SPOV

"You're finally back from your cryptic meeting. So how did it go?" I asked when I saw the twit enter the room.

"He said he wanted to speak to you." Al offered back half heartedly.

"You don't look too well. Did father hex you or something?"

"Just scared myself thinking of the DoM thats all."

"Did something happen? Are you ok?" I asked leaping from the bed towards him. My hand rose to his forehead to feel his hot skin burning warmer than usual.

"Yes I'm fine silly. Just hurry back so we can resume the chess, exploding snap and all other forms of mischief you've planned for tonight."

"I don't believe you." I said plainly, examining his pained expression curiously. His hand came up to grab mine, removing it from his forehead as he tried to reassure me with a smile.

"Go on you twit."

"Al, we are going to talk when I get back. Got it?"

"Yes grandma Molly."

I ignored his comment and raced to my Father's study to see what was wanted of me.

After a long discussion and some not too insubstantial surprise on my part I went back to my room. I wanted to hug the idiot, but that would have given away our plan. Al couldn't find out yet that I knew what he had done for me.

The little twit was decidedly not Slytherin and this might be the only time when I loved him all the more for it. It would have to wait until tomorrow I thought grinning to myself.

"Al are you feeling better?" I asked as i entered the roo..."Oh really… and right in the middle of the bed too. Move over silly. If you're going to sleep at least make space for me." i finished as i witnessed the slumbering mass.

"Come on. Move Over. Al?"

I noticing he was shivering and had curled tightly into a ball as if to cradle a wounded limb. Despite his obvious discomfort he had managed to stay fast asleep. I couldn't wake him no matter how hard I tried but finally managed to get him under the covers with only some… minor difficulty.

"Don't you dare get sick during MY vacation or I'll kill you." I whispered into his ear while trying to keep him warm.

The cold seemed to be seeping through the very walls and the blizzard had already begun in full.

Flakes of frost, falling like fine flowing lace. This was our shelter.

A fancy lambent facade, filled with beautiful little lies to blanket the land in white and frame the world in lyrically pure perfection.

I fell asleep wondering what Al would have made of the scene had he been awake to catch the light from the lake house shine through the misty windows. Rings, presents, christmas, family...

DPOV

Several hours had past since I had explained to Scorpius how best to handle our gifts to Albus at the Burrow, when said shy Potter reappeared in front of my desk. Merlin and the Seven houses… I hoped nobody saw Scor's own ring…the Granger Woman would have an aneurism.

It was well past midnight and i could not fathom what could have possessed the boy to seek me out for the second time.

"Erm Mr. Malfoy?" he asked timidly.

"Yes Albus?"

"Do you think? I mean… that is… would you mind terribly if I ever came to you for advice?" the boy stammered nervously.

I paused to look at him for what felt like the twentieth time as though he were some strange creature that had wandered in from the wild. Harry Potter's son was asking me for advice. Trusted Scor enough with what many stories I'm sure he'd been told, to confide in me...

"The book, I mean… As much as I dislike divination… I… have felt… things…" he started again, pausing to regard me with apprehension.

"What sort of things Albus?" I asked very seriously, dreading what this strange boy would say next. This was how it had started before my son had made that pro…

"Dangerous things about the future… and I believe they may involve Scorpius. One day if anything strange presents itself could I come to you for advice?"

"If there is anything concerning my son I would know now, not later." I began moving from my desk to close the distance between us. What was going on at that blasted school…

"Its just I'm really really scared Mr. Malfoy." As he spoke his magic began to pull the warmth from the very air syphoning energy like a vacuum. "The sorting hat said such strange things to me… and there is this older Slytherin boy whose voice is winter itself…and who I seem to know from somewhere… he haunts me."

My eyes widened. Not him, please not again with that twisted child. Marvolo should have been butchered as a child, not allowed to live, let alone roam freely through society.

"What boy Albus?" I asked putting my hand on his shoulder. Comforting another soul still proved an alien practice to me so my gesture had been the only thing i could think of to do.

"This nonsense with the radical parties is just the beginning… I can see the blood. I can hear the tears and the crying. The mass death of a third wizarding war. I am so strong Mr. Malfoy…" he stopped to look directly up at me. "But even I won't be able to stay this madness…" the boy continued terrified. "I have this feeling… that they will come for us… the very people who would profess to protect us. One day… my family… my father… out of fear they will come, and they will kill us."

