Chapter 2 – Father Knows Best
Friday, 5:50 PM, August 30th, 2023 – The Attic, Malfoy Manor.
After about an hour of battling the pixies Draco and Hermione had managed to corner the last Cornish Pixies and were just about to nip them back into their cage when a pixie grabbed a bucket full of a black, tar-smelling substance and poured it over Hermione's head. When it touched the top of her head she gave a shrill cry and wailed as the cold substance ran down her neck and into her blouse.
"What is this? Malfoy, seriously! What is this?" her high-pitched scream ringing in the attic.
"Relax, it's nothing toxic." Draco answered and cast a freezing charm effectively ending the pixie's rein of terror.
"It's sticky and cold!" Hermione cried.
"I do own a shower. You are welcome to use it, Granger." Draco assured her.
Friday, 5:55 PM, August 30th, 2023 – The Leaky Caldron, Diagon Alley.
"Ready for tonight then, you lot?" Hugo Granger-Weasley asked Scorpius and Albus when they met up at the Leaky Caldron later that evening.
"Yeah, right. Of course I'm ready. It will be good to see everyone again before school starts." Scorpius said, sipping on his Butterbeer.
"Who do you think you're fooling? Everyone you want to see from school is right here. Well, except for one other person perhaps." Albus grinned.
Scorpius didn't answer but just glared at his mate.
"Relax, Scorp. You're getting worked up over nothing. I don't get why you can't be as cool around her as you are when you talk to any other bird." Albus said.
"You know as well as I that they are all fur coat and no knickers. I don't care about any other bird." Scorpius mumbled.
"But you've been fine talking to her for years. I mean; you and Rose even kissed at the Halloween party last year. What has changed?" Albus wondered.
Scorpius twisted uncomfortably in his seat, not really wanting to talk about this with Rose's brother in the same room.
Albus gave Scorpius a knowing look.
"You want to shag her, don't you?" Albus grinned.
"Oi, that's my sister, mate!" Hugo complained.
"Yes, she is your sister and your best mate wants to give it to her. You should be glad considering Scorp knows what he's doing." Albus said unconcerned.
Scorpius shifted uncomfortably in his seat once more and turned his attention to his Butterbeer.
"I really don't want to talk about this with you lot." Scorpius mumbled careful not to make eye contact with Albus and Hugo as his cheeks turned red.
"Hang on! You don't know what you're doing. You've never been with a girl before, have you?" Hugo asked and watched as Scorpius' cheeks turned even deeper red.
"If you must know; no, I haven't." Scorpius sneered.
"I thought you shagged that Melania Zabini after last Christmas feast. You mean you actually just talked? I thought that was code for 'I shagged her good, but I'm a gentleman so I don't kiss and tell'." Albus said eying Scorpius suspiciously.
"No, Albus. We just talked." Scorpius sighed.
"Why though? She's fit, isn't she?" Albus offered.
"Mate, come on. She's like my cousin. That would feel incest. We've known each other our whole lives. Our dads are best mates." Scorpius said.
"Well, then that's a bad idea mate; having a bird you actually care about to lose your v-card to. First time is always awkward and you'll never be able to put on a good performance. I mean do you even know where everything goes?" Albus asked.
Scorpius rolled his eyes and Hugo made a face that told Scorpius he was trying very hard not to picture his own sister during this conversation.
"It's only awkward if you're a blushing virgin, like you, and don't know where anything goes. Me, on the other hand, I actually know how the female anatomy works. I do read, you know." Scorpius snarled in offense.
"You've actually read books about this? Merlin, you're such a nerd!" Hugo laughed.
"Well, you should be happy about that. If he wasn't it would be your sister he'd used for trial and error." Albus shrugged.
"Oi!" Hugo protested.
"Come on you lot. You know I never neglect to do my research. Why would this be any different?" Scorpius said and crocked his eyebrows.
"Right, yeah. Well, I suppose if my sister has to ever 'pop her cherry' she couldn't do it with someone better." Hugo said and made a discussed face, regretting he'd ever said the words out loud.
"Hang on, how do you know she's never been with someone else?" Scorpius asked.
"Yeah, mate. That's a very disturbing thing to know about your sister!" Albus pointed out.
"Well, I may have placed an Extendable Ear in her room a few weeks ago when she was talking to Roxanne." Hugo smirked.
"How come you weren't sorted into Slytherin again?" Albus asked and looked at Hugo with admiration.
Hugo just flashed a grin in reply.
"She fancies you, Scorp. A lot by the sound of it." Hugo said to Scorpius.
"You couldn't have let that slip at the beginning of this conversation and spared me the humiliation?" Scorpius asked and rolled his eyes.
"What? And miss out on the information of you wanting to graduate puberty tonight? Fat chance." Albus grinned.
"You lot are the worst. I'm swapping you for best mates." Scorpius said and rose from his chair.
"Oi, where are you going?" Hugo called after him.
"I'm going home to change. Rendevouz here in 20?" Scorpius asked as he made his way to the fireplace.
Albus and Hugo nodded and Scorpius Flood home to the Manor.
Friday, 6:15 PM, August 30th, 2023 – Malfoy Manor.
They made their way down the attic and Draco showed Hermione to the bathroom. He then brought her messy clothes to his house elves to have them cleaned and dried. After that he went into his bedroom to pick up some clothes for Hermione to borrow while hers dried.
"Granger, I have some new clothes for you. I'm coming in." Draco warned and opened the door.
