SPOV

I heard a soft knock on the door.

"Scor are you dressed?" Al called from the other side, I rolled my eyes at that. We had just bathed together for goodness sake. I hadn't changed yet and I couldn't decide what to wear. Choosing from among the colored silk garments which were laid out artfully on my bed by the elves was always impossible.

"Just come in you twit." I managed slipping on a sapphire blue dress shirt as the door closed behind him.

He began to flush brightly at the realization that I wasn't completely dressed. I put on my underwear, sighing at his ridiculousness. Sometimes he was simply silly.

"I thought you said you were disposed?"

"Jeez Al, everything makes you blush. Pretty girls, foundational magic, professor Snape when he berates you, even Rory. What's next?" I asked exasperatedly.

"You do realize Rory and pretty girls qualify as the same thing right?" Al corrected, smiling. "Besides weren't you the one that made such a fuss about us being unable to bathe?" Al added losing his flush in annoyance and removing his towel with a scowl in retaliation. I merely turned back towards the bed to choose proper dress pants.

"HA! Aurora isn't a girl Al. She's a demon." I spat back at him as he moved towards his bags to retrieve fresh clothing.

"With a tendency to say the most embarrassing things imaginable." Al added fishing through his luggage. The Roberti Cavieli? Or Frunard? I couldn't decide which to put on. I chuckled thinking we were dressing up for a casual dinner between the two of us. My father wasn't likely to be at the table with us tonight... So why was I going through the effort of dressing formally?

"Even your cousin Vicky makes you red. You know in muggle society that's taboo." I teased, eliciting another blush from the naked twit.

"Shut up Scor! Victoire is… beyond pretty, I can't help it. Besides, you were blushing at my mom!" Al half yelled in annoyance.

"The Ginny Potter, famous model and Quidditch player, called me adorable. Even I couldn't help it." I mumbled back. Al's mom was stunning. It wasn't even a topic open for debate. It was an obvious beauty, not a subtle one.

"Ha. Ha. Well not that you aren't, a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e, but you shouldn't tease me for a flaw you possess as well. I know you don't like unslytherin characteristics but so what?" Al added defensively, searching more violently for something to wear.

"Well I blame you and your infectious humanity for this ailment. And call me adorable again… even in jest and I'll murder you."

"But why? You are adorable." Al reiterated, turning around with MY Slytherin smirk sewn flawlessly on his face. He had yet to put his clothes back on when he turned to face me. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and had to turn away. Damn it, he won that one. We seemed to play chess even without the board. Even without our clothes. I was going to beat him one day.

"I mean not as adorable as Vicky or Rory… or me either for that matter but not bad." He continued mockingly. The room was enveloped in a blanket of total silence but for Al's rummaging which continued for several minutes with an occasional curse thrown in for variety. I started to redden again when I realized just how long Al had been naked in my room. My embarrassment turned to annoyance as I drummed my fingers against the table. I listened to the clicks my nails made as they hit the marble, rolling my eyes at the fact that I was now starting to annoy myself.

"Ahem!" I heard from right behind me. Given how close Al was standing I deemed it safe to look back at him. His hands were held behind his back and he was leaning in with an enormous grin. His Slytherin smirk fit him better than that stupid grin, I thought examining his face. The smile made him look... Gryffindor.

"Really Al?" I asked eyeing his choice of clothing.

"What? Dinner isn't for a few hours and I thought your dad might find it… humorous."

"A 'Chosen One' t-shirt with an enormous picture of your dad's face on it? You thought Father would find that humorous?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah. In a cheeky sort of way. Either that or he'd realize the irony and be amused by its ridiculousness."

"Why not one of my silk shirts instead? They're really soft." I coaxed.

"Fine, but don't they have the Malfoy crest on them? Won't your dad mind more that I'm wearing that?"

"Father's opinion on this is moot. I don't mind that you wear our crest, in fact I would be honored" I snapped fiercely.

"Well if you're sure…"

"I am. Besides Father most likely won't be joining us. Now take off that ridiculous farce of a garment." The shirt I had in mind was a deep emerald which reminded me of Al. It was perfect and the nicest piece I owned. In fact, it was even enchanted to grow as I did, among… other... more odd... things the charms taylor had worked into the fabric.

APOV

"Well if you're sure…" I said taking off the t and waiting for him to hand me something.

"Now wait here and close your eyes you cheeky shit." Scor ordered, walking to his closet and back. I closed them and felt him guide my arms into the sleeves of a shirt before violently ruffling my hair when he'd made certain I wouldn't peek.

