I am sooo sorry it has taken me so long to update! First, there was writer's block, then a huge work project right at the holidays. Finally, a bit of inspiration struck. I know, this is a bit of a cliffhanger, but I wanted to give you a little something before the new year. Thanks soo much to everyone who has favorite and reviewed!

Albus stirred slightly wrinkling his nose away from the tickling sensation that threatened to make him sneeze. He stroked the soft fur of the animal slumbering quietly beside him. Wait—Albus was certain that he'd placed Gonçalo into his cage the night before. The ferret was never given to sleeping with him. As his hand moved over the soft fur, Albus also realized that this creature was significantly larger than a mustelid. Albus awakened suddenly and fully, and inhaled sharply as he scrambled from the bed, eyes glued to the albino panther purring softly in his bed.

"Merlin's beard!" he whispered. "Did I do that?" he wondered, and where was Scorpius?

"Scorpius?" he murmured, quietly tiptoeing around the room, checking the wardrobe and looking under the bed. "Scorpius?" he said a little louder, hoping to find the other young wizard hiding in the en suite.

The large cat opened its eyes and stretched languidly before sitting up and staring at Albus.

"N-nice kitty," Albus said, backing away carefully. The animal looked at him curiously. Albus bumped his wardrobe. The panther let out a strange sound, not unlike a yelp, and scrambled from the bed, falling to the floor on the other side. Albus wasn't sure whether the shriek he'd heard came from his throat or not as he leapt atop the wardrobe.

"W-what the hell!" Scorpius rubbed his head, where he'd hit it when he fell to the floor. "Albus, did you really transfigure me into a large cat?"

"Me? No way! I was sleeping!"

"Then—Merlin's wand! What are you doing up there?" Scorpius got to his feet, staring up at where Albus was precariously perched atop the large chiffonier.

"Well, what did you expect me to do when I woke to find a bleedin' white panther in my bed!?" Albus carefully climbed down. "What happened?" he gasped. "Are you an animagus?"

"Don't you think you'd have remembered me walking around with a mandrake leaf in my mouth for a month?"

"Oh, right. Well—wait—but surely you'd have known that by now."

"You're babbling, Potter." Scorpius cautiously looked at himself in the full-length mirror, feeling his cheeks for the presence of whiskers.

"Is it possible that you're a metamorphmagus?" Albus shrugged. "Have you ever changed your features before?" he stood behind Scorpius at the mirror.

"No." Scorpius stuck out his tongue. "I thought metamorphs expressed the skill like at birth, don't they?"

"Well, I heard Teddy's hair colour changed constantly when he was a baby," Albus replied. "Maybe it was nothing."

"Are you sure you didn't accidentally hex me in your sleep?" Scorpius gave him a suspicious look in the glass.

"Well, I certainly wasn't dreaming of cuddling up to a big cat." Albus cheeks burned red at the brief memory of his somewhat torrid dreams. Scorpius suppressed a snicker. "If you aren't an animagus, and I didn't transfigure you, there's nothing left to explain it, except metamorphmagic. What do we know about it?" Albus began to pace.

"Well, metamorphmagi are born…"

"Like Teddy. You know, he is your cousin, so it's entirely possible…"

"But evidence of metamorphmagic is present early after birth," Scorpius argued.

"But your mother was ill," Albus countered. "Your birth was somewhat traumatic was it not? Didn't Professor McGonagall say something about the abilities of a metamorphmagus being affected by their emotional state?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, let's face it, love. Your household was tense during your childhood, school was shite, and then…" Albus let the thought hang in the air. He knew that Mrs. Malfoy's death was especially difficult for Scorpius and he'd always done his best to keep his friend's thoughts focused on more positive emotions. "Maybe just try something else. See if you can change your hair colour."

"Are you joking?" Scorpius stared at him incredulously. "I don't even know how!"

"Well, Teddy says he just decides how he wants to look and concentrates on the idea until his appearance changes. Just try it! See if you can make your hair…green!" Albus suggested. Scorpius stared at him for several moments. "Come on!"

