Scorpius pulled the blanket up to his chin and peered at Blaise. "Okay, I'm weady for the story!"
Blaise chuckled and began his story. "Do you know the legend of La Befana?"
Scorpius shook his head, his eyes widening. "Wha's dat?"
"Not what, it's a who."
"An owl?"
"No, La Befana is a witch." Blaise laughed and ruffled Scorpius' blond hair, marvelling at how soft it was.
"Mum's a witch too!" Scorpius exclaimed.
"Yes, a scary one," Blaise agreed, shivering at the thought of Ginny's Bat-Bogey Hex. When Scorpius giggled, Blaise laughed and said, "Okay, let me tell you the story."
Scorpius nodded and scooted closer to Blaise, his eyes wide with excitement.
"Thousands of years ago, the three Magi left their country carrying gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh for Jesus. A star guided them across many countries—"
"I'm a star, too!" Scorpius interrupted.
"Yes, you are." Blaise kissed Scorpius's forehead, which made the boy grin and puff up with pride. "Anyway, everyone they met welcomed them and accompanied them on their journey, but one old woman said that she was too busy and promised to join them later."
"Why?"
"She wanted to do her chores."
"Didn't she have a house-ewf?"
"Maybe she was poor… The next day, she realised her mistake and ran after the Magi with gifts for the child, still clutching her broom. But it was too late—they were gone."
"Aww!"
"After that, the old woman became known as 'La Befana.' Every year, on the eve of 6th January—that's tonight—Italian children leave a small glass of wine—"
Scorpius excitedly added, "Tha's the gwown-up dwink Daddy wikes!"
Blaise snickered at that and went on, "—and some food for her, and she brings them little presents. Sometimes, she even sweeps the house with her broom. The end."
"Is La Befana weal? Or was this a Muggle stowy?" Scorpius asked, tapping his chin.
Blaise leaned in closer to whisper, "Don't tell anyone because this is a secret, but… La Befana is real. I've seen her with my own eyes!"
Scorpius gasped and clasped his hands to his chest. "Weally? Can I meet her? When will she come? Will she bwing me something? Am I an Itawian child?"
Blaise laughed and wrapped his arm around Scorpius's bony shoulders. "You're not Italian, but La Befana brings presents to every child in Italy, so…"
"And we're in Italy! Daddy said so!" Scorpius shot out from under the blanket and began bouncing on the mattress. "Will we see La Befana today? Oh, can we, pwease, Unca Bwaise?"
Before Blaise could answer, a soft thump on the living room floor and a muffled voice startled them. Scorpius's eyes widened and he leapt into Blaise's lap. He whispered, "Is that… La Befana?"
Blaise hoisted his godson up onto his hip and crept towards the door. "Let's go see!"
"I'm scared," Scorpius admitted, clutching onto Blaise's shirt with both hands. "Wha' if she hexes us?"
"La Befana doesn't hex children. She just thumps them with her broom."
Scorpius tightened his grip on Blaise and whimpered as Blaise tiptoed across the carpeted floor towards the living room. Blaise was about to open the door when Scorpius whispered, "Be careful, Unca Bwaise…"
"Why don't you stay here?" Blaise whispered. "I'll handle La Befana—if it is her."
"No, I'm bwave like Mummy!"
"Unlike your daddy, huh? Alright then, kid. Let's go whoop the witch's ar—butt."
Scorpius muffled his giggles in Blaise's neck. "You said butt."
Blaise grinned and shushed him before nudging the door open. It creaked as it swung inward, and Scorpius shivered in Blaise's arms. They peered inside the room and gasped.
A woman lay sprawled on the ground near the fireplace, an ornate black mask concealing her face. She held an upside-down wine glass, its contents already spilled on her dark robes, and a broomstick that had seen better days.
"It's La Befana!" Scorpius whisper-yelled in Blaise's ear, but Blaise was rooted to the spot.
It can't be… I was just joking! She can't be real, can she?
As if the woman had heard his thoughts, she sat up and looked straight at Blaise. "Blaise Zabini… As I live and breathe!"
Blaise's scream was inhuman even to his ears. "You know my name!"
The woman's eyes widened, and she glanced down at herself. "Oh… I forgot… I am not who you think I am."
"What?" It was Blaise's turn to clutch at Scorpius.
"You're La Befana." Scorpius peered over Blaise's arm and grinned. "Hi, I'm Sco'pius!"
The woman smiled and stepped closer, swaying on her feet. "Hi, I'm drunk as a skunk in a trunk."
Scorpius giggled and tugged on Blaise's curls. "I wike her, Unca Bwaise. She's funny."
Just then, the wine glass slipped from the woman's fingers and tumbled to the floor. She slapped a hand over her mouth and mumbled, "Excuse me, I think I'm going to be sick."
Blaise's eyes widened at the thought of the woman throwing up on his expensive oriental rug. He jerked his thumb behind him. "The toilet's that way!"
The woman sprinted past Blaise, and a few moments later, the sound of her throwing up in the bathroom basin reached their ears. Scorpius scrunched up his nose and whispered, "She shouldn't dwink so much."
"You're right, Scorp. You can tell her that when she returns." Blaise was still trying to figure out what in Merlin's name was happening.
When the woman returned, stumbling over her robes, a few sausages slipped out of her pocket and fell on the ground with a soft plop.
Squinting, Scorpius bent over to pick them up. "What…"
The woman glanced down and shrugged. "People keep leaving wine and sausages out for me tonight. If I were a non-vegetarian, I would eat those—but because I'm not, I just drink the wine, drop off a present, and leave."
