Chapter 6 – How do you want your eggs?
Saturday, 9:00 AM, August 31st, 2023 – The Scorpius' Bedroom, Malfoy Manor.
A loud crash coming from the kitchen awakened Scorpius and Rose the next morning.
"Who's making all the noise waking everyone up now, dad?" Scorpius mumbled into his pillow.
He turned to lay on his side, facing Rose. The morning light shined through the tall windows of his bedroom and landed on her messy red hair, making it seem like her head was on fire. He observed the freckles on her nose and round cheeks and couldn't help but smile when she looked at him and flashed her pearly white teeth in a smile at him.
"Morning." she whispered with a smile.
"Morning to you too." he whispered back.
He reached over and stroke a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"Last night, when you were sitting on top of me, shagging me senseless, I didn't think you could look any more beautiful." Scorpius said.
Rose blushed slightly.
"I was wrong. Now when I see you waking up in my bed, smiling and with your hair all messed up from last nigh, you're absolutely breath taking." he said.
"And last night as you trailed kissed down my whole body on your way to Aussie kiss me I though you couldn't be any more fit. Turns out I was wrong too. Waking up to next to you, seeing your hair messed up and not like you spent hours fixing it…" she ran her fingers through his hair.
"… your naked torso and your defined abs…" she rand her fingers over his chest and abs.
"… and the look in your eyes right now as I touch you…" she ran her fingers over his forehead and down his cheeks.
"… you take my breath away, Scorpius Malfoy." she finished.
"I think I can actually feel myself fall in love with you, this very moment, Rose Granger-Weasley." Scorpius said.
"Way ahead of you." she giggled and kissed him.
After a very sensitive snog that lasted minutes Rose broke away.
"There is actually something I would like to tell you… about last night…" she said and blushed slightly.
"You better not be telling me you were faking it. Because that would be a poor way for me to graduate puberty." Scorpius said. It was meant at a joke but it came off way more serious than he had intended.
"Last night was… was it your first time?" she asked and looked mildly shocked.
"Well, yeah." Scorpius confessed, a little more embarrassed then he would've liked.
"Really? I would have never guessed." she said honest.
"Now, that I will take as a compliment." Scorpius smirked.
"Yeah, right. Well, you were sort of stepping on my point there. I was just about to tell you last night was my first time too. And I don't think I could even hade dreamed of a more perfect night." she said and blushed slightly.
"Well, to be honest. I would have never guessed that either. You were amazing." Scorpius said and kissed Rose's hand.
"Aren't we the mutual admiration society?" Rose giggled.
"I reckon we earned it. Now then, can I tempt you with some breakfast, love?" he smiled.
"I would love that." she smiled back.
"Well then, prepare to meet my father. Unless my ears deceive me he's in the kitchen right now, and by the sound of it he's causing somewhat of a commotion." Scorpius said and got out of bed to get dressed.
Saturday, 9:05 AM, August 31st, 2023– The Kitchen, Malfoy Manor.
"I can't believe Draco Malfoy is making me breakfast. On his own. No house elves." Hermione chuckled as she sat by the kitchen table and Draco was roaming through the cabins in search for breakfast. Draco had lent her his old Quidditch jersey and a pair of short. She hadn't really been happy about the jersey, but finally agreed to wear it when Draco promised to tear it off her right after breakfast. He was dressed in nothing but pyjama pants, as Hermione had informed him his abs were to gorgeous to hid underneath a t-shirt.
"Even if I wanted to I couldn't ask my house elves for help. They don't work weekends." he said as he found a carton of eggs and accidentally knocked over a kettle. He waved his wand and the mess cleaned itself.
"I beg your pardon? I don't think I quite heard you right." Hermione said in chock.
"I think you did, you just didn't believe it. I said; my house elves don't work weekends. That means they only work Monday to Friday." he clarified.
Hermione rose from her chair and walked over to Draco and kissed him.
"If their hours makes you to that I'm eager to find out what you will do to me when I tell you they are paid one Galleon a week as well and that they have one weeks paid vacation a year." Draco smirked and started kissing her neck.
"That may very well make me want to skip breakfast and eat you up instead." she moaned into his hair.
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, love. We can't have you skip it, now can we? So, how do you want your eggs?" he asked when he'd stopped kissing her neck.
"Fertilized." she smirked.
Draco gave off a sound that was something in-between a horny growl and a moan and lifted the giggling Hermione up on the kitchen counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him fiercely. They were too busy snogging to hear voices in the hallway leading up to the kitchen.
Saturday, 9:30 AM, August 31st, 2023 – The Hallway Leading up to the Kitchen, Malfoy Manor.