As the boy's words grew increasingly dark, the room too grew increasingly cold. I watched terrified as the tears froze on his cheeks… this is why we separated you in the first place... i thought fearfully.

"Albus its ok! Itsy! Bring Scorpius at once!" I called violently into the air as the horror continued.

"A platinum blond boy with eyes as grey as storm! As blue as ocean mist! Pale he lies, crumpled in a pool of crimson! A frenzied green-eyed boy, his friend, his companion his closest ally! There Death sits broken in tears, crying the Avalon's name over and over! Whose fathers were enemies their sons would have been allies! Only these two could have stopped the coming darkness. Yet there one lies dead! How could this happen? We are doomed without them! SCORPIUS!" Albus shrieked painfully dropping to one knee as the episode ended.

It had gone as swiftly as it had come. The darkness, the cold, and the crazed fear had all vanished, leaving a very confused twelve year old in its place.

"Um Mr. Malfoy? How did you get all the way from your desk?" Albus asked as though he had missed the better part of what had happened...

"If you can't remember… You have to remember! Please tell me you remember!" I demanded in frenzied haste.

"Father? Whats all this yelling? Don't tell me you've hexed my best friend…" Scorpius began coming into the room. "Albus! Whats going on?" Scorpius added in complete dismay as he rushed over to Albus.

"Scorpius fetch ice water now, no magic! Itsy, You are to prepare parchment and wake one of the owls… in fact, Daisy you prepare the floo and fetch my traveling cloak too."

"Yes master!" squeaked both elves together as they disappeared with a quick 'crack' and quiet 'pop'.

"Father—"

"—DO AS I SAY!" I boomed as my son fled fast from the study.

"Albus what was the last thing you remember?"

"I... asked you if I could ever come to you for… advice" he stammered sightly confused at my urgency … "I mentioned Marvolo and then I…" he stopped at that as though the pieces were beginning to flood back and he...

"NOOO! THAT WASN'T!..." He shouted, eyes widening again. This poor boy, what he had seen was beyond horrible.

"Do you recall the endi—"

"It couldn't be real! He's not dead! SCORPIUS ISN'T DEAD" Albus screamed, his eyes bulging with a terror I remembered only in the presence of the Dark Lord himself.

"Here just calm down, Scorpius is fine… if you remember what you saw… if you remember how it ended, then it couldn't be a prophecy… merely a premonition…" I explained calmly to the miniature Harry Potter.

"But I saw—" he started, green eyes mad with fear and confusion.

"—And whereas prophecies are unbreakable… premonitions can be used to change everything. They merely tender but one facet of one possible future."

"Mr. Malfoy please, I don't want to remember that! You heard it right? Record it if you must, but get it out of my head!" The boy pleaded desperately just as Scorpius came racing back. He had with him a glass of water that by now had been half emptied onto the expensive carpet by his frantic running...

"Here Father, I brought the—Ooomph!" Scorpius was cut off the moment Al plowed into him. The boy embraced my son wildly, nearly knocking the glass out of his hand entirely.

"Scor you're alright!" He said tears streaming from his face…

They looked like we might have, when we were twelve… although I would have hexed the idiot Potter if he'd presumed to touch me, let alone hug me as fondly as this…

"Of course I'm alright. What are you on about?"

"Are you sure Albus?" I asked calmly, interrupting my son.

"Yes! Remove it now! Five minutes or so, you have the tears, Just get it out!" Albus commanded wrenching himself away from Scorpius.

"Father WHAT IS GOING ON!?"

I drew my wand and pointed it at the boy who had made my son happier in these last few months than I had ever seen him. Who had named him friend and ally. Who had told me my boy would make me proud… this strange child who might someday sit crying over my son's pale corpse… calling his name over and o…

"Obliviate" I whispered resolutely without finishing the horrifying thought.

"FATHER!" Scorpius screamed in utter confusion, moving as if to protect his friend.

After a pause the boy seemed to regain his senses. "…You're right Mr. Malfoy its late and I should go find Scor. I'm glad I can come to you if I have any concerns… oh Scor, when did you get here?" Albus asked surprised.