"Fine!" he huffed. They went to the mirror and Albus stood behind Scorpius.

"Just concentrate. Visualize yourself with green hair."

"Would you shush!" Scorpius snapped. He gazed at himself in the mirror, silently chanting. Green hair…green hair…green hair… He closed his eyes.

"Holy Merlin!" Albus exclaimed. Scorpius opened his eyes and let out a gasp. His long, tousled bangs were no longer their characteristic platinum-white, but a vibrant deep green color.

"Whoa!" He reached up and raked his fingers through the verdant tresses. "I—I'm…"

"Try something else!" Albus insisted.

"Like what?"

"I dunno!" They stood in the mirror for several minutes. Scorpius let out a short, uncertain sigh. "See if you can change your hair back," Albus suggested.

"Oh, yeah. Hmm." Scorpius closed his eyes, and imagined himself with his normal features. After a few seconds, his white-blond hair had returned.

"But how did you turn into the panther?" Albus wondered.

"Well, I was dreaming about a book I'd read not long ago. It was about a boy who was raised by animals in the jungles of India…I'm a metamorphmagus!" he murmured.

"You can change into anything!"

"I—I have to speak to Father!" Scorpius summoned his clothes and began to pull them on. He had one leg into his trousers when he paused, giving Albus an anxious look. "Shit! Do you think he'll be displeased?"

"Why would he be?" Albus summoned clothing from his wardrobe and began to dress. "He's your father."

"I just—do you really think that I've been so emotionally fragile all this time that we never knew?"

"I don't think you're emotionally fragile, Scorpius. You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for." Albus zipped his trousers and ran his fingers through his tousled hair.

"Said the pot to the kettle," Scorpius smirked. He held out his hand, summoning his wand from where it lay on the night table beside Albus'. "Speaking of…how did you get atop the cupboard?"

"I…er…" Albus looked from Scorpius to the tall closet and then to his wand on the other side of the room. He gave a bemused shrug.

"Dad! We're going to Scorpius' house!" Albus called out as they passed the closed doors of the master bedroom a few minutes later. There was no response. "Dad?" Albus knocked and after a few seconds, he pushed open the doors. The room was empty, and the bed appeared untouched. "Hmm. Daaad!" he shouted, as they made their way downstairs.

Harry didn't appear to be home at all.

"Maybe he's gone to the shop?" Scorpius suggested.

"I guess so." Albus screwed up his face in confusion, wondering why Harry hadn't at least left him a note or a patronus message. He carefully locked the door and followed Scorpius across the adjoining lawns to the Malfoy house.

"It doesn't do anything," Hathorne declared, waving around one of the ornately carved batons that lay on the table.

The meeting had lasted into the night. The members of the NSPS had laid out their platform and offered a substantial amount of cash towards Barbon and Hathorne's campaign funds in exchange for their support.

"It doesn't do anything for you, Senator, because you don't have any magic." Sinclair Purfield rolled his eyes. He slipped the wand hidden in his sleeve down to his hand and gave it a flick, drawing back the heavy draperies.

"And you do?"

"Unfortunately." Purfield grimaced.

"It seems that the ability to perform magic would be a good thing then. What else can you do with this thing?"

"That's just it, Art! Witches and warlocks or whatever they are called have the potential to completely upend normal life as we know it! 'Magic makes the magician seem powerful while at the same time allowing him to glorify himself in the eyes of others.' It says so right in the good book! These…people have the ability to control people's minds! They can extort money, and influence desperate people with their powers!"

"What exactly do you propose we do? Just round up innocent people!" Hathorne insisted. "We can't do that!"

"Can't we?" Barbon snorted.

"Dan! Have you forgotten how the administration was eviscerated in the press over the immigration detainments?" Hathorne argued. "It's a dangerous precedent."

"This is different, Art! Tell him, Sinclair!" Barbon insisted.

"It's true. They have an entire hidden empire right under our noses. My grandfather left home and renounced our family's magical ways because of their secretive nature and supremacist attitudes towards non magical people. I was raised to abhor magic, but I kept it as a defense against my corrupt kin."

