The Good Son
Chapter Four
Summertime Sorrows
"You're going to behave yourself," said Ginny firmly, glaring at her husband as they waited side by side on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, the scarlet Hogwarts Express just visible in the distance. She had made good on her threat to leave Harry if he didn't change his prejudice ways, moving home to the Burrow for two weeks after their last argument. Harry had eventually begged her to return and they had compromised that even if he refused to drop his bigotry, he had to at least pretend to treat Albus as he always had. Ginny hadn't seen her son in a year thanks to her husband and she was not prepared to spend another year without seeing him, during the Easter vacation Albus had once again opted to remain at Hogwarts; with Rose and Kat for company.
"Yes," said Harry half-heartedly, loathe as was to admit it, he actually missed his sons – the Gryffindor and the Slytherin – he had always been especially close to Albus but he couldn't help himself from colouring his meek, intellectual son as he had the Slytherins of his own school days. A part of him knew that what he was doing was wrong, but it was a small part, easily silenced by the majority which ruled that all Slytherins were evil. Think of the company his son kept these days, an Avery, a Nott, a Zabini and worst of all a Malfoy. Death Eaters the lot of them.
"I can't wait to see them," said Lily ecstatically, she had just turned ten and was innocent to the problems her family was experiencing. Her only concern was her youngest brother, especially his house, she didn't want to be a Slytherin – she didn't really understand why that particular house was so bad but Albus was her brother, he wasn't bad. It was the same as when she was put in the same group as the naughty children at her school; just because she had to work with them didn't mean she was evil. So she couldn't comprehend why her father had warned her not to spend too much time with Albus this summer. He wasn't evil like the death eaters in her father's stories, he was just Al.
There was a loud whistle signalling the train's arrival as it pulled into the station, its many doors sliding open as soon as it stopped, allowing the dozens of eager children to push their way out into the station. James came bounding over fairly quickly, pausing only to exchange his goodbyes with his friends before joining his parents. He wasn't concerned about missing his peers; arrangements had already made them to come over to each other's homes throughout the entirety of the summer. The eldest Potter youth wiped his mother's kisses away quickly before lifting his sister into the air and spinning her around, finally turning to embrace his father warmly.
"Hey mum," a quiet voice said from the bustling crowd and Ginny turned to face her youngest son, quickly masking her shock and horror at his appearance. He had grown a few inches over the year; his hair had grown out so that it fell in soft waves around his face instead of standing on end as it usually did. But that wasn't what scared her; he was skinnier than she had ever seen him, there were dark rings beneath his eyes, those emerald orbs which usually sparkled with excitement seemed dull and lack-lustre. Worst of all was the slowly purpling bruise marring his left cheek.
"Albus," she beamed despite herself, pulling him for a tight hug and peppered his cheeks with kisses, thrilled to see him again before pulling away and fixing him with a stern look.
"Who gave you that bruise?" she said seriously, her tone nurturing and motherly.
"I'll bet it was those Slytherins, vile bullies the lot of them," said Uncle Ron as he came up beside them, his eyes hard as he took in his wayward nephew. He didn't envy Harry having to raise a snake. Rose was chattering away to her mother and brother, excitedly telling them about her exam results. No surprise, but she was top of their year in everything save for Charms – in which Albus had achieved the honour.
"It's nothing," said Albus quietly, absently noting his father hadn't yet said a word to him while his sisters arms were squeezing him around the waist. There was an awkward silence before James spoke up, surprising himself with his honesty. Albus was still his baby brother; even if the younger boy was pulling away from him . . . he hadn't spoken to him since their last conversation when he had tried apologising. He refused point blank to speak to James after that, especially after he tried to reconcile only to receive a stinging hex in the eye from Alison Longbottom.
"It was Scottie Wood," said James, "A seventh year."
"Isn't he a Gryffindor?" asked Ron, whilst Harry just pursed his lips. Ginny scowled at her brothers disbelieving tone.
"Yes," chirped in Rose, suddenly noticing the awkward atmosphere. They were saved from Ron's angry retort by the timely interruption of Scorpius and his father, Draco seemed extremely uncomfortable but his son was dragging him along so he had no choice but to follow.
"Albus!" he yelled jovially, his grey eyes glimmering with mischief, "I almost forgot to invite you to the Manor, the second week in July sounds good?" Ginny and Hermione were perhaps the only two who noticed how quickly Albus brightened at the invitation, grinning at his friends. Harry and Ron just scowled, the elder Potter gritting his teeth loudly.
"Now Albus," said Harry in a tone dripping with forced civility, "We wouldn't want to trouble Mr. Malfoy."
"It's not trouble at all," said Draco with a frown, "Having his best friend around will do Scorpius good, and it's his first summer home since the divorce."
"I'm going to Seth's that week anyway," shrugged James, coming to his brothers rescue when he saw the defiant look in his father's expression, "It wouldn't be fair for me to go and him not to," James caught his father out.