"Thanks again for lending me some comfy clothes. These pants are the softest I've ever wore." Rose said referring to the silver silk pyjama pants she wore. Scorpius had lent her a dark green tank top as well.
"I'm just happy to make you happy." he hummed. He loved the fact that she hadn't seemed to notice she was wearing Slytherin colours.
As they came closer to the kitchen they heard the sound of a woman giggle.
"Did you hear that? That's odd. It sounded just like a woman's giggle." Scorpius said confused.
"Must be a friend of you dad's." Rose suggested.
"He never has women over." Scorpius mumbled.
As they entered the kitchen they were met by the sight of Draco (shirtless, mind you) leaning against the counter on top of which a woman with bushy brown hair sat with her legs wrapped around his waist and her hands tangled in his hair.
"Dad! What the bloody hell are you doing?" Scorpius shouted in surprise.
Draco froze and the woman quickly released her grip.
"Scorpius!" Draco exclaimed in shock and turned around.
When he saw that Scorpius wasn't alone and whom exactly the girl he'd brought home last night was he drew a quick breath,
"Oh, bugger." he said quietly.
In that moment Hermione and Rose made eye contact and the reaction was immediate.
"Rose?" Hermione asked in surprise and she blushed deeply from what her daughter had just undoubtedly witnessed.
"Mum? What in Merlin's name are you doing here?" Rose asked with an expression of shock on her face.
Hermione didn't answer but only blushed deeper.
"Well, I think there's a very good explanation for what's happening here." Draco said as Hermione slowly slid off the kitchen counter.
"It's obvious that the Malfoy men have such an impeccable taste in women, it's almost uncanny." Draco said causing everyone in the room to shoot him stern looks.
"Dad!" Scorpius said with a sharp tone.
"Right, how rude of me." Draco said and walked over to Rose and reached out his hand.
Rose took it with some hesitation.
"Rose, welcome to Malfoy Manor. I'm really glad I finally get to meet you, properly." Draco said and smiled at Rose.
Scorpius rolled his eyes.
"Thank you, Mr Malfoy. The pleasure is all mine." Rose beamed.
"Please, call me Draco. Given the circumstances I only think it's fit." he said and gave a nervous laughter.
"Does your father know you're here, darling?" Hermione asked Rose.
"No, does he know you are?" Rose retorted.
"Rose! He's your father and you're supposed to stay with him this weekend. He must be worried sick that you didn't come home last night." Hermione said and gave Rose a stern look.
"I'll bet he hasn't even noticed my absence. But don't worry, I'll Floo him and tell him." Rose shrugged.
"That's right you will." Hermione warned her daughter.
"Here, I'll show you where the fireplace is, Rose." Draco said and escorted Rose out of the room, leaving Scorpius a Hermione alone.
There was a moment of awkward silence.
"So, Scorpius dear. How's school?" said Hermione after a while.
"Fine. I'm taking N.E.W.T.-level Muggles Studies this year." Scorpius said nervously.
"Well that's interesting. How come you wanted to take Muggle studies?" Hermione asked.
"I think you always want to study what you don't understand. During the summer before we started third year I visited the Burrow with Albus and Mr Weasley really inspired me with his passion for Muggles and Muggle artefacts." Scorpius explained.
"Arthur has always been passionate about anything Muggle, hasn't he?" Hermione chuckled.
"Maybe after my N.E.W.T. I can finally explain to him the function of a rubber duck." Scorpius said and laughed nervously.
"I hate to burst your bubble Scorpius, but there isn't one, really." Hermione laughed.
There was another moment of silence before Scorpius spoke again,
"So, how is work?"
"Fine. We have initial negotiations with Gringotts coming up about the budget for next year. Honestly I'm not looking forward to it." Hermione answered and looked out the window.
There was more silence. After a few more moments of silence Scorpius cleared his throat,
"Erhm, Ms Granger…" he started.
"Please, call me Hermione." she smiled.
"Right. Hermione… I just want you to know that I do not have no dishonest intentions with your daughter." Scorpius said and he mentally cursed himself for sounding like such a wanker.
Hermione gave him a warm smile.
"I would never expect otherwise from you, Scorpius. I'm really happy for you and Rose. Although I must admit I really was surprised to see her here just now." Hermione admitted.
"I think it's safe to say we thought the same about you. I mean no offence. I'm glad you're here. It was just… well… unexpected." Scorpius rambled.
Hermione smiled again and Scorpius took a moment to admire the warmth of it. He could definitely see why his father fancied this woman.
