 2

The moment Malfoy came back into the common room he paused looking at Scorpius as though he'd forgotten that he'd left him in my arms. After what I'd heard a few seconds before I couldn't help but glare at him desperate to just be away from him I gently passed him Scorpius, avoiding his eye.

"He really is beautiful" I muttered quickly and turned hurrying up the stairs towards my bedroom. I couldn't be in the same room as him as anger surged through me. How could I have even thought someone like him could've changed, he'd spent his whole life hating people like me it was hardly a surprise that that hadn't changed in a matter of months just because the war ended.

Sighing I got myself changed and got straight into bed. It had been a long and confusing day maybe an early night was exactly what I needed. With dreams of a peaceful and normal year heading out the window I drifted off to sleep

***4 hours later***

I was awoken by the sound of loud cries echoing through the dormitory. I moaned slightly knowing full well that little Scorpius couldn't help it but groaning as I blinked through the tiredness. Slowly I pulled out of bed and made my way towards the common room to get some water. I paused at the base of my staircase. It couldn't be… was Malfoy singing? Poking my head around the corner but sticking to the shadows I took in the view in front of me. Malfoy was wearing nothing but a black pair of joggers standing holding a red faced angry Scorpius and rocking him gently backwards and forwards.

"You can roar like the lion, trust like the badger, soar like the eagle or slither like the snake" His voice was gentle and I couldn't help but notice how naturally good he was at singing.

"Be who you are and stay true to you and whenever you're feeling blue, remember how much daddy will always love you." I smiled as his sweet tune finished and he smiled down at Scorpius who had slowly stopped crying and blinked up at him. It was amazing how someone so dark could look so loving but maybe that was the impact that pure innocence had on a person. I liked the message of the song that he sung but couldn't help wondering if he meant it. Would he really not care if his son was anything other than a typical Malfoy following in the slytherin traditions? Not wanting to interrupt the moment I skipped the water and quietly made my way back up to bed. Regardless of my own opinion of Malfoy it was clear that his son was his world and I couldn't fault him for that.

*****The Next Morning***

I let my hair do what it wanted the next morning as I made my way to the great hall straightening my uniform for the first day of classes. I'd woken early to avoid having to bump into Malfoy in the common room. I know I'd promised to give him a chance but after last night my patience for him had already thinned.

I sat in the great hall staring blankly at my porridge trying desperately to wake myself with a glass of pumpkin juice. Slowly the great hall began to fill with students and I noticed Malfoy come in holding Scorpius about half an hour later he glanced across at me and gave a curt nod in my direction which confused me further.

"You ok 'Mione?" Ron said as he and Harry sat opposite me. I paused a second processing the question before looking up at their slightly confused faces.

"Yeh, little Scorpius Malfoy woke me up crying, I don't think he enjoyed his first night in the castle." I muttered groggily as I wiped my eyes for the hundredth time.

"It's so unfair that you have to live with Malfoy, they should protect you from scum like him. Shouldn't have even let him back." Ron grumbled as he piled his plate with bacon and sausages.

"I dunno, he seems different. I actually think Malfoy might have changed." Ron and I both stared incredulously at Harry as he spoke.

"Are you kidding mate?" Ron added as he shovelled bacon into his mouth like he hadn't eaten for a week.

"The war changed us all, I think it's changed him. Probably took a lot of guts coming back here especially holding a kid that everyone's talking about." Harry said as he played with his toast. Although I was shocked I couldn't help but think maybe Harry was right to some extent maybe I had been expecting him to change overnight but he definitely did seem different.

"I'm not sure…" I said before explaining to them both everything I had heard the night before. I had to get it out to see whether I was overreacting or not.

"He's an ass." Ron muttered finishing his toast, I fully expected this from Ron but it was Harry that I was watching. He was taking an unusually long time to drink his drink as though he was thinking through what to say. Finally he opened his mouth.

"I dunno Mi maybe he just wasn't expecting to share a dorm, he probably knows how much effort a child requires and wanted a little privacy for his son." I stared at Harry shocked. Twice now he had defended Malfoy, and again I couldn't help but think maybe he was right. Maybe I had been waiting for Malfoy to insult me and therefore had found myself easily insulted the first chance I got. It was understandable that Malfoy might want some privacy with his son I knew if I had a son in this place I wouldn't want anyone else to have such easier access to him. Maybe I had to stop judging every one of Malfoy's moves and just give him the chance he'd asked for and he had acknowledged me earlier so maybe all of this was in my head.

"Geez is he you bloody best friend or something." Ron grumbled having barely looked up from his food for the past ten minutes.

"If the war taught me anything it's to not judge the decisions of others when you don't know the choices those decisions are based on. Anyway I gotta go McGonagall asked to see me before class." Harry said before smiling to us both before heading from the hall. As usual a few eyes followed him, the boy who saved us all.

"I thought you were supposed to be the annoyingly right one." Ron said smirking at me as Lavender walked into the hall and hurried towards us.

"Me too Ron, me too. Anyway I've got to go too see you later." I said quickly not massively wanting to third wheel the pair of them. Lavender and I had become a lot closer since the war but her and Ron together were still one of those sickening couples.

Throughout the day I couldn't help but notice the whispers that followed Malfoy everywhere. I presume he left Scorpius with Madame Pomfrey during the days because in class he often kept to himself in the back of the room determinedly focusing on any work and ignoring the many glares he got. Blaise Zabini occasionally sat next to him but the two didn't seem to talk too often, in fact throughout the entire first day I don't think Malfoy spoke at all.