"I'll write you," said Ginny quickly, speaking to Draco and glaring at her husband, "Of course he can come; I understand how hard a divorce can be on a family, especially the children."
(*)(*)(*)
"How were your exams Albus?" said Hermione from across the table, "Rosie tells me that you did very well in charms." It was the second week of the holiday and both Ginny and Hermione had decided that a family dinner might dissolve some of the tension that was poisoning the family.
"I got one hundred and seven percent," he said proudly, "I like charms, Professor Flitwick is always fair." He fell silent quickly, sensing that he had said too much, his parents were both looking at him curiously now.
"What do you mean he's always fair?" asked Uncle Ron, scowling slightly at his plate. He was of the opinion that his nephew was merely making up lies to get attention, Ron vehemently defended Gryffindor and refused to believe that somebody from his own house would dare to stoop to such levels.
"It's nothing," said Albus nervously, looking at Rose for help. She rolled her eyes at his hesitation before speaking herself.
"A lot of the teachers aren't very pro-Slytherin," she said, glaring at her uncle and father as if daring them to argue her point, "Professor Longbottom is the worst, he treats Slytherins like scum."
"I find that very hard to believe," said Harry, meeting his nieces eyes directly, "Neville is a dear friend of the family and an impeccable person, it's the fault of the student that they misbehave and require punishment."
"He used a blood quill on Montague," said Albus quietly, causing Ginny and Hermione to gasp.
"Do not tell such lies at the table," said Harry firmly, the scars on the back of his hand whitening slightly as he clenched his fist. I must not tell lies. . . Neville would never do something like that, he was sure of it.
(*)(*)(*)
"Happy Birthday Albus!" came the loud cry as Ginny led him blindfolded down the stairs, he didn't believe his ears. Tugging at the black scarf, his eyes widened in amazement, somehow his friends were sprawled around the living room. But they couldn't be here; he must have been imagining it. After his one week stay at Malfoy Manor, during which he had spent the entire week playing quidditch with Scorpius and Delphin (whose own manor was very near) he had dreaded having to come home to his father. It had just been a week with the Malfoys but he had found himself quickly becoming attached to the family, Draco was very laid back and lax about rules around the house. He had even allowed them to do magic – Harry had taken Albus' wand from him at the beginning of the holiday so Al had had to borrow Scorpius' whenever he wanted to try out a new spell from the Malfoy library; somehow James had managed to keep his wand, Harry insisted that this was because he was older and more responsible but Albus had a sickening feeling that it was just another show of favouritism. Cassiopeia Malfoy was frighteningly intelligent for a girl who had just turned eleven two weeks prior to his visit, she had beaten Scorpius, Draco and Albus at wizard chess one after another and could already cast spells on her brand new wand. She was enamoured with Albus, and Scorpius jokingly warned his best friend that she was already doodling Mrs. Albus Potter in her diary since the pair had met. Albus found this quite terrifying.
But he hadn't expected his friends to come over for his birthday solely because of the conversation he had had with his parents about inviting them a week earlier.
"Mum. Dad. My birthday's next week and I was wondering if I could invite some of my friends over for the day," he said politely after breakfast, making sure that James and Lily had already left the kitchen.
"That sounds lovely dear," said Ginny with a smile, she had quickly noticed that her son rarely seemed happy and unburdened unless he was around his friends. It made sense in a way; they had accepted him for who he was, something that his own father and brother could not. It hurt Ginny that her son had had to find solace somewhere else but there was nothing she could do now – not now that Harry was already on his last nerve after a recent raid on the Avery Residence had yielded nothing incriminating.
"Who are these friends?" asked Harry coolly, raising an eyebrow at his son.
"Xavier, Delphin, Scorpius and Kat," said Albus nervously, Ginny hated seeing how nervous he was around his father these days; especially when previously they had been so close.
"Death Eater brats," said Harry succinctly, "I'm afraid not Albus, I won't have their kind under my roof."
"Harry!" barked Ginny.
"No Ginny. I let him go to the ferrets already, I am not conceding this."
"It's not fair," yelled Albus, surprising both his parents by standing up for himself, "James gets to have his friends over all the time and you won't let mine come over on my BIRTHDAY! What did I do that is so bad! I got high marks this year, I'm never in trouble. JUST BECAUSE I'M A SLYTHERIN DOES NOT CHANGE WHO I AM!"
"Go to your room Albus," said Harry sternly, quickly composing himself, "Before I ground you."
"Dad said they couldn't come," whispered Albus to his mother.
"Leave your father to me Al," said Ginny grimly, "Now go enjoy yourself."
(*)(*)(*)
"I come here expecting a pride of lions and find myself in a snake pit," laughed a red-headed man with the build of a beater as he came up behind the Outcasts.