"If you don't mind me asking, Hermione. How long have you and my dad been seeing each other? He never told me that he was seeing anyone." Scorpius said after a moment.
Hermione blushed deeply before she answered.
"Well, I guess your father wasn't telling you anything because there really was nothing to tell. Until last night that is." she said and blushed even deeper.
"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Scorpius said and looked away.
Just then Draco and Rose returned to the kitchen.
"Now then." Draco said and clapped his hands together once. "You lot, behave yourselves while I make this awkward and uncomfortable family some breakfast. Scorp, you can make the coffee. Rose, help your mother toast some bread if you please. I'll make some eggs and bacon. Then we will sit down together and eat. And we will have a pleasant time" he finished. As his words sounded more like a threat than anything else, no one really wanted to disobey.
Draco waved his wand and made the eggs and bacon prepare them selves and then he summoned a t-shirt to weave. It would seem that this breakfast would be uncomfortable as it was without him being half naked.
Saturday, 10:00 AM, August 31st, 2023 – The Kitchen Table, Malfoy Manor.
"Would you mind passing me the pumpkin juice, drear?" Hermione asked Draco when they were all sitting at the kitchen table.
"Here you are, love." he answered and passed her the jug that was on his left side.
As he reached his left arm over the table he saw Rose's eyes falling on the Dark Mark. The mark was faded but it was still very visible. When Rose saw that Draco had caught her staring she blushed and quickly looked away.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare." she mumbled.
The mark really didn't bother Draco any more. It had been over 25 years since he got it and he had since long made his peace with it.
"Don't worry about it." Draco said and gave Rose a kind smile.
Hermione gave them both a worrying look when she understood what had happened. This, however, the looks and the fact that people got scared or uncomfortable as soon as they saw it; that did still bother Draco. Out of the corner of his eye Scorpius gave his father a hesitant look; wondering how his father was going to react.
"It's just… I have never really seen it. Did it hurt?" Rose said.
"Rose!" Hermione shouted.
"Really. It's fine." Draco said again calmly and displayed his left forearm on the table.
"Draco, you don't have to…" Hermione begun but Draco cut her off.
"I made my peace with it a long time ago. I really don't have a problem talking about it. It's knowing that people are thinking about it and not talking about it that bothers me. And to answer your question Rose; yes, it bloody well hurt." Draco said.
"When did you get it?" Rose asked again.
"The summer before my sixth year. Voldemort was living here, at the Manor, and he'd given me the impossible task to kill Albus Dumbledore who was the headmaster at the time." Draco answered calmly.
Both Rose and Scorpius stared at Draco with big eyes.
"Dad, you never told me that." Scorpius said.
"Even though I've made my peace with it, I'm still not proud of my past and I tend not to broadcast it, as you might understand. There are enough people in the Wizarding world that knows about my part in the war as it is. Don't exactly need them to be more." Draco said.
"Did you kill him? Dumbledore, I mean?" Rose asked.
"Rose, really. That's rude." Hermione shushed.
"What do you think, Rose? And answer me honestly, because I'll know either way if you lie to me." Draco said and gave her crocked smile, which could be interpreted either as vile or sly.
Rose sat quiet for a moment and watched Draco carefully.
"No. I don't think you did kill him." she finally said.
"How come?" asked Draco calmly.
"Well, I didn't know you back then, but I sort of do now. And above all; I know Scorpius. The values you've passed onto your son are not the ones of a person who kills another wizard on command. I think you were pressured into the whole situation and wand to your throat forced to do it. Even though your life was at stake; I don't think you would have ever killed him. I can absolutely see you being a git back then, but I don't think you ever really sympathised with Voldemort's beliefs." Rose said after a moments thinking.
"Well, you certainly are your mother's daughter, aren't you? And I mean that as the highest appraisal." Draco said and smirked.
"And you are right, Rose; he was a smile git back then." Hermione said and crocked an eyebrow in Draco's direction.
"That I was. Not particularly proud of that either. But you see, my whole life I was told by my father that Muggleborns were not as worthy of magic as purebloods. Then I come to Hogwarts and there's this Muggleborn witch who outperforms me in every bloody class. Then I had to ask myself; how can she beat me if my blood is better than hers? The answer was of course; my blood isn't better. As you can imagine that resulted in a severely raged world view and since I was a hormonal teenager; I didn't really know how to sort my feelings."
"Well, you cleaned up good, Draco." Hermione smiled. "And even though you were a git at school you saved our lives during the war later to come."
"You did? You haven't told me any of this!" Scorpius pointed out in disappointment.
"How about I tell you that story some other time? Still want to keep some of my mystique." Draco smirked.