I think I might have over-dramatised Lucius' reaction here...ah well...

Quick update because I won't be able to update tomorrow, and because Ron's reaction isn't in this chapter. Lucius took up too much room. Ron will be in the next one though, and that should be up in a couple of days.

Chapter 13

Telling her parents about her and Scorpius was something Rose had been dreading ever since it had began. Her mother, she hoped, would be understanding, if surprised, and would accept it.

Her dad, however...Well, Rose was just glad Scorpius wasn't in the vicinity. Her dad's skills may not match her mother's, but he was more than good enough to do some serious damage.

She'd sort of hoped she wouldn't have to tell them, but she'd always known she would. And so, they day after they returned home, she searched out her mother.

Hopefully, her mum would know how exactly to break the news to her dad...

----

"Who wrote to grandfather?" Scorpius asked, for the sixth time, as Narcissa drove him home.

"I don't know." Narcissa replied tiredly. "What were you thinking, darling? The Weasley girl? You must have known how your grandfather and your father would react to that."

"I knew. I just don't care." Scorpius replied stubbornly.

Narcissa sighed, and choose not to speak.

Eventually, they pulled up outside the large Victorian house, and Scorpius climbed out. For all his words to his grandma, he was more than a little scared of going inside. He didn't think his grandfather would hit him - other than that little slip up all those years ago, his grandfather wasn't violent towards him - but he wouldn't put a few harmless, painful, hexes past his grandfather, if he lost control.

The worst prospect he could come up with, however, was being kept from Hogwarts. Would his dad and grandfather disapprove that much?

Narcissa led the way up the stone steps to the house, and through the front door. Scorpius hesitated, then started to slink towards the stairs.

"Scorpius." Narcissa said, without turning round.

"Fine. Fine. Where is he?" Scorpius snapped.

Narcissa didn't reply, but led the way into the kitchen. Scorpius entered behind her, and, to his discomfort, found his parents sat at the table, and his grandfather stood behind them.

"Hello." He said carefully, when no one else spoke.

"Is it true?" Lucius asked, before Draco or his wife could greet their son.

"Is what true?" Scorpius asked innocently.

"Scorpius." Narcissa said, again. "Don't play games."

"Fine." He replied sulkily. "Yes. It's true. Who told you?"

"You mean to tell me you are really in a relationship with Arthur Weasley's granddaughter?" Lucius asked, as though he hadn't really believe it until now.

"Yep."

"I forbid it. End it at once." Lucius said flatly, with the air of someone used to giving orders.

"No." Scorpius replied, hoping he sounded braver than he felt. He saw the instant when Lucius's tempter rose, the slight reddening of his face, the narrowing of his eyes.

"I will not have you disgrace us this way -"

"Disgrace you? After everything you've done - everything dad's done - you think this will disgrace you?" Scorpius replied, raising his voice to match his grandfather's. Lucius didn't take kindly to someone ignoring his authority.

"Do not speak to me like that! The Malfoy name still commands some respect -"

"Only with the wrong kind of people!" Scorpius interrupted.

"Respect that I will not have you destroy! A Weasley! A half-blood, blood traitor -"

"She's a person, a real person, it doesn't matter what kind of blood she's got -"

"It always matters! It always has! You are part of one of the oldest wizarding families! Few have blood as pure as yours!"

"Maybe like a million years ago it was important, but no one cares about blood anymore." Scorpius replied, with the infamous Malfoy sneer.

"I have worked hard to bring some honour back to this family, worked hard to regain some power, but it is still very delicate. I won't have you jeopardise everything. You will break up with the Weasley girl or you will leave Hogwarts." Lucius said coldly.

"I'll do neither." Scorpius replied. For a moment, Lucius's hand twitched towards the wand in his belt, before he found some control.

"I will disinherit you. You will leave this house -"

"Wait -" Draco interrupted, finally. Standing, he turned to face his father. "This is my house. Scorpius isn't going anywhere."

"He -"

"I'm not throwing my son on to the street." Draco replied, shaking his head.

"I won't let him continue this thing with the girl."

"He's sixteen. He's not going to marry her, is he?"

"I might." Scorpius said, simply because he knew it would annoy them all further, and he was rather enjoying himself.

"You'll do no such thing!" Lucius bellowed.

"It's his choice." Scorpius's mother said coolly. "What does it matter -?"

"Be quiet, you don't understand." Lucius snapped. Obediently, she silenced. "Draco, you will stop him. You are no happier about this than me."

"I know. I don't like it at all. But he'll come to his senses eventually."

"Lucius, it is Scorpius' choice." Narcissa said calmly. "You know you can't stop him."

"I won't allow it!"

"You don't have any choice." Scorpius said, and then, because he felt he may be close to pushing his grandfather too far, he fixed a confident, amused look on his face and sauntered from the room.

Only when he had reached his own bedroom did Scorpius allow the look to fade. In truth, he was worried. His grandfather could make life difficult, not just for Scorpius and his parents, but for Rose and her family.

----

"You have to let him make his own mistakes." Narcissa soothed, downstairs. "And I doubt her family will be any happier about this. It'll be over before you know it."

"I want what's best for him. I want him to have all the choices, all the options, possible." Lucius muttered angrily. "I want him to have all the chances. Money can only go so far. I've worked to try and get back everything we once had, so that boy can have everything he wants, everything he needs, the best possible life."

"He wants the Weasley girl." Narcissa pointed out. "And until he tires of her, you'll have to live with that."

"Telling him he can't have her will just make him more determined." Draco added. "But if we leave it alone, he will get bored of her. That's if her own parents don't put a stop to it first."

----

Rose had debated about the best way to tell her mum, and decided fast, simple and clear was the best option.

"I'm going out with Scorpius Malfoy." She spoke so quickly she wasn't sure Hermione had understood. And then, by the stunned expression on her mother's face, she knew she had.

"Excuse me?" Hermione looked at her daughter as though she didn't know who she was. It was entirely possible that that was the way she felt right now. "Scorpius Malfoy? As in Draco Malfoy's son?"

"Yes. Are you mad?" Rose asked awkwardly.

"No." Hermione said auto-matically. Then, stronger, she said it again. "No, I'm not. Surprised. Very, very, surprised. I...well, this was the last thing I expected. I thought...I knew you were getting along better, but...I never imagined..."

"Me neither. I just kind of...happened." Rose replied, looking at her mother nervously, as though waiting for the anger.

"Does he make you happy?" Hermione asked, instead, meeting her daughter's eyes.

"Yes." Rose said simply.

"Then that's all that matters." Hermione replied.

"But dad..." Rose murmured. "He'll hate me."

"No, he won't. He'll get over it." Hermione assured her, then hugged her daughter.

"I hope so." Rose murmured.

There. I thought it was time to show a more spoilt side to Scorpius. I think if it wasn't for the way he was treated at Hogwarts he'd be a lot more like Draco, so I figured at home he'd be used to getting his own way and stuff.