Hey, it's been a while.

Wish I could tell you all that my life just got super busy or I forgot about this or something as trivial as that but unfortunately its been so long because my life kinda just went to shit. Like majorly. I want to tell you that it's all back to normal now and I'll be back to my regular-irregular updating pattern but honestly I'm not sure. This chapter has taken me months because there's been so much going on that I haven't even had the time to use writing as an escape, I've been adding to it here and there and writing and rewriting for ages. But it's here now, I managed one and I will make it to the end of this fic eventually, but as always, and even more so now, you might all just have to bear with me a little because life is super shitty a lot of the time.

It's been so long, but I'm not going to stop replying to what you've taken the time to say to me because I really really do appreciate it so here goes. Thank you so much to my lovely reviewers:

Plucie~ I'm glad you thought it was a good tradition, it came to me but was really hard to try to explain and put into words! So I hope it made sense. With Fred, its a big brother thing- but he also just clashes personality wise with Logan which doesn't help. There's not much more to it than that! But thank you so much for reviewing and letting me know what you think again xx

Guest 1~ Not much to say other than sorry the update wasn't as quick as you were hoping for! Let me know if you came back!

Wajagirlliz~ I remember your reviews making me super happy at the time, it's great to know that you'd started it, carried on reading and still liked it by Ch37! Also knowing English majors, it's such a compliment that you like the characters and their development. Really, thank you for the reviews and hope that this one is okay and that you like what's to come when I post it too! Keep letting me know what you think! :)

Mint. Life~ Aww you babe, your excitement and love for this fic really does pull me through. Every so often I'd reread some of the reviews and yours always made me want to write loads, so even though it's been so long, know that you helped me write this bit by bit!

Guest 2~ Glad you liked it! I'm still going!

Guest 3~ Not actually sure if you're all the same guest but sorry again for the delay- hope you enjoy the update!

SS~ Baby, I'm back! So sorry for the delay but thank you for the reminder too. Much appreciated xx

Mint. Life.2~ Yes! ...and kicking!

Swongie~ I don't believe we've met yet! Thank you so much for your review- I'm so glad you appreciate the pace and like the characters. Don't worry I won't abandon it- I just happen to be as slow as the story sometimes.

Guest 4~ Next chap is here!

HattoriShizuka~ I'm so with you on the '8th book' too much time travel and a bit of an odd plot, it also felt odd reading about a 'cannon' Scor because there was no such thing really when I started this so I'm so ridiculously flattered you like my Scor despite the 'real one' now. Honestly, I haven't had a chance to reread everything in so long that I'd forgotten so much of what you mentioned in your review, but I'm glad you liked it even second time around! I'm going to try to answer as many questions as I can remember the answers to now but if I dont cover anything ask me again and I'll get to them once I've reread over a few things! 1. Assume that Rox and Dom write to eachother loads, even if I don't mention specific letters they keep in touch and pretty much up to date on everything. 2. There's more Logan/Florence stuff to come that will make more sense soon. 3. I don't put Logan down as a super observant boy so no, he didn't notice the smell thing. 4. Maybe maybee.. 5. Can't reveal Florence's motives to you quite yet sorry! 6. More Callie and Ly to come! 7. No, Callie and Sam aren't related. Jones is just such a common surname that even I forgot I'd used it already until it was too late! 8. Elliot and Quinn are another little mystery in the background for now 9. You may or may not be correct about that last bit too- Hospital scenes coming soon! Just going into your second review... I actually like that idea, but see if you pick anything else up about Molly this chapter, I'm still undecided on a few things with her so that might still be a possibility. Okay pause a sec, that sounds amazing. If you do manage to finish a drawing please please do message me and we'll work out a way to send it- I'd love to see it! Thanks as always for your lovely long reviews, very very much loved and appreciated by me. Keep letting me know what you think! xx

Guest 5?~ Going to assume some of you are the same person! Here's the update, enjoy!

Guest 6~ Can't promise a lot of chapters all at once but more is coming!

Alright, here goes... my first upload in almost 8 months, I'm all nervous all over again its been so long. I hope you enjoy it and can appreciate that it's probably not the best but I've been so desperate to get something out to you guys for ages that it just has to be done. Sorry if it's choppy/poorly executed, but yeah again, it's out and that's kind of what I needed to get done.

