It had been a spontaneous decision of Harry's to ask Draco to look out for his son that the truth was, he had not really expected something to come out of it (nor had he wished anything to come out of it) but he was now glad to have asked despite the dilemma the Malfoys' letter had placed him in. When he had realised that his new friend had copied Scorpius' words directly for him to read, he had felt conflicted about reading as it felt like an act of betrayal to that sweet boy but in the end, the temptation had just been too great since Scorpius had been the one person with whom Al had shared his nightmares. Scorpius was right in the sense that there was nothing in particular he could do for Albus even after learning more about his nightmares given that his son had just specifically requested him not to ask about the nightmares in his subsequent letters. Al would get suspicious as well if he displayed too much concern on other areas of his life in his letters, especially about things he was not supposed to know about at the first place like Al's new-found interest in history. Nonetheless, the new knowledge itself was indeed valuable for him as he at least understood now what he was going up against that he would not have to help his son blindly.

As he had expected, Albus' nightmares were at least partially about his guilts, which made perfect sense given his son's active role in Delphi's plans. Harry could give excuses for Al or blame himself for driving his son away all he wanted but even he could not deny that the boy had been at least partially to blame in the Time Turner incidents. If he had to guess, the guilt Albus was experiencing would likely be more similar to the one he had felt following Sirius' death, in which he had been responsible for being gullible and careless, than the guilt he had felt for Cedric's death, in which he had been completely set up by Barty Crouch Jr. and could not have controlled or predicted in any way. Albus had, after all, actively dragged Scorpius with him to seek Delphi out after their first meeting, had stolen the Time Turner and had even used it multiple times. Someone else might have been killed or tortured by Delphi had Albus not fallen into her traps but it would be a lie if he tried to convince his son and himself that Albus had been completely innocent in Craig's death and Scorpius' torture. Well-intentioned or not, his son would be burdened by these guilts for years to come, all because the boy had wanted to set right something he had failed in the past. The realisation brought him profound sadness because while his boy might not have been perfect nor completely blameless, he was only a lost and overshadowed boy trying to do some good to prove his worth and to earn his stupid father's approval. Had the boy make some mistakes? Totally. Did Albus deserve to suffer from nightmares and his guilty conscience for years to come? Definitely not, at least not in Harry's opinions.

He did not know what to make out of Albus' new-found curiosity regarding the Triwizard Tournament and the war at all. Harry had never been comfortable with fame and his past that he had never actively tried to tell his children his life story. He had figured that they would learn what they would need to know in a more objective account in history classes anyway that there had been no reason for him to subject them to his awkward storytelling. He had, however, talked about Snape in detail with Albus because some of his more tactless cousins had given him some hard times as a child because of his middle name that he had felt the need to make sure that Al would understand that Severus Snape had truly been an admirable man. In any case, reading this part of the letter reaffirmed what he had heard, that Scorpius was basically a walking A History of Magic. He smiled at the thought but then could not help wondering how on earth had Draco or Astoria first talked to the young Malfoy about their family past. Albus had been unhappy enough to have wished that Harry had not been his father. If Scorpius had been anything like Albus, he would have hated Draco enough to want him dead for giving him a name that had associated him with not only Death Eaters, but also Voldemort, thus condemning him to years of bullying and harassment. Remembering Draco's letter and the interactions shared by the Malfoys on the platform recently, he was once again reminded of how accepting and sympathetic a child Scorpius was for wholeheartedly loving his father despite his darker past.

He was aware that both the Malfoys had taken a huge risk by giving him such information that he felt extremely touched by the personal interests they had taken in Albus' well-being as well as the unexpected trust in himself they had shown. Scorpius, in particular, was the best friend he could ever ask for anybody that with each passing day, it had become more and more unbelievable that he had tried to cold-heartedly separate this loyal and tender-hearted boy from his only friend. Harry had grown so fond of the young Malfoy himself that he believed he could understand where his son was coming from when he had asked his best friend to stay happy. Remembering Al's first letter to him after Godric's Hollow, his son had felt guilty about dragging his friend into this that his biggest worry at the time had been the possibility of any permanent harm done to Scorpius. It could have been so relieving to him that Scorpius had been okay that it had not mattered to him when he himself had started having nightmares. Albus might have felt responsible in some ways for what had happened that it had felt "okay" for him to be the one to endure the nightmares, as long as his innocent friend would not have to suffer beyond his previous torture.