"Scorpius would you help me in the study before returning to your friend here? Itsy show Albus back to Scorpius's room. And Albus this gift was truly amazing, Scorpius is lucky to have a friend like you." I didn't leave either my bewildered son nor his friend room to interject.

"Oh… um… well thank you Mr. Malfoy… I … well goodnight." The boy stammered before being pulled away by an overzealous house-elf. As soon as the doors to the study clicked closed my son began his yelling. I don't think he has ever yelled at me before.

"What on earth was that! Did he have an episode? What did you do Father? Why would you obliviate him?" Scor asked wildly, bombarding me with torrents of unending questions.

"Calm down. So he's had either premonitions or prophecies before?" I asked intently, grabbing the proffered items from the elf that had returned with the enchanted untraceable parchment I kept only for emergencies. I began scribbling, ignoring years of calligraphy without waiting for my son's reply.

"Prophecies? Al just has trouble controlling his magic. Thats why I asked about giving him the nightfyre ring..." Scorpius paused darkly at that, his mouth half open in a look of confusion I rarely ever saw present on my son's face…

"He was crying when he hugged me. What did he? You said prophecies? He told me… that I was … alright… Father, did he foresee my death...?"

Sometimes my twelve year old is too smart for even me. He had figured it out almost instantly. I wonder if this was what Kendra Dumbledore must have had to deal with…

"Scorpius it wasn't a prophecy, it was an unstable premonition, and now it is gone from his mind, that is all you need concern yourself with. I will write to the Potters and inform them immediately that their son—" I started continuing to scribble violently.

"—No don't. His parents… he's… they don't understand how strong he is… they fear him… just like Mother…" Scorpius explained, looking down. I stopped writing at that…

"You help him with these episodes?" I asked.

"Well yes… he's stronger than me… but doesn't have nearly as much control. I don't think the Potters had anyone to teach him that kind of restraint… his aunt hermione does a little but she is familiar with theory… and has technical understanding, but she doesn't know what its like to..." he was stammering incomprehensibly. My son was uncharacteristically worried. I'd never seen him concerned for anyone besides Aurora, and even that had been a stretch.

"Calm down and speak clearly this is important Scorpius." I ordered trying not to sound too reproachful. "You have no idea what he said…" I couldn't burden him with the truth. My only son. "He predicted a new conflict…" I started intending to omit much of my explanation…

"Father… if I asked you to promise me that everything would be alright… If you could promise me that tomorrow I would wake up for christmas and be content that you'd taken care of everything… could you make me forget tonight too? Like Al? I… can't know this… its too much..."

"Scorpius… I don't think that would be a good idea. Tomorrow is not a safe time to be cought unaware… "

"We are both constantly aware of everything that happens around us. We are always on guard because of our powers. We… I promise we will still be vigilant, its just that… I don't want to even guess what Al saw… and I can't walk around thinking…" Scorpius started to cry and I knew how deeply he was touched by this… I don't remember the last time I saw my son cry either. Not pain, nor fear, nor hate, nor even his mothers departure had made my son shed a tear. He had thought tears a sign of weakness since the day Ella passed away.

"You will wake up tomorrow in your bed. You will be happy because I let Al stay over. You will get excited at opening your presents and I will feel safe and secure in the knowledge that you forgot everything that was said here… I promise I love you." I said hugging my son gently as the tears poured from his face.

I didn't want to worry him that it mightn't matter. That the same thing might happen again tomorrow during the weakening of the veil.

"Father… If there is a moment when all seems lost or you think we are on the precipice of something terrible, I think you should ask Al and I about the day we met." Scorpius said pulling my face back in front of his. "Tell us that even though we don't remember we said it, it was imperative that you and Hermione Granger be told that Albus and I met once before school… through an accident in the department of mysteries… father promise you won't ask me about it unless it is absolutely necessary…" Scorpius pleaded.

What did he just say? How did two eleven year olds get into…

"I promise… I love you…" I paused before performing the spell. This wasn't happening again… I wouldn't let it.

"Obliviate."

Little does Scor know... they've met before even then... this was not the first time we've had to modify their memories...


Next Time: A Dangerous Letter.

Its already written I just need to edit and receive the customary number of reviews. They can be left for any chapters though so go back and reread if you're inclined! ^_^

(This chapter will be subject to heavy revision.)