Please please please take just a few minutes to leave me a review and let me know what you all think now, and don't feel like you can't send me random reminder reviews if I'm taking a while! They really do encourage me and help me get chapters like this one done, even if its only a little piece at a time.

Thank you all for your patience,

Much love and hugs,

Cookie xxx

Chapter 38- Embarrassment, Intoxication and Flouting Floo Safety

"You've got a letter, honey" Angelina told Roxanne, who'd barely woken up, but had come down stairs all the same. The smell of her mum's pancakes wasn't one she would pass up. Ever.
Besides, Iri was desperate to have a fly this morning and he'd wanted her to let him out. And, she'd discovered, it was much harder to ignore a miniature dragon than it was a cat. When Iri nudged her face, his scales weren't quite the same as Ginger's fur.

"Cheers mum, where is it?" she responded through a yawn.

"Here" she answered levitating the small envelope over to her.

Roxanne muttered another thanks and went to sit down at the table which neither her brother nor father were at yet. Ginger however, was sitting on the first chair she pulled out. He gave her a bored and slightly annoyed look until she tucked that chair back in and sat on the next one along.

It was the most contact she'd had with the cat since she'd had to bring him home on the train again. He spent most of his time in the kitchen, living room, or for human company, he'd go to Freddie, as he still wasn't fond of the Parva. She didn't think that was likely to change any time soon.

"Is it from the boyyyfrrrieeend?" her mum asked childishly, turning only slightly to look over her shoulder at her daughter and give her a wink.

"None of your business who it's from" she teased before adding, "besides I haven't even opened it yet" she waved the unopened letter at her mother.

"Well go on then, open it" she half-commanded, adding a new pancake to the stack and more batter to the pan. "I'm dying to know"

"You're so annoying" Roxanne laughed. Before turning her attention back to the letter in her hands, she opened it indelicately, knowing only Molly and Hermione might lecture her on letter opening.

The letter inside wasn't from Logan, but she'd known that by the handwriting on the front. It was from Scorpius, reminding her about the weekend his mum wanted them to spend at his. Today was Thursday, and he was inviting her, or rather re-inviting her, around for Friday night.

It had originally been the plan to spend one evening there, but since Luna had just been called away to help investigate something with her team, the twins would be in the house that weekend alone so had pretty much invited themselves over earlier than expected.

So Scor was inviting her (and obviously Liv too) over even earlier now to join them all.

"And?" her mum prompted.

"Not from the boyyyfrrrieeend" she mimicked, "Sorry"

"Well who is it from then? Because Dom will be here in about ten minutes and you're seeing Liv tomorrow"

"I have more friends than just Dom and Liv, you know mum" she protested slightly sulkily.

"I know you do. But you've already told me that Scarlett and Arianna are on holiday and that Lena leaves her owl at Hogwarts because she's Muggleborn. And I don't really see the twins being big on writing. Lorcan maybe, but even then. They're boys, I could never get your dad or Uncle Fred to write to me over the holidays"

Roxanne smiled, she loved hearing about her mum's time at Hogwarts but stories were few and far between because so often they were bittersweet.

"I thought you said they did write? You said you still had the letters"

"Not really sure you could count it as writing. It was more drawings, they'd send me product ideas for approval" she smiled fondly, "But back to you missy! Who's it from?"

"You forgot my one other non-related friend" she chuckled.

"Scorpius?"

"Yeah"

"Oh okay" Angelina kept a small smile to herself, "What's he got to say then? Are the Malfoys on holiday?"

"No his mum's pregnant, they're pretty much all on house arrest"

"Really? Astoria's pregnant again? I thought she-"

"Yeah, apparently that Healer who sold the story wasn't lying." She elaborated without needing to be asked. She knew her mum was thinking of the article and following press storm that surrounded one of St Mungo's top pre-natal healers selling the news that Astoria Malfoy could have no more children to Witch Weekly. One of the shadier reporters at the prophet then span the story and made claims that the Malfoy men had been secretly sterilising their wives for centuries after they got a healthy first born son.

"So it was all a massive shock, because she didn't think she could still have kids. But the pregnancy is risky" Roxanne continued.

"Merlin, I bet. Is she okay?" Angelina asked sympathetically, she had nothing against Astoria. And actually, though she hadn't vocalised it, she could see that the adult that Draco had grown into was probably a decent man. He'd been great with Hermione at the ball when he hadn't had to. The old Draco would not have reacted how that man had that night.