For the hundredth time since their return from Godric's Hollow, he talked to Ginny again about Albus. Like himself, she had felt conflicted about reading Scorpius' words to his father but unlike himself, she had resisted the temptation to read herself and had resorted to asking him to tell her the gist of the message. She agreed with him that there was nothing alarming enough about Albus that they had to notify Professor McGonagall and that extra weekend visit would likely raise the boy's suspicions. Despite having taken the news of Albus' nightmares pretty well, Ginny had appeared more distracted than usual during this one of many conversations of the same kind they had had about their youngest son.

"Ginny…" Silence, they were lying on their backs, waiting to fall asleep having talked about Albus for the last twenty minutes in a conversation that had not really gone anywhere.

"What's wrong, Gin?" He turned towards her and circled his arm around her waist to turn her towards him. He had not lighted his wand but was surprised to see some moistures beneath her eyes, reflecting the bright moonlight streaming through the window. Had Lupin been alive, he would have been a werewolf right now.

"Nothing…" It was obviously not nothing when one of the toughest women he had ever known was dabbing the handkerchief she had always kept on her bedside table under her eyes. After a beat, she said, "this reminds me of our early days, soon after the war, when you had nightmares all the times and I would hold you to sleep… If only I could do the same for Al. He has been through way too much in the past few months and they are still so young." She was undoubtedly a bit upset but was able to keep her voice well under control.

It was disturbing to see Ginny like this that he was not sure how to respond. Could he really blame her when she had borne with years of interrupted sleep, sometimes even by screamings and pathetic sobbings by himself only having to see these happening all over again to her baby now that he had stopped having nightmares? Harry had never been great at comforting people that at times, he tried to do so by making the most pathetic jokes. "Well… Al may like you better but being held to sleep by his mother at fourteen is a foolproof recipe for years of teasing."

Instead of laughing or smiling at his terrible joke, she replied dryly with her slightly nasal voice, "Thank you for your valuable insight, Mr Potter." She put away her handkerchief then turned back to him, "You know, Harry, sometimes it's okay to just say nothing when you don't know what to say."

With her spoken permission, he did as he was told by shutting up and just silently holding her in his arm. He was ready to try to go to sleep again but then something Ginny had just said made him wanted to talk about something he had never addressed.

He asked softly, "Gin… are you still awake?" He heard her sighed, "Yes, unfortunately."

"Do you know if Al has ever liked a girl? I know the boys don't really have much of a social life in Hogwarts because of the bullying but I heard Neville said that some of the kids are treating them like heroes following the incidents… I know Al has been troubled but he's a nice kid and he seems to be doing much better in school, perhaps it would help him if he finds a girlfriend?"

She answered with an unexpected smirk, "Honestly, Scorpius is the only person I could imagine holding Al to sleep without being forcefully pushed away by our moody son."

Thinking of the way their son always lighted up whenever he saw the young Malfoy, or whenever Scorpius was merely mentioned, Harry would have to agree… but then… could this mean that… the thought was so shocking that he quickly detached himself from his wife and jumped up. She reluctantly sat up as well, then picked up her wand. "Lumos." However, when he looked at her face, she looked apparently amused when she asked, "What's got into you, Harry?"

"You don...don't think Al… he likes S-Scorpius, do you?"

She shrugged and replied as if she was talking about the weather, "What if he does? What if he doesn't?"

"Well… if h-he does, that would mean… it would mean that he's … gay." But then, he remembered something, "But I remember... Albus saying Scorpius is obsessed with Rose…"

She shook her head as if pondering how he could miss the obvious, "You know, Harry, who Scorpius likes, or believes himself to like has nothing to do with whether our son likes boys or not. Albus could still like Scorpius even if Scorpius is straight." Her expression turned serious, "Would you look at him or Scorpius any differently if he or if they are gay?"