"Careful Uncle George," laughed Albus, "We're venomous," before leaping onto his favourite uncle and hugging him tightly. George Weasley was never one for prejudice, he had taken the news that his nephew was in Slytherin in his own stride and cheerfully begun supplying him the his merchandise, jokingly stating that at least the snakes now had a fighting chance at becoming pranksters.
"So who are these spiffing young gentleman clustered around the table," asked George pulling up a chair and then pulling his significant double take before sweeping himself into a dramatic bow, "And delightful young lady," he added, noticing Kat who grinned cheekily up at him from her own seat (practically on Xavier's lap – she had very romantic notions for a tomboy). Albus quickly introduced his friends, who all recognized the owner of their world's most famous joke shop.
"What terrible company you keep," teased George, "Now do tell me about all the pranks you've been pulling on my delightful nephew across the room," gesturing at James who was watching the group with a sullen look on his face. Lily on the other hand seemed quite taken with Scorpius, and Albus found himself able to get back at his friend for the incessant teasing he had received concerning Cassiopeia.
"We don't really pull pranks," said Kat.
"Why ever not?" cried George in mock outrage, "How very scandalous."
"It's not that we don't want to," said Xavier, shifting uncomfortably, "It's just that after what happened to Milly from fifth year we don't have much of a choice."
"Whatever happened to Milly?" asked George.
"Well she cast a tickling charm on the Gryffindor quidditch team during one of their practices," began Delphin, George laughed appreciatively, muttering something that went along the lines of , "Oldest trick in the book."
"And Professor Longbottom made sure she was expelled," finished Albus with a sad look on his face – Neville was his godfather and it stung that the man could be so cruel.
"For a tickling charm?" George's outrage wasn't feigned this time around.
"Hogwarts has changed," said Scorpius, "When Xav got hexed off his broom during our flying lessons, Cole just got lines,Your house makes all the difference these days." Kat nodded emphatically, "He broke his leg and had to spend three days in the hospital wing; the tickling charm didn't even last half an hour."
"I shall be dropping old Minnie a line," said George seriously, "Reminding her of who exactly funds Hogwarts."
(*)(*)(*)
"I thought I told you not to invite those filthy death eater spawn into my house," spat Harry as he slammed his son's door closed behind him.
"I didn't know they were coming dad," pleaded Albus, backing away from his father, "Mum invited them; I swear I didn't."
"Your mother is too soft," snarled Harry, "It's your fault for befriending such scum," Albus could smell the firewhiskey on his father's breath, sourly permeating his room.
"They're not scum!" said Albus, "They're my frien–" The slap came so fast he didn't have time to dodge or block himself, the harsh smack of flesh colliding with flesh echoing in the still air. The second attack caught him in his shoulder, sending him careening to the ground. Tears brimmed in his eyes but he blinked them away, he wouldn't give his father the satisfaction.
"Do not talk back to me," growled Harry through gritted teeth, "I have been more than obliging since you got home, I have not raised a word of protest at having to provide a fucking Slytherin with a place under my roof and yet you disobey me at every turn. Now clean yourself up, and not a word of this to your mother or the next hit you get will break bones, I promise you." Turning on his heel, he stalked from the room, angrily yanking the door open and not noticing James standing horrified in the landing.
"Al," said the older boy, rushing to his younger brother's side and helping him to his feet, eyes widening at the sight of the reddened flesh.
"Get out," spat Albus.
"Albus . . . let me help you . . . please."
"GET OUT!" screamed the younger boy, flinging out his hand, his eyes flaring as magic coursed through his veins, raw and untamed. A blast of pure energy, fed by his negative emotions, caught his older brother in the chest and sent him flying out the room, the door slamming and magically locking behind him. Albus shook himself, staring at his hand in stunned reverence at what he had just done, before dragging himself to the mirror and nearly leaping back in shock.
His emerald eyes were an inky black, swirling with raw energy that was slowly suffusing back into his body. Slowly they took on their usual colour, and Albus turned his attention to his slowly purpling cheek. Reaching into his dresser drawer, he felt around for the bruise-removal cream his Uncle George had perfected for getting rid of images. Dipping his finger into the pale yellow cream, he thought better of it.
He would wear these bruises as a badge of honour . . . as tangible evidence of his father's betrayal. His resolve was hardening, he would make them hurt just as much as they had hurt him, he would pay them back every sickle and knut; he was an Outcast and his day was coming.
"One day you will need me Harry," said Albus quietly, "And I promise I won't be there for you when you do."
(*)(*)(*)
A/N: I know that Harry is very OOC in this fanfiction but that's just the storyline, people are asking why Lily isn't getting a lot of screen time at present – I assure you she has a major story arc of her own coming up, but she's ten at present so too young to become a power player. Next chapter is Dramione and revelations; featuring Ron's reaction to his wife's infidelity.
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