"Yeah she's fine. Just bored of being in all the time I think, that's what this is about, she wants Scor to have his friends over for the weekend. Can I go?"

"Of course, but aren't you supposed to be with your cousins tomorrow night?"

"Oh shit yeah I almost forgot about that, I'll sort it with Liv, see what she's doing. We can just go straight from the sleepover to the Manor in the morning or something."
"That sounds sensible, glad to know my little girl isn't dropping any pre-existing plans for a boy, regardless of how beautiful his handwriting is."

She scoffed, "You should see his drawing, mum. But no, of course not, I'm looking forward to the sleepover. Though, then again, Rose will be there, so maybe I should choose the 'boy' over Vic's"

"Oh, don't you start that. You know how I feel about you arguing with her."
"Do you feel that I should do it more often?" she asked, hopefully.
"No, I feel that you shouldn't at all. I understand there's no stopping Domi when she gets riled up and that those two have never gotten along, but you and Rose never seemed to have problems did you?"
"Only for the last four years, mum"
"Not that long, surely?" Angelina asked, hiding her embarrassment that she hadn't noticed it as an issue before now.

"Well, she hasn't been nice to me since I started Hogwarts, but has been worse to me since I got close to Dom, so three years. Silly me. And has only seemed to start a vendetta in the past oh, I don't know, few months. Guess I should count myself lucky I lasted that long, huh?"
"Oh honey. Are you sure you don't know why?"

"Has no one explained Rose to you? Haven't got a bloody clue what she's thinking. Except when she's about to cast something because then it's so obvious on her face." Roxanne chuckled a little, finding it funny because it was her Rose's mother who had taught her to conceal her next move by making sure she didn't show it in her face. "Honestly she should pay more attention to Aunt 'Mione""

"Yeah well, I think she stopped paying attention to her mother the moment she jumped on that train."

"Poor Aunty 'Mione…"
"Yeah, it's tough on her because she doesn't know how to reach out to her, or where she's gone wrong."
"I don't think anyone does, mum"

"I know, but it worries me all the same"
"Why? I'd never do that to you. We're so much closer than they are"

"But Rosie was always like a little mini-mione until she turned 11. How do I know you won't suddenly pull a Rose at 16? No one saw it coming"
"I promise not to 'pull a Rose' mum" Roxanne said, a little amused.

"Promise me you'll tell me if things are bothering you"

"I promise, mum"

"And if you're upset, or sad, or hurting, for any reason"

"Promise"
"And if anything at all goes to shit, promise me you'll never worry about me shouting at you or being angry with you?"
"Only if you promise not to be angry?"

"If you promise not to do anything that will make me angry?"
"No deal on that one then, that's too restricting. You're almost as unpredictable as dear Rosie."

They both laughed and Angelina pulled Roxanne in for a side arm hug. She squeezed her daughter to her and Roxanne raised a brow. There was something her mum wasn't saying, this was much too mushy for the morning, even for her.

"What's up mum?"
"Nothing honey, just I want you to know you can come with me to things that are on your mind, whatever they are"

"I know mum, you're here for me, I get it" Roxanne chuckled, standing the sound of their front door opening and closing reached her ears.

"That'll be Dom. I hope you've made enough pancakes" ~

"Underwear?"

"Check"

"Hairbrush?"

"Check"

"PJs?"

"Check"

"Um, toothbrush?"

"Check"

"Bikini?"

"Bikini?" Roxanne echoed, confused.

"Yeah, don't tell me there's any doubt that Malfoy Manor has a pool somewhere?"

"Scor took us on a tour, Liv. You think he just failed to mention a pool?"

"Oh I think he would have purposely withheld the info, seeing as we were walking around in awe as it was. Besides, even if there isn't a pool, there's a small lake outdoors and supersized bath tubs indoors – I think you should pack a bikini"

Roxanne sighed, "I guess it's possible, but why not just a swimming costume?"

"One: tan lines. Two: you look smoking hot in a bikini"

"And who should I be looking hot for? Your boyfriend, Scor or Ly?"

"For yourself Roxanne, and maybe a little bit for me, because if you do too then I can wear mine without looking too much. Pretty pleaseee?"

"You're unbearable, you know that?"