"So what do you propose we do then? How can we even manage to control them if they have powers beyond our own?" asked Hathorne.

"Well, the first task is to begin to expose them," said Barbon. "Prevent access to this weaponry, right Purfield?"

"It's a step in the right direction. Few witches and wizards can perform magic without wands. If we control the wands, we control their defenses. We have to expose and topple their leadership—"

"Leadership?"

"All highly organized cults have a well-organized system of government. If we take down the most influential members before they have an opportunity to organize themselves, we tip the scales in our favor. The detainees we have now are small potatoes. We need a high profile arrest. I had hoped that the exposure of their event in Kansas City would do the trick, but they were prepared for the strike. We need someone on the inside. I have operatives ready to go. We just need to know we have government support."

"I don't know, Dan." Hathorne shook his head skeptically.

"What if you can show us with something small scale, but significant?" Barbon looked to Sinclair.

"It's got to be the right situation." He rubbed his chin. "I think I have just the target. Give me some time, and I'll let you know."

Harry burrowed deeper into the sumptuous bedding, Draco's arm draped across his chest. He didn't recall when or how they found themselves back in the bed, and was too tired to care, just barely stirring at the sound of approaching voices.

"Father! I'm home!" Scorpius called out as he and Albus entered the house. They passed through the quiet kitchen, noting the stillness in the atmosphere.

"Perhaps he's having a lie-in," said Albus. Scorpius paused at the foot of the sweeping staircase.

"Father! Are you awake?" Harry was certain now that he was not dreaming. He bolted upright in the bed.

"Shit!" He hissed. His sudden arousal started Draco, who gave a slight yelp.

"What?" He growled.

"Scorpius!" Harry whispered.

"He won't be cross if we wake him, will he?"

"Albus!" Harry quietly exclaimed.

"Shit!" Draco leapt out of bed, summoning his dressing gown. "En suite! Go!" He urgently whispered, motioning towards the lavatory.

"Scorpius, need I remind you of how indecorous it is to shout inside the house." He hastened to the bedroom door, sending Harry's clothing with a wave of his wand as he went. Checking over his shoulder, Draco pulled the door open a small margin.

"My apologies, sir. I…could we—"

"Scorpius has something rather important to show you, Mr. Malfoy," Albus interjected. The older Malfoy gave him a guarded look.

"I shall be with you shortly, gentlemen. Scorpius, why don't you offer young Potter a spot of breakfast, if you have not yet eaten?"

"Yes, Father." Scorpius tapped Albus on the shoulder and turned away.

Draco closed the door and secured it with a charm. He leaned against it for a moment, taking in a deep breath.

"Psst!"

He looked up to see Harry peeking from the en suite doors.

"Coast is clear," Draco sighed.

"Do you think they know I never came home?" Harry wondered aloud, his voice low as he buttoned his shirt.

"They didn't appear to be concerned as such. Your boy mentioned that Scorpius had something important to show me."

"Really? Did they seem anxious or worried? I hope Albus hasn't broken anything."

"Not worried, perhaps mildly apprehensive." Draco shrugged.

"I'll apparate home and change, then come back here just in case." Harry pulled on his shoes.

"How will you explain where you've been?" Draco asked, summoning fresh clothes.

"I went early to the shop to check on things." He summoned his wand and shoved it into his pocket. Draco pulled a face. That just might work.

"Just go. I'll handle it." Draco waved him off. "Since beginning to teach, I've come to learn that the simplest things are crises to these youths."

Harry gave him a skeptical shrug and disapparated. Draco hastily pulled on a jogging suit, sliding his feet into a pair of designer slippers and made his way downstairs where he found the teens each huddled over bowls of cold cereal.

Draco suppressed the urge to turn up his nose at what he considered to be a meager breakfast. He'd noticed as a student at Hogwarts, that many of the students gravitated towards the flakes of ground corn or puffed wheat swimming in bowls of cold milk that he'd always been led to believe was a beggar's feast. The very idea was cemented in his mind following the war, during his brief incarceration at Azkaban, where the cold cereal was the main course of every breakfast the inmates were served. As such, he'd developed a complete aversion to the convenience food.

