The Silver Trio

Rose Weasley and Albus Potter are just as famous as their parents – for doing absolutely nothing. Scorpius Malfoy is just as famous – but for all the wrong reasons. So when the three are finally eleven and beginning Hogwarts, they're bound to be enemies, right?

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters. I wish I did, because then there would be a book on the Next Generation too. Sadly, JK didn't agree with me

AN: I would love to reply to all the reviews I've received in the past 2/3 years since I've updated but I have a feeling it would be a chapter within itself! So firstly I'd like to start off by saying thank you to everyone who's taken the time to review anything I've ever written.

I'd like to apologise for not updated in so long, it's a bit ridiculous how long actually. It's easier to start at the beginning: 2/3 years ago I was diagnosed with something which changed my life, and I kept meaning to return, but with everything going on in my life it was really hard and I just wanted to focus on myself for a while. And even though my life will be very very busy over the next year (applying to universities is so hard!), I will gradually be starting to update all my fanfictions again because I do miss writing and I still have so many ideas and plots written out. Hopefully you can all support this decision and be patient with me!

If you were a reader of this fanfiction before I disappeared, I'd still recommend going back and reading, because I've added quite a lot here and there. It's funny how critical I am now of my writing 2/3 years ago.

This is the last chapter that will be edited, the next chapter posted will be a new chapter, so read and review please!

This one's a bit different to the light-hearted trio we're used to so just a heads-up. Enjoy!

Chapter Five: Home for Christmas

(Scorpius POV)

"I win again! In your face, Scor!" Rose teased, as she beat me at chess for what seemed like the hundredth time in a row. Dad always said the Weasleys, especially Ron, who had supposedly completed a giant chessboard in their first year in order to help Albus' Dad get to the Philosopher's Stone, were good at chess, but I hadn't been aware of just how good. And that Ron Weasley would have passed this skill onto his eldest daughter.

We were on the Hogwarts Express going home for the Christmas holidays; two weeks without one another for the first time since we'd started Hogwarts. Mealtimes without Rose's appalling eating habits and Albus' disgust would be odd, waking up and not having to drag Albus out of bed would be odd, not hanging out in the Slytherin common room as Rose pestered us to do our essays so we didn't fall behind. There were so many things about our friendship that had become routine over the course of the past four months or so, but now Rose and Albus were going to stay at the Burrow with the rest of the Weasleys, and I was going home to Malfoy Manor. Oh joy.

Albus laughed as Rose struggled to pick up all the pieces with her small hands, ready to set up the chess board so we could play again, biting her bottom lip the way she always did when she was concentrating. He'd just been sat opposite us as he usually did, pretending to read The Quibbler, when really he was watching us over the top of the tabloid. He always enjoyed watching Rose and I compete, though in a more amicable way than our fathers' had expected us to. Unfortunately for me, she'd always end up winning; I'd try my hardest and she'd beat me almost effortlessly, whether it was tests or games. Some people have all the luck.

Rose Weasley was one of these people.

"How many times did I beat you at Wizard's Chess, Scor?" Rose said jokingly as we got off the train, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously as she turned back to see the look on my face. Albus laughed, patting her on the back, and I scowled jokingly, nudging her with my elbow. "One day I'll beat you, Rosie, just you wait and see." She turned back to face me so we were a breath apart and her lips curled into a smirk as my cheeks flushed slightly. "Looking forward to watch you try, Scor."

"Hey, Rosie, Al! Get over here!"

I squinted and looked further down the platform, nearer the entrance, where there was a giant sea of people, mainly redheads but a few blondes and brunettes thrown into the mix too. The Weasleys, the people Rose and Albus were lucky enough to call family.