"Yeah I know" Liv answered with a cheeky smile, pulling open the drawer where Roxanne kept her swimwear and throwing her the prettiest bikini she owned, white and floral, one that Liv had helped her pick out the summer previous when their families had gone on holiday together. The girls finished packing Rox's weekend bag and Roxanne shrunk it down so she could zip it into her coat pocket which was hanging by the door next. Next to her coat hung Liv's which also contained a similarly-sized bag also containing a weekend's worth of clothes, and Roxanne assumed, at least three different choices of bikini. ~

"Come in, come in, girls. Glad you're the first ones here"

"You mean we beat Molly to something?" Olivia asked shocked as she stepped out of the fireplace with Roxanne.

"We're too early I think. Mols wouldn't be more than ten minutes early to a social gathering" she answered her friend.

"So just exams and lessons for that then"

"Pretty much, yeah"

"Oh and prefect duty. Don't forget that. She does pre-rounds, you know? I remember she asked if it was ever something I had considered as Head Girl" Dom snorted.

"But surely any time before rounds is also before curfew?" Vic voiced from the kitchen, stepping out and walking over to the three of them in the graceful way that she always did. She hugged both Roxanne and Olivia before passing them both drinks that had followed her out from the kitchen.

Dom rolled her eyes, "Of course, Vic. But don't you see how it's so brilliant to her? She warns anyone still out when curfew is and how long they have left to get back to their dorms"

"And I thought I was a harsh head girl"

"Oh please, you were not harsh. You'd have let Ted get away with murder"

"There wasn't much I could have done, McGonagall picked him to be Head Boy knowing full well it would be easier if there was no one to report him to her."

"You could have reported him" Dom pointed out.

"As if, he could charm his way out of everything"

"Took him a few years to charm his way in to your pants though" Dom laughed.

Vic punched her and she pretended to wince, "You hurt me for the truth?"

"It's not the truth"

"Oh, so it took him less time than we think then?" Dom countered with a raised brow.

"Oh shut up. I meant he didn't charm me. He just knew me"

The fireplace roared and Molly and Lucy appeared side by side before Dom could retort cheekily.

Dom nudged Roxanne as Vic waved her wand at the kitchen, "Drink those by the way. Vic makes the best cocktails"

"I did think they were alcoholic" Roxanne commented, remembering the light blue liquid contained in the glass in her hand. She took hold of the straw and sipped. Dom was right, they were good. Much better than the firewhiskey she'd been expected to have to be drinking this evening. Obviously, Vic had insisted on classy cocktails over the heavy spirits Dom loved. At least to start with. ~

Now, Roxanne was wrapped in a blanket next to Lucy, her head fuzzy and her heart giggly. She had two drinks in her hands. One a cocktail apparently called, Veela Valour, a shimmering silver drink that reminded Roxanne of a cool touch and spring flowers. The other, had been Molly's and she'd called dibs on it when she gave it up to the room. That one was called Dragon's Breath and much stronger, Roxanne suddenly thought Dom had probably suggested it to Molly for that reason, it burned her throat on the way down so Roxanne alternated between the two enjoying the relief the first gave her after the second.

"Never have I ever…hmm…walked in on my parents having sex" Melanie announced to the circle with a laugh. Molly held a hand out across to Roxanne, causing a gasp and then eruption of laughter from them all. Roxanne handed the drink over and let Molly have a gulp, her being the only one in the room who drank at that moment.

"Oh Merlin, that explains so much about you Mols. Now I get why you're so uptight- you poor thing" Dominique managed in stages through her laughter, wiping at her streaming eyes. Roxanne could just about take the drink back with a steady hand, also shaking with giggles at Molly's face.

"Ooh, my turn!" Olivia called from next to her sister, "Never have I ever woken up in a bed I don't remember getting into", she looked slyly at her sister, then a mischievous look came over her face and she also turned to Roxanne with a smirk, who narrowed her eyes at her and drank.

Next to her, Dominique leaned closer, "Why don't I know that story?" she asked quietly as Lucy ummed and ahhhed over her turn.

"You do. Halloween." She answered with a shake of her head and middle finger up at Liv who was looking over still smiling.

"Ahh, that good 'ol romantic morning. Honestly one of my favourites, I hope you have a cute morning like that tomorrow"

"I don't plan to be that hungover or wake up in his bed, Dom"

"Maybe you should do both" she replied with a wink, before downing the last of her drink.