"Cheers, Malfoy. You can leave them right there." Hermione said from behind the shower curtain.
"I'll be right outside when you're ready. I do believe I promised you a dinner and a bottle of wine for the trouble." Draco smirked.
"I think you owe me a lot more considering I was drenched in an unknown substance. My hair will smell like tar for a week!" Hermione complained.
"You are absolutely right, I will make it up to you." Draco promised.
Before Draco opened the door to step out of the bathroom he heard the whooshing sound from the fireplace signalling someone arriving in the Floo. Seconds later he heard someone calling from outside;
"Dad? Are you in there?" Scorpius called and knocked on the bathroom door.
"I'm in the shower." Draco panicked and said.
"Why would you say that?" Hermione hissed from behind the shower curtain.
"I panicked and wasn't thinking! I'm sorry!" Draco hissed back.
"I need to talk to you." Scorpius said through the door.
"I'll be done in a minute. Can it wait?" Draco asked.
"No, I'm only home to change clothes, I'm meeting Albus and Hugo before the party. I only have a minute." Scorpius said.
"Alright, what's on your mind, son?" Draco sighed.
"Can I come in? I feel rather silly shouting these things through the door." Scorpius said.
"Well, it's really not a good time, Scorp." Draco pleaded.
"I really need to talk to you though, I'm coming in anyway." said Scorpius and turned the doorknob.
At that moment Draco truly panicked and the following happen almost simultaneously. With a flickered gaze he searched the bathroom for a solution. His eyes landed on the shower curtain.
"I really AM sorry about this." he whispered before jumping in behind the shower curtain where Hermione was rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. He just managed to stifle a shocked gasp with his hand over her mouth when Scorpius entered the bathroom.
"Dad, I need advice." Scorpius sighed and sat down on the toilet seat lid.
"Regarding?" Draco asked.
"About women." Scorpius confessed.
"Uh huh. I'm not sure I'm in the best position to give you that kind of advice." Draco said with a strained voice and gave Hermione an apologetic look.
"Well, you're my best chance so here it goes. See, I fancy this girl… And I don't know how to go about it. I mean, I think she fancies me as well. She's always so nice and smiles at me. The thing is, I seem to always act like a complete moron around her." Scorpius sighed.
"My best advice is to be yourself. You can't really be anyone else at the end of the day." Draco said and tried very carefully not to look at the very naked, very wet and very attractive woman standing before him.
"Dad, come on. That's rubbish! I expected more of you." said Scorpius disappointed.
"Then just tell her how you feel. Be honest with her." Draco tried.
"She knows I fancy her. I mean, she's really bright. I can tell she knows. And we've sort of been flirting a bit… and we kissed before… but nothing else…" Scorpius trailed off and Draco noticed a distinct hint of embarrassment in his son's voice.
Draco sighed deeply and took his hand away from Hermione's mouth before he turned his back towards her, partly because he realized she might want some privacy and partly so he could have a sincere (as possible during the circumstances) conversation with his son. A conversation not meant for Hermione's ears, evidently.
"Scorp, are you trying to tell me you want to be, well, intimate, with this girl. And are you honestly asking your old man for advice to chat her up?" Draco asked and made a face, which luckily his son could not see.
"Well, not pick up lines, per se. I mean… just… you know, you've been around and I hear…" Scorpius trailed off again and the strain in his voice was uncomfortable to hear.
"You hear what exactly?" Draco asked in suspicion.
"Well, that you were quite the ladies man. They called you the Slytherin Prince back at school and no one denied you anything. And I've never… you know… really done anything, with anyone before…" Scorpius blurred out.
"Oh bloody hell, here we go." Draco mumbled and made a face palm. "Scorpius, listen to me; there is no magical way to get girls to like you, and absolutely not to get them into bed with you. The first thing you need to know is that you are ready for that. And that she is ready. I mean both emotionally and… well… physically. And I mean really ready, because sometimes people say they are but they don't feel it. You know what I'm saying?" Draco asked, not loving how this conversation seemed to pan out.
"Yeah, yeah. I know, dad." Scorpius said rushed.
"Make sure you care about each other too, and that you are honest about that you expect of each other. After you've been, well, intimate with someone it's quite easy to break some one's heart if feelings aren't returned. But just as long as you are completely honest, you should do okay." Draco said honest.
"Thanks dad. Really." Scorpius said and Draco could hear a smile.
"And I want you to promise me you won't rush anything tonight. See what happens, and just let it be. Okay?" Draco said.
"Yeah, right. Of course, dad. I promise." Scorpius said.
"And son, be a gentleman; let her finish first. It's not a race." Draco said matter-of-factly.
"Blimey, dad! You're the worst. Thanks for the talk. I'll be on my way now." Scorpius blushed and rushed out from the bathroom.
"Be safe my son! If you plan on not coming home tonight; let me know so I don't owl the auror office with a search request for you. And if you do come home; please keep it down. If I wake up and find you and Albus making a mess in my kitchen and sighing like two drunken sailors I'll deprive you of your heritage!" Draco shouted to his son through the now shut door.
"Dad! That happened ONCE! Can't you ever let it go!" Draco heard his son shout before he heard the familiar sound of the Floo as Scorpius left the Manor.
Draco couldn't help but chuckle to himself. A part of him really couldn't help but love to embarrass his son. He'd almost forgotten why he was in the shower, fully dressed (with now fully soaked clothes) when he felt two arms embrace him from behind.