"Of course not!" He shook his head defensively. He suddenly remembered how Ron had asked him if he would mind Scorpius dating Lily… or Albus back on Christmas day. Why would Ron of all people had asked the question that way? Had he really been the most clueless person in his family? But then he thought about Scorpius, his son was most definitely the happiest around his best friend and he himself had wanted to welcome Scorpius and Draco into their family gatherings like the Weasleys had welcomed him back when he had been in Hogwarts. Did it matter to him whether Scorpius stayed his son's best friend or became his son's boyfriend? The boy was the bravest and sweetest kid he had ever known, period, braver than his own sons and nephews, as evident by how he had reversed Voldemort's alternate universe and had endured the tortures, and sweeter than his own daughter and all his nieces, as shown by the way he had given them all flowers. No matter what would happen in the future, whether as best friends or as a couple, Albus and Scorpius simply belonged with each other.

Ginny seemed to be able to see the wheels turning inside his head as she gave him a knowing smile and shrugged again before lying on her back again, "Of course, what do I know about boys' friendship? They could very well be just very good friends." Harry had believed that he had been as close to Ron as two male friends could ever be but remembering the hugs shared between the boys when they had parted ways on the platform, when they had seen each other on Christmas day and when they had "reunited" again after the break, he decided that Albus and Scorpius were so much more intimate friends than he and his now-brother-in-law had ever been.

"I suppose I was just surprised because the possibility had never crossed my mind. Of course the only thing that matters to me is Albus' happiness, something he needs more than ever now. And he is certainly the happiest when he's with Scorpius." He was talking to Ginny as much as he was saying the thought out loud for himself. It would be the easiest thing to accept Scorpius as Albus' boyfriend. If anything, it would be such a relief to know that Al's partner would accept and love him so unconditionally. (He felt confident that the boys did love each other even though he did not know if the love was purely platonic.) The more he thought about it, the more pleased Harry felt by the idea of Albus getting together with his best friend. But then his thought took an unexpected turn to return to Albus' nightmares, so when Al had written on the last letter that he had spoken to Scorpius about the nightmares, it had been Scorpius who had confronted him to force the (partial?) truth out of Al's mouth instead of Al taking the initiative to open up in front of his best friend. How bad had the nightmares had to be for him to hide it from Scorpius?

"Gin...how would I be able to help Al when he's barely willing to tell Scorpius anything?"

In the dark, he felt her hand slipping into his before squeezing his tight. "Harry, you're not alone in this, you know. You and me, Scorpius, Rose, Neville and even Draco… we are all trying to help Albus. If James, Lily, Ron, Hermione, Mum and Dad know, they would all be trying to help as well. When would you ever learn not to shoulder a burden on your own?"

"I… I guess it has felt like more of my responsibility because I'm supposed to be most experienced with nightmares myself, coupled with the fact that it had all started because I had said the unthinkable to him." He replied sheepishly.

"Which would make me the expert in comforting someone suffering from nightmares then? Then shouldn't I be the one who shares at least equal responsibility in this? And you really should stop blaming yourself that much for driving him away, anyone would be upset when his most precious possession was dismissed as a moldy blanket. We all say things we don't mean when we're upset. I love Albus and would do anything for my son but he did press your buttons first."

"Hmm…but I should not have risen to the bait. I'm the father and I should..."

"You are only human, Harry. What you should remember now is that we are all trying to help him. You're not alone in this and we should go to sleep soon." He felt her turning towards him so he did the same. She gave him a comforting smile then gently brushed her lips against his. The kiss was not passionate at all but in a way it was one of the most intimate ones they had shared.

"I know you won't believe me, Harry…" Ginny was now whispering so close to his ear that his skin could feel her breath, "but you are an excellent father."

It took so much for him not to break their current positions to look her in her eyes, "Now you're just lying to make me feel better, Gin."

"Told you that you wouldn't believe me." She had repositioned herself that he now found his nose almost touching hers, she was looking straight at him. Without his glasses and perhaps because she was being too up close, she appeared a bit blurry to him but he kind of liked it. "I meant it from the bottom of my heart, dear. You love them with all your heart and you would try to express it no matter how awkward it feels. Sure you have made some mistakes, especially with Al, but when you mess up, you work harder than anyone to fix your wrongs. Most importantly, you would never give up."