"You too Rox, drink up"

"Why what'd Lucy say?"

"Never had she ever gotten off with an older guy"

"I'm not sure a year age gap is what she meant, Dom" Roxanne answered, taking a drink anyway just as Dom opened her mouth to argue.

A few more 'never have I evers' in and the cocktails were really starting to get to Roxanne's head, she was barely keeping up with them, noticing Dom drank on quite a lot and that at no point did Molly ask for her drink back, unless someone directed one at her.

"Never have I ever told a five year old off for incorrect pronunciation" Lucy proposed on one Molly-aimed occasion.

Following suit, Dom's picks were aimed at Vic, or rather aimed at exposing her big sister's sex life.

Apparently Dom had never ever used handcuffs; had sex at her father's beach house; or in a classroom; role-played with a partner; refused sex to study; made a pros and cons list about having sex; made a pros and cons list before dating someone or had sex in the same building as a family member but Vic had. To Melanie's surprise, Olivia had also done one of them, though once Liv explained it was just a discussion that Roxanne had been involved in, the pro/con list thing made a lot more sense.

Roxanne had her fair share of drinks too, she had after-all; had a 'confusing dream about a friend'; framed another person for a prank; had a crush on a friend; hexed a family member; made a sibling cry; stolen from WWW; snuck somewhere using the Marauders Map; cried because of something a sibling had done and she'd also been to the Head Mistresses Office for something other than trouble, though so had Molly, Lucy, Vic, Dom and Mel so she felt a lot less nerdy than the original phrase would have implied.

The girls eventually gave in with the 'formal' game, and the night just became them chatting and laughing and drinking with absolutely no structure or reason. They argued light-heartedly about the best traits in a boyfriend (or girlfriend, as Molly insisted people mention, just in case, to be politically correct- apparently); they moaned about their parents and brothers; about school; jobs and training; about current partners; exes; colleagues; about wizarding politics; about whether unicorns were better than pegai; about their hopes and dreams for the future; about whether there was a God or not; and just as existentially, about whether fictional werewolves were better than fictional vampires.

By the time they all started to fall asleep, Roxanne was sufficiently drunk. But unfortunately for the room, not the sleepy, time-for-bed kind of drunk. Roxanne was currently the let's-go-on-an-adventure kind of drunk. Needless to say, none of her cousins shared that desire at the moment, so they shushed her and switched off the lights as she whispered and giggled at them, then when she started singing, they downright ignored her.

Halfway through her rendition of the Moaning Mermen's latest hit, Dominique cast a Langlock at her, laughed and then laid back down to sleep.

Roxanne hummed in frustration, moving the covers until she found her wand. She poked Dom in the side with it before countering the spell silently.

"Ha" she giggled.

Dom groaned and regretted teaching her the spell at all in that moment. She hadn't thought that Roxanne would be able to silently counter it while still drunk, but apparently the girl really was just a genius.

"Roxy please" Dom implored, her head spinning. As a joke, Dom had destroyed Vic's stash of sobering solutions, while Vic had done the same to the bottles that Dom had bought with her for them all. The plan for each sister had just been to have control over the others' sobriety though they'd both shot themselves in the foot and they were suffering for it.

"Ugh, fine" Roxanne huffed and stood, holding her lit wand out in front of her, she made her way over the bodies laid out over the floor.

"What are you do-"Liv started to ask.

"Shhh, people are sleeping Livvy" Roxanne replied in a loud whisper.

Lucy laughed from her spot on the floor, taking particular pleasure in how much this was all annoying Rose, who was almost growling next to her.

Finally, Roxanne made it to her destination, the fireplace in Vic's apartment, just outside the room they were all in. Somehow, in the same way she'd managed the Langlock counter, she managed to sufficiently enunciate the needed words to make a Floo call to one specific bedroom fireplace. ~

"Scorpiusss"

Scor shook his head, he was hearing things.

"Scor!"

He sat up quickly, sure that he hadn't imagined that one.

"Guys did you hear that?" he asked aloud.

"Hear what?" the twins asked in unison.

"Lorsander! Lycan!" the voice whisper-screamed excitedly.

All three boys turned their heads to the fireplace in Scorpius' bedroom. Where not too long ago had been still, quiet logs, was now bright, moving flames- with Roxanne Weasley's face giggling out of them.