Dad was right, there were a ridiculous amount of them, much more than I'd even realized. They were a lot closer than most families, and judging by what I was seeing, they were just as close to their extended family members. I saw the tall, beautiful quarter-Veela Victoire Weasley: the seventh year Gryffindor Prefect and the eldest of the Weasley brood, hugging an older woman who was so stunning I knew it had to be her mother. Molly and Lucy Weasley stood with an uptight looking man dressed in a pinstripe suit, who had to be Percy Weasley, while Dominique and Louis pounced on a broad-shouldered redheaded man with scars on his face, who was clearly Bill Weasley, their father. George Weasley was huddled to one side with James, Fred and Louis and from what Albus had told me, I assumed he was asking them about all the pranks they'd managed to pull off since they'd gone back to Hogwarts. Roxy was stood chatting to a little girl and boy that looked so much like Ginny Potter and Ron Weasley that they had to be Lily Luna and Hugo, Albus and Rose's younger siblings.

Amongst the crowd, I spotted Teddy Lupin, who is technically more closely related to me, make his way over to Victoire and plant a kiss on her lips, his turquoise blue hair turning a light pink as a result. I hadn't even met the older boy, but apparently he was engaged to Victoire, and had practically grown up with them, so the Weasleys had somewhat adopted him. I spotted even more Uncles and Aunts running around, greeting everyone who'd gotten off the train, I could see Rose and Albus' grandparents making their way around the group, kissing all their grandchildren. And then, I saw the people I feared the most of all – The Golden Trio.

I know, I know, they're not scary or bad or anything, of course they're not, the three of them saved the Wizarding World when they were seventh years! It's just, from what I'd learned in school and heard from Rose and Albus, I'd grown an over-whelming amount of respect for them, and I was worried the three of them weren't happy with our friendship. After all, I'd seen the way Ron Weasley looked at me on this same platform back in September. How did he feel about the fact that I'd become one of his daughter's best friends?

Albus stuck out a hand and high-fived me and clapped me on the back, grinning at me. "I'll see you in January, yeah, mate? Remember to practice Quidditch – we're trying out for the team next year! I'm sending you your present on Christmas Day itself, I'm not having you open it before like I know you will!" I smiled and nodded at him, punching him jokingly on the shoulder. I couldn't believe that we'd hated each other at the beginning of the year: he was now my roommate, my best mate and someone who I could confide in. Alongside Rose, he'd become one of the most important people in my life.

I turned to face Rose once again and let out a gasp of surprise as she flung her arms around my neck and hugged me close. I heard the similar reactions from her family and could sense Albus snickering beside us, but I focused my attention on what she was now saying to me. "Remember to write, Scor. I'm gonna miss you so much." Rose Weasley. Rose had easily become my best friend in the past few months. She was someone who I trusted my life with and someone who had believed in me when no one else had. I couldn't even begin to imagine how different my life would be if she hadn't given me a chance during our first journey to Hogwarts.

"I will, I promise," I said softly, as we pulled apart. I squeezed her hand softly as tears began to brim in her warm brown eyes, and fought back the tears in my own. She nodded and sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, attempting to blink the tears away. Al put an arm around her shoulder as I let go of her hand, and the three of us nodded at each other. "Have a nice holiday," we all chorused as we smiled sadly, then they walked off to their family.

I turned to the opposite end of the platform, slowly walking over to my family members, who did not look pleased with my choice of friends. Two weeks with cold looks and nagging family members was not going to be fun, and I knew I'd miss Rose and Albus even more because of it.

Little did I know then that I was going to see my two best friends a lot sooner than I'd intended to, under quite unfortunate circumstances.

"Why on earth are you friends with a Weasley and a Potter, boy?" My grandfather asked, slamming his fork down on the table. My mother and grandmother flinched visibly, but continued to eat their dinner. My father put his utensils down and began fidgeting with his collar, a sign that he was feeling uncomfortable. I had a feeling he hadn't mentioned my friends to my grandfather despite me writing to warn him about who they were.

We'd Floo'd home straight away, and as soon as I'd stepped foot in the Manor a few hours ago, I'd bolted up to my room and hadn't come back down, scared of the frosty reception I knew I'd receive. But I hadn't been able to avoid confrontation completely, when my mother had called everyone to dinner. It's odd, the Manor has so many rooms, and judging by how Rose and Albus described the Burrow, it's a lot larger than their grandparents' house that they'd spent most of their childhood in. The Manor was cold and the many rooms made you feel even more isolated. Though I'd rather be isolated than be sitting opposite my grandfather at the dinner table.

