Chapter Three.

A cold chill slowly gathered into the room, making Ginny get up to start the fire. The flames blazed red, orange and yellow while flecks of ashes spluttered about. Draco stared at the warm hearth, his chest moving up and down slowly as he breathed in deeply. He supposed the children were right to call them kids. How silly it all was now that Draco had thought about it. It was as if they were all 16 again, living their past in Hogwarts. They were being haunted by their school memories, and it blinded them all at once. Draco squeezed Astoria's hand gently and she responded by caressing his with her thumb. He noticed Harry was doing the same with his wife.

"I suppose their right…" Ginny groaned putting her chin to her hand. Harry held her other and shrugged.

"They are right." Hermione said haughtily. She couldn't believe that she, a brilliant, mature witch was in this situation. She, a high-class Auror was to hesitant to even speak a word to this blonde haired man because of a few hurtful names.

"Oh come off it." Ron started. "You don't really think we need to sort out any problems. We're perfectly fine, right?" he looked over to Harry and Draco and they both nodded quickly.

Astoria rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I can tell you guys have a lot of tension going on and I barely remember any of you from school. Draco, you know full well that you need to apologize to these lovely people, so hurry up and just do it." She huffed and Draco gritted his teeth. Ron looked highly amused and he smirked at Harry, obviously enjoying that little statement.

"Wow Malfoy, how did you ever get yourself this gorgeous woman?" he asked, his eyebrows raised and Draco scowled, but slowly shrugged.

"I don't know either." He said, turning his head to give Astoria a grin. She blushed slightly and couldn't help the small smile spread to her face as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Ron and Harry grimaced simultaneously as Ginny and Hermione couldn't help but grin at each other.

"Hurry up and talk about you're problems already! I'm hungry!" Albus yelled out, immediately slicing the mood. Ginny huffed, her cheeks flushing red.

"If you're hungry, then come down and eat or you won't be gettin' any type of meal today!" she yelled back, and slowly but surely, the sound of scuffling feet was heard and out came the children. Lily was awake this time, her eyes puffy from just waking up.

"Look what you did. You woke up Lily!" Harry said exasperated as his youngest daughter walked over to him with a silly smile. She gave him a big hug and he grinned while ruffling her fiery red hair.

"It's okay daddy. I'm a teenager now remember? I can stay awake longer." She said nodding as if it was a true fact, and Harry nodded as well to play along. She was probably the most innocent thirteen year old he's ever seen. He knew, of course, he was never like that at that age.

"Of course sweetie." He chuckled.

She pranced away and Draco coughed slightly. "I gotta say Potter, that it's a little weird seeing you with children, but not as weird as Weasley over here." He said with a smirk and Ron furrowed his eyebrows.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he complained and Draco put his hands up defensively.

"Hey, I'm just saying…I never thought you would have kids, but it was obvious you were going to marry bookworm here – ow!" he laughed as Astoria gave him a smack on the shoulder.

"Right right, sorry, I meant Granger…or Weasley now?" he said confused, his eyes widening making Hermione actually chuckle a bit. She caught herself and her eyes widened, making Draco smirk. Draco had never made her laugh without being turned into a ferret.

"I would like it if you called me Hermione, Malfoy." She said once she composed herself.

"Only if you call me Draco." He retorted back coolly and stared at her for a reaction. She bit her lip, but slowly nodded.

The children looked back and forth towards their parents. Rose was sniggering at the fact that her father's jaw seemed to have hit the floor with full force. Albus had a curious expression on his face that could challenge Harry's, their emerald green eyes sparkling. Scorpius and James looked at each other with amused, smug faces and Hugo and Lily were already in the kitchen helping themselves to some sandwiches.

The heavy mood had broken. It was as if a thick cloud of black smoke had cleared away from the room, leaving only amused smiles and surprised chuckles. Harry smiled, feeling the familiar feeling of comfort come back to his body, and he finally lay back on the couch to relax. His muscles weren't tense anymore, and he held Ginny's hand loosely. Draco had seemed to do the same, a subtle smile forming on his lips. The air was light now, and Harry couldn't help but enjoy every bit of it.