Scor was the first to react and get to the hearth, Roxanne's already too-wide smile widening as he knelt down beside it.

"I miss you guys" she told them in her loud, obviously drunk whisper.

"No one here wants to be awakeee" she moaned. "Can I come there? Oh pleassseee, Scorpius can I?"

The twins were also kneeling now, visibly amused, waiting to see how Scor would handle drunk Roxanne.

"No Roxy, you can't floo when you're drunk"

"I cannn. I can undo a Langlock, I can floo. And besides, I'm not even drunk"

He sighed, suppressing laughter, "Okay fine, you could" he corrected knowing she of all people was not a fan of being told what she could and couldn't do.

"But you shouldn't. And besides, the boys and I are about to go to sleep too Roxanne"

"Nooo you're not"

"Yesss we are. Aren't we guys?"

"Yeah, sorry Rox"

"Uh huh"

"You're all liars. I'm leaving now anyway" she said, frustrated.

And with that, Roxanne's face disappeared from view, the boys turned to each other- not quite panic stricken but not far off it either.

"You don't think-"

"No, surely not"

"I think she just might guys. I think she meant she's leaving there"

"And floo'ing here?"

"Drunk?"

"Yup"

"Brilliant."

"Honestly Scor, when you date, you might have to take her to AA or something. It's not a great decision to make"

"Shut-up Ly"

One drunken floo arrival and a floo call from a tired, worried and pissed off Dominique later, and Roxanne had gotten her way.

Though, she hadn't really waited for any approval from anyone to get it, so Scorpius guessed that would be why. He was glad she was here now though, he'd had a few freak out moments where he had expected Roxanne to get lost in the Floo network somewhere, or even worse for her to come barrelling through his parents' bedroom fireplace. But she was safe and sound and here. Though unfortunately for them, not sound-less.

She was up, awake and chattering away to them all about her evening. He could tell the twins were nodding off in front of him. But of course, with all the feelings he tried not to acknowledge he had for her, it meant he could barely take his eyes or ears away from her.

Even drunk, rambling and repeating herself he still found her to be one of the most captivating human beings he'd ever come across.

"So what do you think then?" she asked him, turning her shining eyes towards his. She looked at him with such intensity he thought he might burn up under her gaze. Normally he would stare back with an equally intense stare until she turned red and broke the contact but she was brave when she was drunk and if he countered, she might actually win. He blinked and tore his eyes from hers.

"Think of what?"

"Do you think Molly might be gay?"

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe, I mean from what you said, it sounds possible. But you could just be reading too far into things, Rox"

"Hm, yeah I guess. I'd put money on it though."

"I'm not going to bet against you on the sexuality of your cousin I probably know the least"

"Smart move"

"Yeah well I make them more than you do"

"Hushh" she said, leaning forward, placing her index finger over his lips, pulling downwards ever so slowly, lingering on his bottom lip. He immediately leaned away from her, looking up to the boys to see their reaction. The boys were asleep, thankfully, having nodded off on the sofa they shared.

"Did I just make the great Scorpius Malfoy uncomfortable?" She whispered with a teasing smirk on her face.

"Yes, you're far too drunk, and I am not nearly close enough to your level"

"So get on my level" she winked, looking around, her eyes shining mischievously . "I know you've got firewhiskey in here somewhere"

"Why don't we just get you back to my level huh?" he said diplomatically, standing and offering a hand out to her. He didn't trust she would stay in his room if he asked her and left her be. And the last thing he wanted was her wandering around the manor drunk and alone.

"Come with me, we'll go get some sobering solution"

She huffed, "Fine, but I want you to get drunk with me another time"

"Of course I will"

She smiled up at him, stumbling to the side slightly as she did so.

"You okay there?"

"Uh huh, I'm just a little wobbly" she said, taking big, slow blinks.

"Okay, well let's go get some sobering solution to sort that out shall we?"

She nodded.

"But you have to be as quiet as possible as we do so okay, Roxy?"

Again she nodded, looking sincere.

Her earlier over excited energy was waning, and she looked like she wanted to go to bed just as much as he did right now.

He interlaced his hand with hers and guided her through the twists and turns and staircases of the Manor the soft glowing of their wands lighting their path. ~

That night, Draco couldn't sleep because of Astoria.