During lunch he was nowhere to be seen but it didn't take long before word spread about the castle of a fight. A couple of other students had attacked Malfoy and Zabini by the lake. Apparently both were fine, turns out magical fighting wasn't the only thing they both knew how to do and for once the attackers had come off worse but if the rumours were true that was largely thanks to Zabini when Malfoy had refused to fight back.

I knew the war had hurt a lot of people but how they thought that attacking anyone was fair baffled me. We were all just kids at the end of the day and none of us could really be blamed for the war. Hate bred hate so I couldn't understand why they couldn't leave them alone. Neither Malfoy nor Zabini were in classes in the afternoon my only guess was that they were both together.

Maybe they were both trying to keep a low profile and focus on getting through this year, I didn't realise they were good friends but hey I didn't know Malfoy all that well. I guess none of us really knew each other. It was strange but since Harry had defended Malfoy this morning I couldn't help but think of him all day. He intrigued me, I saw him as somewhat of a challenge, could someone really change? Had he really changed?

At dinner both Malfoy and Zabini kept their heads low but it was clear to see a cut across Zabini's nose and a purple bruise had formed on Malfoy's cheek bone. Throughout dinner I kept glancing across at the pair of them and noticed a small smile shared between them and a lot of muttering. I excused myself from Dinner when I saw Malfoy nod to Zabini and make his way out of the great hall. I caught up with him just as he was stopped in a hallway by a shove to the shoulder.

"People died because of you, scum." Terry Boot hissed almost nose to nose with Malfoy as Boot's croneys surrounded him. Malfoy didn't really look bothered at all, it was almost as if he was waiting for these thing.

"You have the audacity to come here with your scummy child trying to get sympathy." Boot added backing Malfoy into the wall. Again Malfoy didn't react. Knowing what would happen next I stepped forward.

"Back of Boot or you'll be in detention for a month." I snapped pushing my way between Boot and Malfoy.

"How can you even defend him. He hates you." Boot hissed as many of the others fell backwards targeting an ex death eater was one thing but they all knew better than to touch anyone from the golden trio.

"As head girl it's my duty. Stay away from him we can all try to make better of our lives." I snapped back standing my ground.

"Oh my god… you're that kids mum! You traitor!" Boot stood back a bit as I looked at him confused. Draco lunged for him and it took all of my strength to hold him back. Not now. I hissed in Malfoy's ear pushing him back and allowing him to cool off for a moment.

"Boot, are you really as thick as you look? I think it would be clear if his kid was mine, I don't know if you noticed I was a bit busy fighting the war last year to be off for nine months pregnant and if I remember correctly you and your family hid as fast as you could so you wouldn't exactly know what the war was like now would you. So how dare you have the audacity to criticise him. Now go, before I report you to McGonagall and leave him alone I don't want to even hear you whisper his name again got it?" I growled as fury blazed through me knowing full well how much talking about Scorpius' mother hurt Malfoy.

"Never thought I'd see the day." Boot muttered as he stormed off his croney's following silently behind him. I turned back towards Malfoy who looked annoyed.

"You didn't have to do that. There'll be all sorts of rumours now." He grumbled slightly making his way back down the corridor towards the hospital wing.

"Malfoy wait, I know what he said about me being Scorpius' mother affected you why don't you just tell people about her, maybe then they'll stop talking." Malfoy glanced over his shoulder and glared at me quickly.

"That'd make it worse." He snapped hurrying up the stairs I figured he was late for picking up Scorpius and sped my step to keep up with him.

"How is that possible? Is this not as bad as it gets?" Malfoy paused for a second and I nearly ran into the back of him. I could tell he was contemplating something and when he finally turned around his eyes were filled with darkness.

"They wouldn't believe me." He added still not moving for a second as he looked down at his shaking hands, I wanted to embrace him but my better sense told me not to. Malfoy was such a smart person and it was a little hard to watch how, at such a young age, there was such pain in his eyes, horrors of his past, somehow worse than the rest of us.

"Why not?" I replied simply trying to understand. After a few seconds his silvery orbs met my chocolate ones and a chill ran down my spine.

"Because Scorpius is a half blood. She… she was a muggle from the local village and they…" He paused his voice shaking as he slapped a stray tear away from his cheek and avoided my eye for a second. I tried hard not to show the pure shock on my face, of all the things I'd expected Malfoy to say, that was not one of them.

"They killed her when they found out about him. I'd fallen for a muggle… and her death was my punishment. I hid him from them and tried to keep him safe, away from it all but I have to look into his little eyes and know that I'm the reason he won't know his mother, the reason he can never know her." He finished and I could see a slight relief as he breathed deeply having finally shared the truth that hurt him so much. I didn't quite know what to say, how would've ever thought that Malfoy was capable of falling in love let alone with a muggle. I could see in his eyes that his mind was reeling with memories of it all and finally being unable to help myself I hugged him tight.

He froze and first but after a few seconds his shakes racked against me as for a few seconds he was allowed to show his weaknesses.

"She'd be so proud of you, raising him and facing this all. She'd never blame you for what happened to her." I added against his shoulder causing him to freeze slightly as though realising what he was doing.

"I have to go and see my son." He said abruptly and I could see his defensive walls going up once more. His could exterior returning to its normal position as the frozen tears dried scars on his skin. I watched as he turned on the spot and hurried off not bothering to follow him further. Draco Malfoy was an intriguing person whose scars were aching to break free and I was going to make it my mission to help him heal. One thing we all deserved was to look to the future away from the war and if I could offer him a small glimmer of hope that's exactly what I would do.

******done******

Thanks for reading this chapter hope you liked it tried to get it out quickly but you will have to be patient with me I'm always so busy these days! Let me know what you think and of course predictions are always welcome! xoxo I'M RE UPLOADING TO DEAL WITH ANY FORMATTING PROBLEMS HOPE THIS IS BETTER XX