"Good morning, gentlemen." He flicked his wand and an array of ingredients for frittata Florentine sailed out of the refrigerator and onto the granite island countertop.

Scorpius immediately straightened his back and assumed a more aristocratic posture. Albus rolled his eyes at him, but also abandoned his convict-like eating position.

"So, what is this urgent thing that I must see? Have the two of you developed a potion to cure spattergroit overnight?" Draco smirked as he set knives to chop the fillings while he whisked eggs in a bowl.

"N-no sir, erm…" Scorpius looked apprehensively at Albus. Draco paused in the stirring of his eggs.

"Mr. Malfoy, how well do you know my god-brother, Teddy?" Albus asked, setting his spoon into his empty bowl with a clatter. Draco was unprepared for such an abrupt change of topic, and sputtered a moment as he answered.

"W-well, to be quite honest, I don't, Albus. My mother chose not to consort with my aunt Andromeda during my youth, due to the fact that she chose to break with the family tradition of arranged pureblood marriage. I never knew Nymphadora at all, really, and had only the acquaintance of knowing his father during his brief tenure as a lecturer at Hogwarts. I understand young Lupin is a talented quidditch player, and like his mother, he's a metamorphmagus, yes?" Albus nodded.

"Have there been other metamorphmagi in your family?"

"I honestly couldn't say." Draco shrugged. "Of course, I suppose it's little secret that the Malfoys and the Blacks have historically had little tolerance for any…shall we say…deviations…from the highest standards of pureblood status and tradition." Scorpius pushed his bowl away, sloshing a bit of excess milk in the process.

"Shouldn't we be getting started on the essay assignment for English?" He noisily pushed his seat back from the counter.

"What essay?" Albus looked at him strangely. Scorpius gave him a pointed look. "Oh! Right!" Albus slipped from his seat and the two turned to go.

"Just a moment, gentlemen." Draco suspended the incantations that were helping prep his meal, and crossed to where the boys stood nervously. "I was unceremoniously roused from a leisurely lie-in to bear witness to what was presented to me as a matter of some importance. Yet, when I arrived in the kitchen, I was interrogated about my genetic lineage and metamorphmagi." He crossed his arms, lifting a brow. Albus and Scorpius both shifted from one foot to the other, looking askance. "Well?"

Scorpius recognized the menacing tone in his father's voice and knew there was no getting out of the situation.

"I think I might be a metamorphmagus," he blurted. Draco stared at him a moment before bursting into peals of laughter.

"Are you having me on?" he chortled before his face turned serious again. "Scorpius, have you—have you become an animagus? Have you any idea how dangerous that process is? Not to mention that one is required to register with the government!"

"No, Father, I—" Scorpius attempted to explain.

"It's true, Mr. Malfoy. I saw him with my own eyes!" Albus interjected. "Show him, Scorpius."

"I—" Scorpius heaved a sigh. He took a deep breath and concentrated.

Draco stared at his son with exasperation, watching the teen's face screwed up with concentration. A moment later, his jaw dropped as a regal blue-grey Weimaraner stood before him. His jaw dropped.

"S-sc-Scorpius?" he stammered. The large dog gave a bark. Draco let out a short gasp.

Harry apparated into his bedroom and went directly to the en suite for a shower. Emerging refreshed several minutes later, he quickly summoned clean clothes and headed down the back stairs towards the kitchen. He paused halfway down, and slid his wand from his pocket as he pressed himself against the wall.

Someone was moving about in the kitchen. He hadn't taken long to get dressed, and as he knew the boys were occupied with whatever "something" they were showing Draco, he was certain that it was not likely Albus. He crept stealthily down the remaining steps. When he reached the bottom, Harry disillusioned himself and leaned around the corner, peering into the kitchen with his wand pointed.

"Oi! What are you playing at?" He exclaimed with exasperation, dropping the invisibility charm. "I very nearly cursed you, y'know."

Harry pocketed his wand leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed. Teddy Lupin grinned around an egg sandwich.