I decided to stay silent in response to what my grandfather had said, and continued making my way through my dinner. I stared down at my steak and chewed, my vision blurring slightly. I knew what would come out if I were to even open my mouth to speak: Rose and Albus weren't bad people, I knew that now, and I'd tell my grandfather that. Which would be very dangerous for me, considering the amount of Dark Magic he'd been accused of in the Wizarding War. He'd been spared Azkaban because of his last minute cowardice, when they'd simply walked away from it all, yet I knew he was guilty than most of the other Death Eaters.

"Do you even have a clue what the Weasley and Potter scum have done to this family, Scorpius?" he yelled, standing up and looking twice as threatening as spit flew from his mouth in his furious tirade. I'd heard this speech numerous times, but that was back when I didn't know them. Now I knew who was the scum. "I don't know how you can be friends with the Potter boy and not see his father's face everyday! If I were sharing a dormitory with him, I'd have used the Killing Curse on him in the first week, if not the first night! Potter gave me a lot of cheek, even before the war and his son looks just as bad. And Merlin, Granger and Weasley. I told you never to associate with the Weasleys, they're a filthy bunch of blood traitors!"

I hoped he would shut up, so I wouldn't have to hear him insulting my friends further, I could feel myself growing more and more angry, I was currently gripping my cutlery so tightly that my knuckles had turned shockingly white. Yet, of course Lucius Malfoy continued his outburst, not willing to disclose his hated of the Golden Trio and their family. "And their ugly spawn! Honestly, that girl is obviously a half-blood, she's almost as bad as the Potter boy! Her uniform, her hair, her –"

"Rose Weasley is not ugly," I snarled, gritting my teeth. "And what you've just said is a pile of crap. If anyone's scum, it's you. I'm ashamed to have to call you my grandfather." He'd hit a raw nerve, going after Rose and insulting her, and he knew that. But I wasn't going to sit back any longer and listen to him insulting people I knew were the good people in the Wizarding World. I'd spent the last eleven years being told to hate them, but now I knew them, that was impossible.

I found myself regretting my Gryffindor-like bravery and speaking out, the same way Rose would have, as I looked around the table and saw my family members react to what I'd just said. My father's eyes were widened in shock, and my mother and grandmother looked like they were going to collapse. Across from me, Lucius Malfoy's eyes were bulging in anger, practically coming out of their sockets.

He bolted around the table and grabbed me by my collar, pinning me against the wall and ignoring the frightened pleas of our family members. At this moment, I could see the visual similarities between us: the platinum-blonde hair, the steely-grey eyes and even the vein that popped out slightly on his forehead when he was angry. But I knew that this was where the similarities and familial traits ended as he reached into his pocket and drew out his wand, spitting on me as he yelled.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, BOY? ARE YOU STANDING UP FOR A WEASLEY? AND A POTTER, OVER YOUR OWN FAMILY? YOU'RE A FILTHY BLOOD TRAITOR – I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU A LESSON, ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

(Rose POV)

"Typical that you, Ron, who hates the Malfoys more than anyone, has a daughter who is best friends with one," Uncle Percy chuckled, throwing his head back and slapping his knee. "And that's on top of being the first Weasley to ever be sorted into Slytherin house, Merlin help us all!"

"Ignore him, Rose, he's drunk," Lucy whispered in my ear, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as her dad began to gulp down even more Firewhisky. The festive family gatherings were the only time Uncle Percy could get off work, therefore, he tended to get as drunk as he desired. Making up for a lost childhood of parties, Mum had always told me as an explanation. But I'd never been at the receiving end of the brutal honesty that came with a drunken Uncle Percy.

