I'll bet you thought I was NEVER coming back! Like everyone else, it's been a heck of a year! Between losing a job, finding a new job, life in the land world of COVID, and moving across country, my brain has been overwhelmed! Finally, I've found some time to post this latest chapter. It isn't long, but as soon as I have my newest work edited, I'll have it up. Thanks for hanging in there!

"As soon as the committee meeting for the homecoming ball is finished, I want you ready to leave. The seamstress will be expecting us for your dress fitting." Harlowe Cain picked up her coffee cup and drained the last of its contents before finishing her toast.

"Uh-huh." Belladonna did not look up from her phone as her thumbs rapidly tapped the screen.

"Bella!"

"What?" the teenager glared at her mother.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes." She huffed with exasperation. Harlowe pursed her lips. She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Well, go finish getting dressed. We're leaving in ten minutes." She made a shooing gesture.

"I'm waiting for Gloria to iron my blouse," Belladonna replied, returning her attention to her phone.

"Your blouse is on your bed, miss," replied the housekeeper, as she cleared the table.

"Go get dressed!" Harlowe reached across the table and snatched the phone from her daughter's hands.

"Mo-om!" Bella shrieked, leaping to her feet.

"Now!"

"Fine! Give me my phone," the girl demanded.

"You can have your phone back when we leave." Harlowe placed the device face down on the table with a snap.

"God, you are such a bitch!" Bella sneered at her mother and held out her hand.

"Bel—" The phone sailed across the table and into her grasp before her mother could grab hold of it. With a triumphant nod, she turned on her heel and left the kitchen as her mother gawked at her in shock, nervously glancing over her shoulder to see if the maid had noticed what had just happened.

"Bloody hell!" Teddy exclaimed when he and Harry landed in the Malfoy's family room.

"Teddy!" Albus exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"That, I would very much like to know," Teddy replied. Whoever would have thought the day would come that a Malfoy would be caught alive in muggle clothes and surroundings!" He snorted derisively as he looked around. "It's too bad I didn't bring a camera!"

"So, Teddy, you know the Malfoys—" Harry began.

"Well, not as such," he shrugged. "The family hasn't really kept in touch. Clearly, we've missed quite a bit."

"It is good to see you are well, cousin," said Draco, lifting his chin.

"Albus says you're a metamorphmagus," said Scorpius.

"Yeah, so?" Teddy's tone was cool as he spoke.

"If everyone could—" Harry gestured for the group to be seated. "Right then, Teddy, the long and the short of it is—"

"If you must know, I got expelled from Hogwarts for underage magic and violating the Statute. Grandfather tried to have me sent to Durmstrang, so Father brought me here. He's teaching music at the muggle school that Albus and I attend." Scorpius' tone was matter of fact as he spoke, and he leveled his gaze directly upon Teddy.

"I assure you. We had no such idea that the Potters would be here, no less, living one house over," added Draco.

"Okay, what's that got to do with me being a metamorphmagus?"

"Ahem," Draco cleared his throat. "It appears that Scorpius…also bears the trait."

"Well, we are cousins. What's the big deal?"

"Well, as it happens, we heretofore hadn't the slightest indication that Scorpius had any metamorphmagic abilities." Draco spread his hands

"Well, now you do, innit? It's not the end of the world." Teddy shrugged again.

"Edward—" Draco began.

"Ted. It's Ted. My friends and family call me Teddy."

"C'mon, Teddy! Be nice. Scorpius is my friend." Albus' voice was pleading.

"Ted…I am sure you have been told that my mother's family disowned your grandmother because of her marriage to your grandfather. As such, I barely knew your mother, and only came to know your father through his position as a professor, during our matriculation at Hogwarts. The acts perpetrated by the Houses of Black and Malfoy are many, and have left not only great stains upon their reputations, but irreparable damage to its heirs—to Scorpius…and to you. I am not asking for your forgiveness, but Harry has brought you here, I would assume, because you may be able to help Scorpius to understand and manage this ability. Scorpius is all that I have, Ted, and I would sacrifice anything—anything—to protect him." After several agonizing moments, Teddy finally spoke.

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

"Well, I seem to recall Remus…" Harry hesitated. "Your father saying that your appearance changed several times in the moments after your birth."

"That's what Gran says."

"How come I didn't then?" asked Scorpius. "Albus seems to think it's because my mum was…" he hesitated. "…ill."

"Well, he's not wrong. A metamorphmagus' abilities are affected by our emotional state. To be perfectly honest, our appearance will often reflect how we feel at the time, and really strong emotions, like shock or sadness can even prevent us from using our abilities at all. How did you even discover you were a metamorphmagus anyway?" he asked.

"I erm…transformed in my sleep," Scorpius replied sheepishly. Teddy grinned.

"Yup! I used to do that a lot when I was a kid. Freaked my roommates out a few times at Hogwarts." Teddy laughed. "Okay, so you know that you can change in your sleep. Have you tried to change while you're awake?" he asked.

"Well, I changed my hair," Scorpius replied. "And I transformed into a dog—twice."

"Well, come on then, show me." Teddy raised a brow.

"Really?" Scorpius gave him a tentative look. Teddy ran his fingers through his hair and his bright blue curls darkened to aubergine.

"Let's see what you've got!" He grinned.

Draco pulled Harry away from the younger wizards, and they moved back to the kitchen.