"I wanted to surprise you," he mumbled, swallowing hard and smiling again, his hair turning bright blue. "Where's Albus?" he asked

"He's at—" Harry hesitated. "With a friend. What are you doing here, and how did you even get in?" He went to the refrigerator and took a bottle of juice, summoning a glass from the cupboard.

"I'm a wizard, godfather. I simply apparated inside. And if you'd bother to write from time to time, you'd know that the Albuquerque Ashwinders offered me a trial."

"American Quidditch? What happened to Falmouth? I thought you were preparing to try for Team Britain?"

"Well, I'll never catch the attention of the national team, as a reserve chaser with next to no flying time, will I? Albuquerque is talking about a signing salary of 310000 dragons and a starting position!" Teddy summoned the juice bottle and lifted it to his lips. Harry gave him a stern look, and he summoned a glass.

"Wow."

"Yeah. That's three times what I'm making at Falmouth, and then some."

"And what is Andromeda's position on this idea?" Harry asked.

"You know gran." Teddy shrugged. "She wants me to stay a baby forever. I, erm, didn't tell her that I was coming." He avoided Harry's gaze.

"Teddy—" Harry began.

"I hardly think you're in any position to chastise, Harry." The young wizard gave his godfather a pointed look. Harry heaved a sigh of concession and rolled his eyes. "So…what's the deal with you and Ginny?"

"What do you mean?" Harry narrowed his eyes.

"I mean, what's the deal? You can't have simply decided to go halfway around the globe, with Albus in tow, I might add, simply for a job with ICW. Things have been frosty between the two of you for a while now," he said. "And there's this."

"What?" Harry asked as Teddy reached into his jacket pocket. He retrieved a folded newspaper and pushed it across the counter top towards him.

Harry unfurled it to see that it was a copy of the Daily Prophet. It appeared to be a special edition from the World Cup coverage. He scanned the page curiously and looked back up at his godson. Teddy tossed back the juice in his glass and flicked his wand. A section of one of the pictures leaped from the page and magnified itself in front of Harry, who pushed his glasses up on his nose and leaned closer to the image.

"I honestly thought I'd imagined what I saw at the Junior League final, but this definitely isn't my imagination."

"I—" Harry flicked his wand, and the image vanished. He pushed the paper back towards Teddy.

"Did you know?" Teddy asked. Harry pursed his lips and sighed again as he nodded. "When were you going to tell me that you and Ginny split up?"

"We haven't split. We're…" Harry faltered. He didn't know what he and Ginny were doing. They hadn't agreed to split, but their efforts to communicate were tragic at best. "…Trying to figure it out." He traced over a vein in the stone counter top. "I suppose Rita Skeeter is having a field day right about now."

"So far, no one seems to have noticed, but you can be assured that James isn't best pleased with his mum at the moment."

Harry opened his mouth to reply when his phone alerted him that he had received a text message. He swipe across the screen to see a note from Draco.

There has been something of an unexpected development. If you might see your way to return to my home as soon as possible, please, I would be most appreciative.

"Listen, I need to respond to this. Erm, are you—are you—how long do you plan to stay?" He asked, flicking his wand to return the juice and send the dishes to the sink.

"Wow, don't shoot the messenger." Teddy vanished the offending newspaper and held his hands up in surrender. "I'd hoped to stick around for a day or two, at least see Albus maybe?" He scrunched his face and took on the appearance of a small puppy. Harry rolled his eyes and suppressed a grin. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to be the bearer of bad news. My portkey back to England isn't for another week, Albuquerque sprang for some sightseeing time while I'm here, so I can always head—"

"No, no! Stay!" Harry insisted. "I mean—I didn't mean to give you the impression that you weren't welcome. Albus would love to see you, I'm sure. I've just got to nip over to the neighbors' for a bit, and then how'd you like to see the shop?"

"The shop?" Teddy raise a brow.

"I'm undercover, Ted." Harry started towards the front door. "Make yourself at home. I shouldn't be long."