Uncle Bill and Uncle Charlie, who were just as drunk, guffawed, high-fiving one another. "She'll end up marrying him, ol' buddy boy, Ron! You're gonna be the granddad of Malfoy babies! Her kids are gonna grow up in that blasted Manor, calling Draco their grandfather!" Uncle Charlie snorted, pointing at me. "If he's anything like his father, you'd better hope Rosie here doesn't marry him," Uncle Bill continued, as Victoire gave me an apologetic look from the sofa opposite. The rest of the cousins looked equally as awkward, whilst next to me, Albus had practically gone red. "He'll be a rude, slimy, arrogant little toerag –"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, standing up, tears streaming down my cheeks as everyone turned to face me. I couldn't even bear to look over at my parents, sat around the kitchen table with the other relatively sober family members, I just narrowed my eyes at the three uncles who felt the need to criticize one of my best friends. "Scorpius is nothing like his father! He's shy and quiet and kind-hearted – you don't even know him! He's nothing like his parents! You can't just judge him for his name!"

And with that, I ran up to Aunt Ginny's old room, where I'd be staying for the next few nights leading up to Christmas, ignoring the faces of my bewildered relatives at my shocking outburst.

(Third Person POV)

Hermione Weasley woke up with a start as she heard a faint knock at the front door of the Burrow. She sat up straight and looked around the living room, where her, Ron, Harry and Ginny were sleeping. Ron was sprawled out on one sofa bed next to her, whilst Harry and Ginny slept on the one opposite. But the other three remained perfectly still and asleep. They always were heavy sleepers, Hermione thought to herself, sighing heavily as she dismissed the sound of a figment of her imagination, and pulled the covers around her more tightly, snuggling closer to her husband.

Hermione didn't like the dark, ever since the Wizarding War. It had been so many years ago, but she was still haunted with nightmares; she didn't like being the last awake, that's why she always went to bed first, she'd fallen asleep on the sofa whilst the Weasley siblings were drinking around her. She hated thinking that there was something outside the Burrow, that they weren't safe after all.

When there was another faint knock, Hermione reached for her wand and dressing gown, and began to make her way over to the door, casting a quiet Lumos charm. A million bad thoughts ran through her head. What if it was some stray Death Eaters, who'd escaped Azkaban? What if it was someone trying to attack the Weasley clan? What if it was someone trying to kill her for her part in the Wizarding War?

Inhaling deeply, Hermione unlocked the front door, and opened it slowly. Once it had opened about two centimetres and nothing bad had happened, Hermione flung the door open and looked outside. Of course, it had been her imagination playing with her once again, few people wanted to harm the Weasleys, and the people who did were rotting in Azkaban for it. They were fine; it must have just been her mind playing with her once again.

Instead of turning to go sleep next to Ron straight away, she couldn't help but look out and admire the beauty of the Burrow's surroundings at Christmas. The fresh snow which was currently falling from the sky was pure and white and untouched; Hermione loved the Burrow at Christmas, which is why for the first week of the holidays, the whole family always stayed over, no matter how much of a squeeze it was. Hermione's pink lips curled into a small smile, and she felt over-whelmed with love for this time of year, practically constructing a poem in her mind about how much she loved the festivities that came with the Weasley family Christmas. But as she took a step further into the darkness, that was when she saw the crumpled body of Scorpius Malfoy lying face down just below the front porch, a limp hand lying on the stairs that led up to the Burrow.

(Albus POV)

Aunt Hermione's scream had woken every single Weasley up, despite the fact that most of the family were notoriously heavy sleepers. Absolute chaos had broken out, Aunt Hermione wasn't one to scream, so when we'd all heard the piercing screech, we'd sprinted down the stairs, and immediately ran to see what was going on. Rose and I had bumped into each other as we ran out of the rooms we were sleeping in, and she'd wailed as the pair of us sprinted downstairs and saw our parents bent over the unconscious form of our best friend.

Seconds after we'd sat down, the rest of the Weasley brood followed, and the living room of the Burrow was currently filled with screaming redheads, blondes and brunettes. Rose and I were stood behind the sofa bed Scorpius lay across, and I wrapped my arms around her as she sobbed, her body slumped against mine. Everyone had huddled in small groups, and just looking around, I could see that everyone was here, from Grandma Molly in her beige dressing gown to baby Ruby, Uncle Charlie's two-year-old daughter, in her yellow babygro.