"Hey!" I called indignantly about to open my eyes.

"Not yet." He whispered, clasping a hand delicately to the front of my face.

"Besides Al, your hair couldn't possibly have been messier. Just wait, I'll fix it in a minute."

So I waited patiently while my twit ran about the room searching for Merlin knows what. When he finally returned to my side the fussing began.

It was interesting how much I could still see without my eyes. The first thing I felt were his hands doing up the buttons, then in my hair as he carefully fixed the brown mess, then on my face and neck as he administered a strange but fragrant liquid, and finally on my shoulders as he lead me presumably to stand in front of a mirror. If it had been anyone else in my family I might have expected to look like a clown, but I trusted Scor with more than my life and I doubted he would ever humiliate me. Although he was decidedly the more Slytherin of us both...

"Now you can open your eyes." He whispered softly.

When I did, what I saw defied logic. I could hardly recognize myself. It was as though I had aged several years.

"Wow… I look… amazing." I said. The silk was the exact color of my eyes when they were their moss green in the afternoon sun and the pattern was beyond spectacular. The material was woven to give the impression that the wearer was covered in a rippling mail of emerald dragon scales that shimmered brightly in the light. In fact as I examined the piece I realized it wasn't just a pattern, the fabric literally rose off the body of the shirt as if each piece were a sharply pointed scale.

Bordering either side of the buttons was a column of viridian crushed silk which was in turn inlaid with gold and silver filaments threaded in diamond pattern along its length. It was one of the few dress shirts designed to be worn untucked which only furthered the impression that it's wearer was some exotic creature. I could tell it had cost a fortune and I could even sense that it had been enchanted.

"A charms tailor worked on this?" I asked incredulously.

"You can tell?" he asked smiling in the mirror. "I'm forgetting who you are Al, of course you could tell."

"What did you do to my hair? Its never this…"

"Agreeable?" he finished for me.

"Yeah."

"It's still basically a mess but I enjoy it like that." in truth Al's hair is never really as messy as his brother's or father's. It was more manageable. A velvety chocolate brown and nearly as soft as mine. It always tickled my face when we were sleeping.

"I can tell that too. You don't wear your hair like any of your family portraits show. It's never quite as neat as that. Especially not with that goop you always put in it make it spiky."

"What do mean always? I barely do that once a week. Besides its nothing like yours though." He giggled.

"Are you sure I can wear this?" I asked again. Scor was a stingy shit most of the time, but never with me. I was afraid of him giving it to me if I wore it and he ended up thinking it looked…

"You can have it if you want. It looks better on you anyway." he offered seriously, looking at my reflection in the mirror. Hahahahah right on queue.

"Scor you can't give this to me." I didn't think he'd react well to me telling him what he might or might not be allowed to do.

"I can and if you feel bad about this then you're going to kill me when I give you your christmas present." He said smiling. If only you knew what I'd gotten you and your dad, I thought grinning to myself.

"Oh and the best thing about that shirt is its enchanted to grow with the wearer, never ever wrinkle or tear and it's actually as resilient as a Hungarian Horntail's scales. You could use it in a duel."

"That last one I doubt."

"Its true, I even wore it in my official young dueling society bouts before Hogwarts. There were only two but still it works amazingly well. Now with your school pants you look presentable for dinner. Actually you look like you might make it into a ball." He finished eyeing me carefully.

"But how would I get in without an invitation from the glorious Malfoys?"

"Rory might take you. She's already dug her claws in."

"Ha! I'm Marquess Peverell you sill boy, I don't need her. Besides you would let RORY steal me? Don't get me wrong she's definitely better company and much prettier to look at, but still."

"Rory, can have you over my dead body. Besides she's mine too." He said moving to ruffle my hair again. Just like a real brother would. Of course I artfully evaded him. James used to ruffle my hair I thought somberly remembering nicer times. This was definitely not the Scorpius I had known at the beginning of the year. He'd ... Softened somewhat since the beginning of our friendship.

"Oh are we all merely yours then?" I asked indignantly, yet wholly unable to contain my laughter at his next statement.

"Absolutely."

"I even smell like you now. You've marked me." I remarked, scrunching my nose in mock distaste. His features suddenly hardened and the mask moved slowly back into place as his eyes contemplated his hand. We already marked each other I thought, reading Scor's mind, remembering the tingling in that hand. I hated that when his mask was truly in place he could hide things even from me. I wanted to rip it off and see him smile again. That was sort of a strange thought.