Here she pressed her other hand on his chest, "Keep doing what you have been doing, just be there for him and be patient… he will feel it. Of course it may be better if he tells you his nightmares but even if he doesn't, you have been and you are helping. You just need to be more confident in yourself, love."

He was too overcome with emotions to say anything, instead he pressed his lips to hers to wordlessly express his gratitude for everything.

Over the course of the next few days, Harry would rack his brain to come up with something he could do for Albus without him suspecting his knowledge of his nightmares. Like Scorpius, he had absolutely no idea what he could do for the boy but unlike Scorpius, he could not ask Al directly, which made it doubly difficult for him now that he did not even know what would be safe for him to write in his letters. He could not understand how everyone, from Ginny, Draco to Scorpius, could believe that he would be able to help his son when he had allowed his nightmares to plague himself for decades. Not only did he desperately want them to be right, that he could help his son, he would also hate to disappoint Ginny and Scorpius, the two people who selflessly loved his flawed but sensitive boy as much as he did, that he worked very hard to cheer Albus up in his following letter.

Albus had complained earlier about the ancient broomsticks he could borrow in Hogwarts and how James always needed his for Quidditch practice that Harry thought it acceptable for him to finally mention the possibility of helping Al to pick his very own broomstick in Diagon Alley during Easter break in a letter. While his son had indeed seemed reasonably pleased about the prospect of getting his own broomstick, it was nothing compared with the enthusiasm the boy had shown responding to Harry's plan about introducing Teddy to the Malfoys that he could not help feeling a bit proud of himself. Unfortunately, this was not really the surprise Harry had expected because Scorpius had excitedly mentioned the news to Albus earlier. His son had kept silent as he had wondered when his father would open up to him. Nonetheless, this was the most excited Albus had been since the nightmares, as evident by how he had recounted in great detail Scorpius' anticipation to finally witness Teddy's iconic hairdos. It was quite satisfying for Harry to know that he had significantly lifted his son's moods but in his excitement to imagine the nice impending meeting among his own family, the Malfoys, Teddy and Andromeda, he felt ashamed to realise for the first time how such a meeting would have felt for James and Lily.

His other children might consider Teddy and Andromeda as family and might have been easy-going in general but there would be no way for them to not feel left out sitting through such a dinner, especially when Harry and Ginny had yet to tell them much about the Time Turner incidents beyond what had been known to the public. Albus would of course be excited to sit next to Scorpius, to see his best friend interact with Teddy for the very first time, but he did not trust himself to be the sole facilitator on the interactions between Draco and Andromeda that he needed Ginny to pay close attention to them with him. Where would this leave James and Lily, who would definitely be sitting at the end of the table? He knew he had indeed been more attentive to Al than his other kids following the incidents and Albus' nightmares but he was determined that he would not alienate any of his kids ever again. A crazy solution presented itself while he was agonising at work about needing to go to the pub after work on a Monday's evening for Ron's birthday, a celebration in which all of their dormmates as well as George would come, even though Neville and Harry would have to arrive late. It could be challenging but if he could pull this off, he would be able to kill two birds with one stone.

A/N: I should clarify that this fic has never meant to be and will never be a Scorbus fic because it's been overdone and there are already so much going on that I don't want the main plot to be distracted that I have deliberately kept Scorpius' relationship with Rose similar to that in CC. (the boys are still young with plenty of time to realize their love for each other anyway) I didn't think I'd even hint at Scorbus at first but I wanted Harry to have this conversation with Ginny here because in my opinions, just the interactions between the boys in CC would justify any couple having such suspicion about their children and I believe this can highlight how unobservant Harry is as a father, even though he's open and accepting.

I'm still struggling to write these days, some days I feel confident that I have a very solid story to tell, other days I'm convinced that no one would care and my writing is crappy. Humor and romantic interactions are something I have always struggled to write that I always feel self-conscious about those parts. I also struggle to come up with a suitable chapter title here. I suppose I'll pick something later on.

Thanks again for your continuous support. Please comment.

Edit: Named the chapter for consistency, even though it may not be a good choice.