"Everyone, calm down; please be quiet," Dad said sternly, trying to speak loudly over the rest of the family's chatter as he circled the room, trying to calm everyone down. His eyes were still bloodshot from sleep, his hair ruffled and his round glasses wonky on his face, but he was trying to keep everyone calm and reassure them that things would be okay. This just went to show the compassion of the Weasleys, hardly any of them knew Scorpius personally, and even the ones that did didn't particularly like him, but they were just as worried about him as Rose and I were. But no one had even heard Dad's attempt to calm everyone down.

"OI SHUT UP, THE LOT OF YOU!"

It may have been early in the morning, but Mum had no problem yelling at the top of her voice, her brown eyes flickering dangerously. All the Weasleys fell silent and turned to her, a fearful expression on every single person's face. Mum tended to be good at that, inflicting fear on people so they were forced to listen to her, scared she'd use the Bat Bogey Hex (which, unluckily for me, she'd taught Rose) on them. As soon as she was satisfied with everyone's silence, she turned to Dad, a forced smile on her face. "Go on, Harry." It came out in the calmest voice possible and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes; Merlin, what a weirdo my mum was.

Dad smiled back at her nervously, and ran his hands through his hair before turning to the rest of us. "Now, I know this must be very scary and sudden for all of you – trust me, I'm just as worried – but you all need to relax and go back to your rooms, immediately, and get some sleep. We'll come by and explain the situation to all of you in the morning, now go rest up. If you want to come to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade for some last minute Christmas shopping, you'd better be down here before ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Now, go to bed." Everyone turned to go, and Dad sighed. "Ron, Hermione, Ginny – I'd like you to stay."

Rose was seemingly oblivious to what my Dad had said, her tear-filled blue eyes fixed on Scorpius, and I sighed, grabbing her arm and pulling her so we could follow the rest of our relatives upstairs. My dad stepped forward and put his arms around our shoulders. "Wait, Rosie and Al… you must stay too. Scorpius needs you if he wakes up, and the two of you are his best friends."

I felt Rose tense beside me, and felt a sinking feeling in my chest. Rose was brave, fiery and gutless, just a few of the qualities that would have made her the perfect Gryffindor. But the one thing Rose couldn't take was seeing the people she loved in pain or discomfort of any kind; it's why she was so protective, she didn't want her friends and family to get hurt. I'd only seen her cry a few times in my life, despite all the Quidditch-inflicted injuries she'd experienced in the past few years, she hadn't ever cried. But she'd bawled her eyes out when Hugo had fell down the stairs and been taken to St Mungo's when he was four.

I squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, and she turned to nod at me, before we turned around and walked back towards the sofa where Scorpius lay. Rose's eyes were still shut, but I let out a groan of discomfort as I saw the condition of our best friend. It was strange how despite the state he was in, Scorpius looked so innocent and pure, I suppose it was the blonde Malfoy look; no matter how much I teased him about Potters being the more attractive, he was a good looking guy, our Scorpius. The scratches on his cheeks somehow made his cheekbones appear more defined, yet the purple bruises on his arms and around his neck were obviously from being grabbed – he'd obviously tried to put up a fight against whoever had hurt him. His silvery-blonde eyelashes (which I'd heard some Ravenclaws gushing about just last week) brushed against his cheeks and he looked paler and more ruffled than usual, but other than that, he looked the same as he did when he was asleep in the dormitory we shared. It was odd.

We stood at the front of the sofa this time, and Rose opened her eyes and howled as she opened her eyes and saw Scorpius lying limply on the sofa; a few hours ago, we'd been laughing and joking around on that sofa, before she'd run up to Mum's old room and I'd followed. She knelt down next to him and I inhaled deeply, I could see that Rose cared so much about him; her outburst and tears earlier had been so unlike her, that's why it hurt to see tears clear in her golden-brown eyes, as she gently stroked his cheek.