Though, not for the reasons one might expect, he couldn't bear to go to sleep next to her because he didn't want to wake her. Draco's nightmares were fewer and farther between than they'd ever been this past year, but since finding out about his wife's pregnancy, they'd come flooding back. He had nightmares in which he feared for his family, worrying about the families of the Death Eaters who'd been imprisoned coming after them. They'd done it when Scorpius had been born- though no one but he and Harry Potter himself knew about that.

When the news had gotten out about Astoria's first pregnancy- as it was bound to do- Draco had started receiving death threats, aimed at him, his wife and unborn child. Someone was angry that he was able to live a life and have a child rather than be in Azkaban with the other surviving, marked wizards. Naturally, he'd gone to the one person he knew would be his unselfish hero-self and help him without hesitation. Harry Potter. Harry and Draco had worked together for weeks, compiling intel and keeping Astoria safe and everyone around them in the dark. Eventually, with a month to go until her due date, the two finally tracked down the man behind the threats. Walden McNair, a death eater that Draco had served the Dark Lord beside. He'd only managed to escape capture for as long as he did because someone had thought they'd killed him during the battle and he'd been presumed dead. Harry had taken him in, creating a fake story as to how he'd come back on the department's radar and the two men agreed to never speak of it again. Draco didn't need Astoria worrying and Harry didn't need the public panicking about more death eaters on the loose. It was the only thing both men had ever lied to their wives about, and a concept so strange that he sometimes wondered if he'd made the whole thing up. Not only had Draco and Harry been civil, but they'd actually gotten along well. Still, he'd rather not have to go through it all again. He tossed and turned at night thinking of all the people that might still be out there, all the faces behind the masks that could still wish ill on him and his family and might be waiting for a chance to hurt them. That was why he couldn't sleep, why he didn't want to lay next to his wife and disrupt her when she was so fatigued.

It was also why he was in one of the small libraries downstairs, nursing a glass of dragon breath mead, and rereading one of his favourite books to pass the time. Except it wasn't as quiet as he'd thought it would be, he listened carefully, footsteps were coming toward the room from down the hall. He smiled to himself, turned out the lights and covered himself with a quick disillusionment charm before leaning back against one of the bookcases.

"Shh, just through here Roxy" Draco watched the door open and his son guide Roxanne Weasley into the room and into an armchair before turning the lights on.

The girl giggled and kicked her legs over one of the arms and stretched her arms out over the other.

"Scorpius, how many libraries do you have?" she asked, erasing any doubt she was drunk.

"A fair few"

"How many books do you think you have?" she mused.

"I don't know Roxy, thousands maybe" he answered distractedly.

"Can I read them?"

"Of course you can"

"No, can I read all of them?" she asked him, getting up and walking over to the closest shelf. She looked intently at the spines in front of her and ran her fingers along the next few as she walked slowly.

Draco watched his son, who was also looking at spines of books, he smirked, knowing exactly what he was here for and exactly why he couldn't find it.

"I'd never say there was anything you couldn't do, Rox" he replied, still looking at the books.

She turned to his voice with a small shy smile but he missed it.

Then her brows furrowed together and she turned more fully, looking directly at the shelf Draco was lent against.

"Oh no. Oh no no no" she looked suddenly worried and embarrassed.

"What's wrong Roxanne?" Scorpius asked, concerned walking to her and standing in front of her.

She ignored him and leaned to the side to look again in Draco's direction.

Roxanne stood a little taller and pulled at her pyjamas, straightening them. She walked past Scorpius and came closer to Draco.

"Rox-"

"I'm very sorry to be in your home in this state Mr Malfoy, and that you had to see me at such a time. Please, forgive me for the intrusion" she said, clearly trying very hard to sound as sober as possible.

"Roxanne… That's a bookcase"

"Not quite, son" Draco answered for her, undoing the charm that had been concealing him- to an extent.

"What?"

"I really didn't think I'd need a very strong charm for two school kids but I suppose I should have factored in your family, Miss Weasley" he said smirking lightly. If any child would know how to see through a weak concealment charm it would be a Weasley/Potter child.

Roxanne blushed further and looked at Draco directly, " I really am sorry, sir"

"Don't be silly, no need to address me as sir, or even Mr Malfoy. Call me Draco" he told her, holding a hand out to shake, she seemed to relax.