"Masters. Dinner is served." squeaked one of the house elves.

DPOV

I had just finished the tidbits of food that Daisy had served me, entirely intent on returning once my work was finished for a formal meal, when Itsy lead the boys in for their dinner.

"Oh, Father. I didn't know you'd be eating with us." Shot Scorpius worriedly. I was staring at the two boys in disbelief. Scorpius was wearing his expensive and beautiful celestial sapphire robe and Albus…

"It would seem I was done some sort of honor. Two princes appear to have graced me with their presence."

"Father—"

"—You might have worn that to Augustin's last ball. It suits you better than it does my son." I interrupted, noting that Albus was dressed in my sons Dracorian Mail. Scorpius loved it beyond reason. He would never have let anyone else wear it… ever.

"So you don't mind that I display your crest or colors?"

"I'm actually flattered that you hadn't objected to donning it. However, in point of fact, our crest was placed over the former. It was handed down."

"Hecate, Rhöyne or Muramasa?" the boy asked curiously.

"Older still." Something about the child seemed off. He looked and spoke… much too hypnotically.

"It is rare of you to take your meal this early Father. Have you finally found time for a break?"

"I was actually returning to my study when you entered. I have not the time to dine properly until I've sent off some sensitive material first."

"Oh… I thought perhaps… that you might join us..." Scorpius asked with concealed disappointment.

"Perhaps christmas eve when I have some time. You two enjoy." I departed abruptly, but I had no choice. These were dangerous times and Harry was counting on me relaying this information. I didn't like making my son sad. I had not been spending nearly as much time with him lately.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~)◊(~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"They are strange together do you not agree?" my mother asked me as we walked in to find the boys asleep on the sofa, Albus's head tucked beneath Scorpius'. There were notes, pillows, and games spread out uncharacteristically about the room. Scorpius had his arm wrapped protectively around the replica Potter and was smiling softly… content. They looked peaceful.

"Strange does not begin to describe my son…" I offered back to her. He is a storm of enigma.

"You know, I am glad in the end you gave nothing to that horrid woman. To leave her son like that was absurdly vile." She continued.

"Do you speak of the failure of her duty or her love mother?" I asked curiously.

"Both." she shot back at me, warning me to be careful. Still my fearsome mother, I thought watching her.

"We can't all lie to the Dark Lord to protect those we love now can we? Few are capable of such devotion nor are those people who are, generally capable of proving it." I offered softly to her, reminding her of what she'd done for me during the war.

"This business with your removed cousins… what will come of it? I am too old for another war." Mother asked seriously, ignoring my comment entirely. But then, I was used to it. Narcissa was never really one to actually admit that she loved someone, but she would fight relentlessly for those that she loved.

"It will take time for Augustin to marshal his allies across the mainland. He will seek out even those across the seas. His family is hungry and power drunk. The last generation may not have had the power to oppose Voldemort, nor the ICW, but they do now. This ceremony with pure blood is indeed dangerous and it may result in the reawakening of thousands of families who have lost their magic over the long years. Father would have had a field day with the information. it is too dangerous to have been made public." I said darkly.

"How dangerous?" she asked again.

"It threatens all of us, that much is certain. The Potter children, The dark one, Scorpius, the Delacours; anyone who descends from one of the seven families or any of the other pureblooded originals is a potential weapon for the Valois. These two and their natural ability remind me too much of Augustin's children for comfort. And…" I paused, feeling unwell at the memory, pain and loss.

"And what?"

"Even then, after all that, there is the business of Scorpius's prophecy as well." I stopped when I heard the boys start to stir. "Let us not disturb them. They at least deserve this peace before the storm" I said placing my hand on the small of Mother's back to lead her away. They had looked too peaceful to bother disturbing them with such unpleasant news.

SPOV

They always think I'm asleep… What strangeness was in store for us next… seven… again...

I groaned slightly as I managed to move my body into a more comfortable position. I can't believe how much more peacefully this idiot sleeps when he's with company, especially me… It's annoying really. Louis, Rose and I are not your pillows Al, I thought indignantly, brushing the hair from his face. If Al is like my brother then does that mean i'm related to that idiot James now too? How could the Chosen One's offspring be so starkly different from one another? It was like night and day when it came to James and Albus Potter. Merlin I hope it snows for Christmas, I thought drifting off again.