As if he knew it was her, his eyelids flickered openly slowly. Rose let out a squeal of delight and hugged him closely, her cheek brushing against his. As he let out a moan of discomfort, Rose pulled away and turned to me, her eyes still full of tears, but her lips were curled into a wide smile. She gestured for me to come closer, and moved over to give me space on the carpet beside her.

Scorpius turned his head slightly, so he was facing us both and grinned weakly at me, a trace of that lopsided grin that made Rose blush often, and he lifted his hand weakly. I bent down and high-fived him carefully, scared I was going to hurt him. I hadn't hit his hand hard at all, merely brushing my palm against his, but I still saw him trying not to wince or yelp in pain, the smile wiped off his face in an instant.

"What's happened?" I asked, kneeling down next to Rose, so the two of us were knelt by Scorpius' head, side by side. "Who… who would do this to you?" Scorpius' usually pale skin flushed a pale pink, and he bit his lip nervously, a habit he'd developed after too much time with Rosie. I saw Rose's eyes flash angrily, a sure sign she was set to get very pissed off at whoever had done this. "Scor," she said, wincing as she heard her voice cracking with emotion. She took a deep breath, before gently intertwining their fingers. "Who… who would do this to you?"

Scorpius turned his face away from us, almost as if he was ashamed of what had happened to him, but not before Rose and I got the chance to see tears sparkling in our friend's steely-grey eyes. Rose lifted her spare hand and affectionately ran her fingers through Scor's light hair, the way she always did. She grimaced suddenly, and slowly pulled her hand away from his hair, and I felt like I was going to be sick.

Rose's hand was completely covered in blood.

Aunt Hermione gasped, and it was then I remembered that it wasn't just the three of us. Mum stumbled back into the wall, reeling in shock and Rose began to cry hysterically, holding out the bloodstained hand, unsure of what to do with it. Uncle Ron looked like he was going to be sick, and ran into the kitchen area, his eyes covered as he retched loudly. Dad moved closer to us, looking from Rose's red hand to Scorpius blonde hair. As Scorpius raised his head slightly, I could see that the back of his blonde head was streaked with blood, some of which had stained the sofa.

As he turned slowly back towards us, I locked my eyes with his. "Who did this, Scor?" I asked as calmly as possible, repeating the question he'd still failed to answer. Rose groaned, and I lightly grabbed his wrist, forcing him to look at me, emphasising every word. "Scor… who… did… this… to… you?"

"My grandfather!"

At Scorpius' outburst, Uncle Ron ran back into the living room area, Aunt Hermione moved closer and Dad focused his eyes on him. "Lucius did this to you?" Dad said softly, moving closer to us, his entire body visibly tense. Scorpius shivered at the mention of his grandfather's name, but he nodded slowly. "He… he was mad," Scorpius mumbled, so we all had to move closer to hear him. "He hadn't known I was friends with Rose and Albus until he saw us together on the platform. He was mad I was friends with them, and started insulting Rose and the rest of the Weasleys… and well, he got mad when I stood up for her. Then… I got here somehow, I don't remember how, but I just remember thinking of you two."

Rose leaned forward and kissed his cheek lightly, before resting her cheek carefully against his and gripping his shirt. "Scor," she whispered, pressing her body against his own limp form. "You didn't have to defend me, you know that. You're my best friend, I know you're always going to have my back. But I would rather watch your grandfather insult me if it meant you wouldn't get hurt."

"But I wouldn't want that, Rosie," Scor mumbled quietly in response. "NO way am I going to let my grandfather say anything bad about you and your family." He turned slightly, so he was facing both of us. "You both let me in, no one else did at first, but you two got people to accept I wasn't just another Malfoy scum." He smiled weakly at me and couldn't help but chuckle. "Even if we did get off to a bad start, I'll never be able to repay you guys for that."