"Roxanne" she replied with a small smile as she took his hand and gave an impressive handshake back. ~

"Does one of you want to explain to me what just happened?" Scorpius asked, confused as to why his dad had just popped out of nowhere but more confused as to how a drunk Roxanne had known he was in the room.
"Well son, I heard you coming down the hall so disillusioned myself to see what it was you wanted from here but that remarkable young witch seems to have learnt to see past concealment charms. Even while intoxicated, which is all the more impressive" Scor watched his dad throw a wink at Roxanne which earned a giggle from her.

"Rox, how?"

"Teddy. He learnt it when he first started the programme and taught Lily and I" she shrugged like it was no big deal before turning to his father and adding "It's actually easier when you're drunk Mr Malfoy, because the edges blur more"

He chuckled, "Noted, and please, it's Draco"

"Yes sir." She replied, clearly still slightly drunk and defiant.

Again his father chuckled, before nodding his head to her slightly.

"It was lovely to meet you again, Miss Weasley. I hope to see you in the morning, provided my son manages to find what he's looking for. I've shuffled things around in here you see" he threw her another wink and moved to walk towards the doors on the other side of the room.

"Father, wait. " Scor called, and he turned. "Please, I swear I don't want the mead or the whiskey, just the solutions"

"I know son, they're right there" he replied with a smirk, pointing his wand at a small walnut table to Scor's right. The charm lifted and on it sat 4 glass vials of sobering solution.

Scor raised an eyebrow and Draco shrugged at him, "I wasn't sure how many of you it was".

Roxanne's face flared up in a blush.

"I really am sorry, Mr- I mean Draco. I'm sorry Draco"

"No need Roxanne, you've made my evening vastly more interesting than it was" he gave another nod to them both.

"Anyway, I must be off. I'll leave you two to it. Goodnight children"

"Goodnight, fa- dad. Night, dad." Scorpius replied, still slightly confused by all that had gone on.

The moment the door clicked shut behind him, Roxanne sunk to the floor, her hands covering her face.

"Oh Merlin, I'm such an embarrassment. I'm really sorry Scorpius. I really really am. Sorry, I shouldn't have come. I'm such a burden. Oh Merlin, what must your parents think of me?" her voice cracked and she seemed to start to cry.

He took her in his arms and lifted her to her feet, bringing her to sit on a close-by sofa. "Hey hey hey, it's okay. First of all, you made him laugh, not many people make my dad laugh. Secondly, he said you could call him Draco, which again he doesn't say to many people. Thirdly, I didn't get called away and told off so he must like you"

"Or he's waiting until I'm gone to shout at you and tell you to never bring me here again?" She suggested, wiping her face where a few tears had fallen.

"No, he's not a shouter. Trust me, if my dad was going to tell me to not bring you back, it would have been a lot more obvious. "

"Like you then?" she observed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious when you don't like someone, it's always all over your face"

"Is not, I'm pretty good at not letting people know things unless I want them to know"

"It is to me, I'm getting better at seeing through those masks of yours, Scorpius Malfoy"

He smirked ever so slightly, and she poked the corner of his mouth.

"That means that you're tired. That was a tired smirk" she told him confidently.

"That does not count, Rox. I've already told you I'm tired. Besides, it's 4am, doesn't take a genius to guess that"

"Hm, fine. But I am getting better at knowing what your face is saying when you're not saying it" she stood, stumbled ever so slightly and walked over to the table with the vials. He turned to her as she drank one.

"I really hope you don't crack me. I've worked hard on the hot mysterious boy act, don't take that away from me"

"You don't need any acts, Scor. You're pretty amazing even without all the mystery" she told him with a soft smile.

He watched as her pupils constricted, and her eyes seemed to unglaze. Her posture became sturdier and her carefree expression left her a little.

She straightened up, stretched and yawned, "Bed?"

"You know, you can't now use drunkenness as an excuse to bed me Roxanne, that wasn't a shot…"

"Hilarious, as ever. Come on, just show me where I can sleep"

"Where would you like to sleep?" he asked, no longer worried about flirting with her now that she was sober. She rolled her eyes at him and threw two of the vials at his head, pocketing the third with a small shrug. ~

A/N:

Sooo?

Let me know what you thought and I will try super hard for another (possibly couple of) update(s) before the year's out xxx