Scorpius piped up. "Can I eat them?"
"Well, I was going to take them home for my best friend, but you can have them instead. I'm sure she'd want that."
Blaise was about to tell Scorpius to drop the sausages, not knowing where they had come from, when Scorpius shook his head and handed them back to the woman. "They're for your fwiend, so she should have them. Mummy a'ways tells me to be nice and not wike Daddy."
The woman's eyes glinted and a smile played on her lips. "Ginny's right. That's why she's my best friend."
"You can't be her best fwiend," Scorpius argued, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "Auntie Luna's Mummy's bestie!"
The woman grinned and pulled off her mask to reveal…
"Auntie Wuna! It's you!" Scorpius exclaimed, throwing himself at Luna's legs to embrace her. Pulling back, he grabbed Blaise's arm and shook it like a ragdoll. "Unca Bwaise, look! It's Auntie Wuna!"
"Yes, kid, I can see that," Blaise said, confusion overwhelming him. What was going on? Why was Luna Lovegood in his house pretending to be La Befana of all people? "But why?"
"Have you heard of the La Befana Foundation?"
Blaise had no idea. "No… What's that?"
"Every year, the foundation chooses one volunteer to travel across Italy and give presents to the children," Luna explained patiently. She smiled down at Scorpius and said, "This year, it's my turn."
"Are you Itawian? Did you fly all the way here? Did you bwing me a present too? Can I be La Befana one day?" Scorpius asked, bouncing on the spot. He was still holding onto Blaise's arm, cutting off his circulation, but because he was so excited, Blaise didn't say anything.
"I'm not Italian, but any witch can sign up for this mission," Luna said, chuckling at Scorpius. "And yes, I flew here, and I brought you a present!"
Scorpius screamed and lunged at Luna. Clapping and almost vibrating on the spot, he yelled, "Can I see? Can I? Can I? Pwease!"
Luna glanced at Blaise, who shrugged and nodded. He didn't see the harm in letting Scorpius open a present.
He was so wrong.
Two hours had gone by, but Scorpius refused to go to sleep. The starfish that Luna had given him had now replaced Blaise as Scorpius's best friend.
Blaise was secretly hurt, but he kept his face composed. He refused to cry just because he was jealous of a fucking starfish. What would Luna think if she saw him bawling like a baby? Blaise had a reputation to think of, and he wouldn't let it suffer.
But then, Scorpius exclaimed, "You're the best, Mr Twinkle! I'll wove you fo'ever and ever!"
Blaise inhaled sharply and clenched his jaw. A lump formed in his throat, and his nose began to prick. He bit his tongue, trying to keep his tears at bay. But the moment Luna placed her hand on his shoulder and murmured, "It's okay. He still loves you," Blaise's chin trembled and a tear ran down his cheek.
He swiped it away and cleared his throat before saying in a rough voice, "It's time to go to sleep, Scorp."
"But I'm not sweepy," Scorpius whined, still petting the starfish in its little aquarium.
"Bed. Now."
Scorpius pouted but petted the starfish once more before walking towards the door. He waved at Luna and called out, "Bye, Auntie Wuna—oops, sorry! Miss La Befana!"
"Goodnight, Scorpius," she said, smiling and waving at him. When Scorpius had left the room, she turned to look at Blaise. "With love and patience, nothing is impossible."
"You made him replace me with a fucking starfish. Couldn't you have given him something else? Like… a broom or a stuffed toy?" Blaise snapped, crossing his arms and glaring at her. Yes, she was gorgeous, but he wouldn't stand for this injustice.
"He will learn the meaning of life from his bowl of porridge," Luna said, still smiling.
"I have no idea what that means, but I am not happy with you."
Luna's eyes glinted as she approached him, slightly swaying on her feet. She smiled up at him and murmured, "Let me make it up to you..."
Blaise's eyes widened. Was she… No, that wasn't possible, right? He squinted at her and waited for her to finish her sentence.
Luna's eyes kept fluttering shut while her head lolled from side to side; Blaise was getting dizzy just by looking at her. Luna placed her hand on his chest and smiled sleepily. "I'll make…"
"You're in no position to make anything," Blaise stated. He rolled his eyes when she giggled, and then, he made a split-second decision.
He scooped her up bridal-style and carried her towards the guest bedroom. Her head lolled on his arm, and by the time he dropped her on the bed, she was fast asleep. Blaise tossed a blanket over her, grunting when she tried to yank him under the blanket in her sleep, and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Hopefully, she wouldn't die in her sleep by choking on her own vomit.
Blaise walked back to his room and opened the door before stopping in his tracks.
Scorpius was curled up on his bed, clutching onto Blaise's blanket. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell rhythmically. It was the fact that he was sucking on his thumb that melted Blaise's heart. How could Blaise be mad at his godson now?
He smiled and climbed onto the bed, trying not to wake Scorpius up. He slid underneath the blanket, and Scorpius immediately snuggled closer, sighing as he placed his head on Blaise's chest.
Tears pricked Blaise's eyes when Scorpius mumbled sleepily, "Wuv you, Unca Bwaise."
"I love you too, kid," Blaise muttered, his voice gruff. He wrapped his arm around Scorpius's shoulder and stared up at the ceiling, trying to keep his tears at bay.
Maybe, just maybe, Mr Twinkle wasn't Scorpius's best friend. Blaise still had a chance to keep his title.