I felt tears brimming in my own eyes and ran a hand through my hair. "Don't mention it, Scor," I said, nodding at him as Rose hugged him again. "You're a good guy, I'm just sorry for treating you like shit before." "You're amazing, Scor," Rose said softly. She pulled away from him, but squeezed his hand gently once again. "I can't believe –"

"Come on, Ron," I heard Dad say gruffly, and turned to see him walk over and clap Uncle Ron on the shoulder. Uncle Ron nodded, his face serious at what he'd just heard. He didn't look annoyed at the exchange between Rose, Scorpius and I, just disturbed by the fact it had been Lucius Malfoy who had injured his own grandson. "We're going to Malfoy Manor." Scorpius sat bolt upright and Rose and I turned to face our dads, completely horrified.

"WHAT?"

"DAD, UNCLE HARRY… YOU MUST BE JOKING!"
"Mr Weasley, Mr Potter… I really can't ask you to do that!"

Uncle Ron made his way over to us and bent down, wrapping his arms around Rose and hugging her close to him. Dad walked over, smiling at me and putting a hand on Scorpius' shoulder, sighing heavily. "Scorpius, as much as I don't want to go back to the Manor, we need to arrest your grandfather. If he physically assaulted you and cut you with a sharp object of any sort –"

"My grandfather didn't cut me. Or physically assault me, really," Scorpius said softly, as Dad and Uncle Ron exchanged confused looks. He looked nervous, looking down at his lap and it was only when I put a hand on his forearm that he looked up at me, fresh tears brimming in his eyes. "Well… he did, pin me to the wall. But, he… he used… the Crucia –"

"The Cruciatus curse?" Aunt Hermione said, rushing to his side, her eyes wide with horror. I couldn't help but flinch and saw my other family members doing the same; Rose and I had heard about how Aunt Hermione had been tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange's use of the Cruciatus curse, during the war. Dad and Uncle Harry had heard it firsthand. And though she'd been young, Scorpius was eleven years old! "Scorpius, please tell me your grandfather did not use the Cruciatus curse on you."

Scorpius blushed as the rest of us gawped at him in shock, but tears began falling down his cheeks, as his eyes grew cold, clearly remembering the events that had occurred a few hours ago. Uncle Ron let go of Rose and straightened up, nudging Dad, quickly going over to Aunt Hermione and planting a chaste kiss on her forehead. "We're going now, Harry. We're going to Malfoy Manor." Uncle Ron knelt down once again, so he was eye level with Scorpius and he sighed heavily. "Don't you worry, Malfoy – Scorpius. We'll arrest your grandfather, there will be a court case and in the likely chance he's proven guilty, he'll be in Azkaban forever. We're not letting him get away with this."

Rose blinked in shock and raised her eyebrows at me, and behind her, I could see Aunt Hermione looking the same way at Mum, both clearly surprised by Uncle Ron's reaction to what Scorpius had said. He'd made it clear from the start that he didn't particularly like Rose and I being friends with Scorpius, but this was a clear sign he did actually want to get to know him better, for our sake. He smiled as he saw me staring and cleared his throat. "Al, do me a favour, go to my old room, where you're sleeping. I'm sure there's some of my old jumpers and pyjamas in the bottom drawer, make sure Scorpius is warm after he's been warmed up. In the morning, we'll take him to St Mungo's for a quick check-up, you may need to stay there overnight for a day or two, just as a precaution, but we'll make sure you're back in time for Christmas Eve. Until then, the rest of you get your sleep."

And with that final word, Uncle Ron Apparated away with my Dad, who looked mildly impressed.

Rose wrapped her arms around Scorpius, and I did the same from his other side, whilst Aunt Hermione moved closer and put her arms around the three of us. "You can sleep down here tonight after we've cleaned you up, Scorpius, with Rose and Albus," she said, hugging the three of us closely as we wiped our tears from our eyes. "Ron and I will find somewhere else to sleep. Don't worry, darling. You're part of our family now, you're safe in our hands."

I saw Scorpius' lips struggle to curl into a content smile, but saw his grey eyes shining happily. Because since he'd become friends with Rose and I, I knew all he'd wanted was to be part of a real family.