Chapter three

Present

The room had slowly fallen into a lazy haze shortly after all the Christmas presents had been exchanged and the children were off to play with their new toys.

Molly Weasley beamed at her gathered family, who all sat in various places, everyone with a new Weasley jumper. She loved this time of the year, the warmth of having them all here was wonderful. However she felt the bittersweet surge at their content faces, where one was missing. She had been so scared of losing anyone of them, the scare George gave her when he got back from the mission to bring Harry to them and then the numd feeling of seeing Fred's lifeless face... No, she shook her head to clear out that last image. Fred should be remembered as the loveable yet sometimes insufferable son who, like his twin, had her wrapped around his finger in a way none of her other children had.

She smiled slightly at the thought of what sort of chaos the twins would have put this day in when they were younger, but she also remembered all the times some of her grandchildren would have been able to put up a fight about the place of the worst pranksters in the family. Thank Merlin, James had settled down early.

Rose was squeezed in between Scorpius and Albus on one of the small couches, Jenny Longbottom, Albus long time girlfriend sat on the armrest by his side and her Uncle Harry sat in an armchair beside them whilst talking to Scorpius about the quidditch season. She fought to look awake and alert, but her eyelids felt so heavy and warmth from the fireplace wasn't helping her.

"James and I were at your last game, the team is really promising this year. What do you say about it?"

"Yes well, Mitchell, the new seeker, believes we might go really far." Scorpius voice was a low grumble in Rose's head when she dozily leant against him. She had surrendered and was now trying to get comfortable. "But we'll just have to see how it goes."

"Always the modest one, Scorpius?" Albus had been listening in on the conversation and turned to face the other man with a playful smirk.

"Not modest, it's called being realistic." He grinned back and the banter continued in the same, easy manner as usual. Harry smiled at the two of them and noticed his best friend waving at him to come.

"You know, I think this might work out." Harry looked at Ron in confusion, waiting for him to elaborate his statement. "Rosie and Malfoy's son, Scorpius. It might work."

"Ron, you are aware of the fact that they have been together for years, not to say that for the last few they have-"

"I know that, but I've got a good feeling about it now. I didn't have that before." Harry smiled at his friend who was studying the young couple from where he stood.

"It's so sweet to see them like that, don't you think so too?" Molly smiled in the direction of her grandchild who was snuggling up closer to Scorpius in her sleep, and Scorpius seemed to unthinkingly tighten his grip around her.

"They always were adorable that way." Ginny agreed and Fleur nodded as she to turned to look at the couple. They saw Ron moving towards the couch and then lightly pat Scorpius shoulder while saying something to the younger man, who smiled up at Ron in reply and nod. After that Ron sat down in the chair which Harry had earlier occupied, and from the expression on Ron's face they began a conversation centering around quidditch.

"That's something new." Ginny smirked in her brother's direction, but she looked very pleased with the situation at the same time.

"Have you heard about Lucius Malfoy?" Percy voice was a low murmur as he sat down beside his sister-in-law.

"No, what have he done now?" Hermione felt the concern about what the old man might have done. Percy made sure no one else heard what he was about to say, especially checking to see that Ron wasn't nearby.

"He's really ill, probably dieing. It seems like it's gone to his head and he is really confused." She wrinkled her eyebrows and leant a little closer to Percy.

"When did you hear this, and are you sure?" He focused a stern stare at her and sighed in annoyance.

"I saw him myself at the ministry. I remember how he was during the war and how he's been afterwards, and I talked to a friend at Saint Mungo's about what might cause this."

"It doesn't have to mean that he's dieing."

"No, but he is sick and it will become worse." Hermione looked at him with curiosity.

"What was it about him that made you go through the trouble?" Percy took a moment to silently contemplate what to tell her.

"He was acting like he owned the whole place and wanted to see Scrimgeour, to make a proposition which would surely interest him. It's like he's living in the past."

"Do you think he's dangerous?" Percy looked over at his niece with a sad look and Hermione did the same. "The question is perhaps if he would find out that he has a grandson, and that said grandson is living with a Weasley."

"But it was Lucius who broke it off between himself and Scorpius."

"That healthy Lucius would know that, but not this one. A confused and sick Lucius Malfoy could be like a faint version of Bellatrix Lestrange, a death eater who wants to clean up the family." Hermione gasped, she understood fully what he meant. It was not an unlikely scenario, but she knew that Draco wouldn't want to drag the Malfoy name in the dirt by letting his father loose in a state like that.

"I'm sure Draco has control over this." Her voice sounded surer than she felt, and she thought that Percy probably noticed this too, but he didn't show it.

"Let's hope so." They both went silent as the thought about it all, and then after a while Hermione turned to him and said in a serious voice.

"We should wait to tell them, they don't have to worry if it isn't necessary. For all we know, Lucius have forgotten about his grandchild." Percy studied her face, and finally agreed to what she was saying, but he promised himself to look out for anything odd from Malfoy. Percy had already lost enough, they all had, and he would do anything in his power to have it all stay the way it was now, when his family was happy.

"Rose, wake up." Scorpius shook her gently and smiled when he heard her response.

"It'll have to be quick… I have work." He nudged her and her eyes slowly opened. She looked around and noticed that the room was mostly empty, except for the two of them and her grandfather who was reading by the fireplace.

"How long was I out?" She groaned out and stretched her arms into the air and straightened out her back.

"About almost two hours, I think. Let's get you home." Scorpius made an attempt to move towards their cloaks, but Rose stopped him.

"Just wait here, I need to get something to eat first."

"Because you clearly didn't get enough during dinner?" The tone of disbelief in his voice was evident but she just smiled at him and disappeared into the kitchen. Arthur smiled at the baffled expression on Scorpius' face; it was never boring when it came to his grandchildren, a never ending source of entertainment.

"Now we can go home." Rose came back and put on the burgundy coloured cloak Scorpius held out for her. "Bye Grandpa, tell everyone else that too." The old man waved at them and then they were gone.