"What's Lupin doing in America?" Draco asked, his voice low.

"Apparently, he had a trial with the Albuquerque quidditch club," said Harry. "He dropped in let me know how it went and to ask…to ask if I knew about Ginny's affair."

"Well, how did he find out?"

"Apparently, she and Horton can be seen in the background of a photo taken at the World Cup." Draco's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. He tentatively placed a hand on Harry's arm.

"Rita Skeeter!" he hissed.

"No. So far, the press hasn't picked up on it," Harry replied.

"Oh, well—"

"But James and Lily have seen it."

"Merlin's pants!" Draco quietly exclaimed. "I would assume, young Albus is as yet unaware?"

"Albus knew of the affair before we left England. It seems he overheard Ginny and me rowing shortly after I announced my assignment to the family."

"Have you spoken to Ginny about it—about your relationship?" he asked.

"We haven't spoken since before she left for Edfu. Neither Lily nor James have mentioned anything in their letters." Harry sighed and raked his fingers through his hair.

"Perhaps this journey wasn't the best option for you," Draco suggested.

"It's my job, Draco. I'll just have to make the best of things."

"And what exactly does that mean?"

Harry noted the slight current of anxiety in Draco's tone.

"I—" he began. "I don't know." He shrugged. Harry captured Draco's gaze in his own, searching the silver eyes for understanding, and hoping for a glimmer of a solution to reveal itself. As he opened his mouth to speak again, they were startled by a menacing noise.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin! Close the curtains!" Draco exclaimed, brandishing his wand to obscure the tall windows.

"Oh, my god!" Harry followed him, casting a privacy spell as he stared at the two grizzly bears towering on either side of Albus, who laughed as he looked up at them. "Teddy! The neighbors have barely adjusted to us keeping owls as pets! They'll never understand the sight of bears in the drawing room!"

Teddy and Scorpius returned to their human forms with snickers and giggles.

"Just having a bit of a laugh, Harry." Teddy grinned mischievously.

"Edwar—ahem—Ted, how is Scorpius supposed to protect himself when he's transformed into an animal?" Draco asked.

"Well, it's a part of metamorphmagic." Teddy turned to Scorpius. "It's important that you keep your wand in contact with your person at all times," he said. "Where is it now?"

"It's just here, in my pocket," Scorpius replied, giving him an inquisitive look.

"Okay, try turning into something simple—a cat," he instructed. Scorpius thought for a moment before morphing into a Siamese. Teddy held out his arms and the cat leapt into them. See this pale marking here?" he pointed to what looked like a white stripe along the cat's leg.

"That's his wand?" Albus asked incredulously.

"Yup!" Teddy replied. Scorpius leapt down and returned to normal. "Wherever your wand is located on your person, it will manifest as a marking on the animal. You can still perform magic."

"Wicked!" Scorpius marveled.

"Of course, if you simply transform into another human, you can use your wand as usual." He shrugged.

"I can turn into other people?"

"Anyone!" Teddy gave a toss of his hair and the others gave a gasp as a second Harry Potter appeared before them. He laughed before restoring his features. "Just concentrate on who you want to be."

Scorpius closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Merlin's wand!" Draco exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Albus breathed.

Before them stood an ancient man with a haughty bearing. His features were somewhat monkeyish, and his long, thin beard nearly reached the floor. Beneath a heavy brow, deep scowling eyes swept over the assembled wizards who stared in awe.

"Imagine, the great Salazar Slytherin deigning to consort with half-bloods, and blood-traitors within a…muggle…edifice!" He gave a snort, and the others broke into peals of laughter.

"There is one more thing." Teddy's tone became serious, and he stood in front of Scorpius. "You need a salvum bestia."

"What is that?" Scorpius returned once again to his normal state.

"A salvum bestia is the one animal form that people who know you well will recognize," he explained. Think carefully about what you want it to be, so that they know where to look for your wand mark.

"Teddy's is a wolf," said Harry.

"That seems rather fitting," Draco murmured. Harry shot him a glance, which he returned with a dismissive shrug.

"My wand mark appears on my front right leg," said Teddy. "Most metamorphmagi choose a salvum bestia with which they have a particular affinity."

"Merlin! I've never given much thought to what that might be," Scorpius mused.

"You don't have to decide right this moment, son," said Draco.

"Just be sure that you let those closest to you know, once you have." Teddy gave him a reassuring smile.

Draco gave his wand a flick before clapping his hands together.

"Now then, if there are no more family secrets to be dragged out of the closet, Edw—Teddy?" he began, with hesitation. Teddy gave him a nod of approval. "It is only proper that Scorpius be given the opportunity to develop a familial relationship with you and your grandmother, if you are willing?" Teddy shrugged noncommittally, but gave him a smile and a wink. "I only ask that you do not divulge our whereabouts to anyone who might have a connection with my parents. You understand."

"Not a problem."

"Excellent! Then I should like to complete my breakfast preparations. We do, in fact have a routine on Saturdays.

"I should get back to the shop. The boys will have their defense lessons this afternoon?" Harry asked.

"Half-three as usual," Draco nodded. "Will you be joining us?" He gave Harry a hopeful glance. Teddy looked from him to Harry curiously, but said nothing. Neither of the older wizards appeared to notice.

"If things don't become too busy."

"Brilliant!" Draco clapped his hands together, barely containing his delight. "I look forward to it."