"Great!" Teddy clapped his hands, rubbing them together mischievously. Harry paused as he reached for the doorknob, and turned back to his godson.

"Hey, just remember that this is a muggle community, so…" he gave him a guarded look of warning.

"Right-o!" Teddy gave him a thumbs up. Harry returned the gesture nervously before exiting.

The doorbell rang, and Draco shook himself out of his stupefaction. Albus let out a gasp and turned to Scorpius, who immediately returned to his human state, as his father hurried to the door. Draco exhaled loudly upon seeing Harry standing there.

"Why didn't you apparate over?" he asked.

"Slight complication. I'll explain later. What's the emergency?" Harry followed Draco through to the kitchen, where both boys stood beside one another with apprehensive expressions, which he noticed softened a bit at his arrival.

"Not an emergency as such," Draco explained. "Rather…shall we say an unsettling discovery." He gestured to Albus and Scorpius. Harry's eyes grew wide and a bubble of panic settled in his belly.

"Do they—"

"No." Draco gave him a pointed look, brows raised.

"Ahem," Harry schooled his features. "Okay, what exactly is going on?" he asked. Draco let out a short sigh and tossed his hair, a gesture that reminded Harry of the way Lucius responded when embarrassed or uncomfortable.

"Scorpius." He gestured to his son, who took a small step forward, eyes cast to the floor.

"What is it?" Harry asked, glancing between the young blond and his own son.

Scorpius took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly. A moment later, Harry took a step back, staring at the dog in front of him in disbelief.

"Oh! Y-you're an animagus?" he stammered as Scorpius returned to human form. "When did you learn—"

"Well—" Scorpius began.

"You do realize, you'll have to register—wait a minute—Albus have you—" Harry looked between the two young wizards.

"Dad! He's not an animagus!" Albus interjected.

"What?"

"It appears that my son possesses metamorphmagic," said Draco.

"Are you sure? I mean—I would have thought you'd have discovered this at the time of Scorpius' birth, right?"

"I assure you, Potter, there wasn't the faintest indication." Draco raked his fingers through his hair and drifted into the family room where he sank onto the sofa. "Of course…the circumstances of his birth were so stressful…how could I have missed…" He leapt to his feet and began to pace.

"You know, I recall Tonks struggled with her abilities for awhile after Sirius died. I—wait!" Harry exclaimed. The others all looked at him expectantly. "Just—I'll be right back!" He disapparated with a pop.

"Is that a cinema?" Teddy spun around when Harry appeared in the foyer. "A real cinema? Right in your house? Wow! Muggles are—"

"Ted, listen," Harry interrupted him, leading him back to the kitchen, where they sat at the bar. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Ohh-kaay?" Teddy looked at him, expectantly.

"Okay, well—this is totally coincidence—and I had no idea before we arrived—"

"You're making me nervous, Harry."

"Right, about the neighbors—"

"I promise, I won't do any magic in front of the neighbors. I have been around muggles before, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but—well the family next door…" Harry paused and took a breath. "They're not muggles."

"Oh. Brilliant! How'd you find that out?" Teddy asked. "Why are you being so cagey about it? Wait—you haven't started up some kind of relationship with the witch next door, have you?"

"What—no!" Harry lied, hoping his cheeks did not betray him. "Listen! The neighbors…" he exhaled slowly. "It's Draco and Scorpius Malfoy."

"You're joking. Malfoys…in America?" Teddy stared at him incredulously. Harry shook his head. "You're serious? Why?"

"It's a long story. Suffice it to say, Draco wanted to make a fresh start, and they thought they would learn about the muggle world." Harry shrugged. Teddy let out a snort.

"Malfoys learning about muggles! Ha! So, I guess that's where Albus is right now? Everyone knows those two have been thick as thieves since year one. Personally, I would have thought they'd have begun dating by now."

"What?" Harry looked at him curiously. "Anyway. I…need you to come with me to their house. I'll explain once we're there."

"Is everything okay?" Teddy looked at him skeptically.

"Sure, sure! Everything's fine. I just—let's go." Harry grabbed Teddy's hand and turned.