"Now you're getting somewhere." James grinned mischievously. He seemed to have taken the roll as the new prankster of Hogwarts, having to work part-time with George at the shop. It was tiring to hear complaints from him at school, but Harry couldn't help but ask what his latest trouble making plan was next. He and James always loved that sort of thing, though everyone knows Albus is most like Harry. From his looks, to his true Gryffindor personality and good Seeker skills, Albus was as much the same as his father as Harry was to his.

"Shouldn't you guys be getting something to eat?" Harry droned at his son and James gasped while shaking his head.

"And miss this?" Scorpius interjected while James nodded.

"No way." They both said at the same time. Draco and Harry looked at each other with horrified expression, but Ron merely laughed at his best friend.

"You know, I never really got why you guys hated each other. I remember the first time I went to school, you told me to beware of Scorpius, but of course I didn't listen…" Rose titled her head with a smile as she looked at her father. Ron's ears tinted red.

"That was only a joke." He muttered as he grinned sheepishly to a glaring Malfoy.

"No but really, you guys never talk about you're days at Hogwarts." Whined Rose again, and James nodded, a serious look on his face.

"Yeah dad, I only remember you telling me about you're Quidditch matches." Scorpius butted in and Draco opened his mouth to speak.

"Did he also tell you we beat him in every one?" Harry interrupted and Draco scowled. Harry couldn't help but grin, remembering the very first time he caught his first snitch. It was against Slytherin and because of his lucky catch, they had won the game. He always remembered giving a little bit more effort during Gryffindor vs. Slytherin games because he felt the need to show off in front of them. His pride got the best of him, and thinking about it now seemed very silly.

"Almost all of them Potter…" Draco rolled his eyes.

Hermione smirked as she turned towards Scorpius. "Did he also tell you he was turned into a ferret during his fourth year?"

Ron and Harry immediately started laughing, but Draco merely looked horrified. Astoria's eyes widened and Scorpius seemed to be silent with shock.

"A ferret? You were turned into…a ferret?" Scorpius asked laughing, his cheeks flushing pink as he lost breath. "How come you never told me that!"

"Yes sweetie…why did you never tell us that?" Astoria asked, a sweet taunting smile on her face and Draco glared at Hermione. She merely gave him sarcastic smile and Ginny was trying hard to suppress a giggle.

"I…It's not exactly something I'm proud of okay?" Draco mumbled angrily. James was patting Scorpius on the back for he had suddenly started spluttering for breath and Rose's face was red from laughing as Scorpius flailed his arms around wildly.

"Pay back for those fangs you gave me…Draco." Hermione said stiffly and Draco looked at her with shock.

"That was an accident! It was meant to get Potter!" he argued, but she ignored it.

"Malfoy…the amazing bouncing ferret." Ron stated with a satisfied smirk, making Hermione giggle.

"Why are you guys all ganging up on me?" Draco frowned.

"Revenge." They all stated at the same time with grins. Draco laughed softly and pursed his lips.

Suddenly though, a strange feeling seemed to have taken over his body. He felt as though his back were being pushed forward, almost as if a hand had taken him by the collar. He coughed and stood up in panic for his right arm had gone numb, and then half his face. He was apparating, slowly, but how could he be? He had nothing in mind except for the panic running through his brain.

"Astoria." He said his eyes wide. He turned to her and she had stood up too.

"Draco, what's wrong?" she asked quickly and Harry had stood up as well. Everyone seemed to have silenced themselves. Draco was leaving, he could feel it. And he knew if he resisted, he would definitely splinch half his body.

"I…I'm.." he tried to say, but it was to late. "Astoria!"

And with that, Draco Malfoy had disappeared with the usual loud cracking sound of apparition.

"Dad!" Scorpius yelled out in shock, his face pale. He went beside his mother, whom had been staring at the spot to where Draco was, her eyes tearing. She looked up at Harry with alarm.

"What just happened?" she demanded, her dark raven hair falling dramatically onto her shoulders as she walked up to Harry. He tried to utter an explanation, but how could he if he didn't understand himself?

"I don't know. He…he…" Harry stuttered and Astoria pursed her lips.

"Yes, he just apparated, but where is he? He did not want to go!" she cried out in panic and Hermione winced at the volume of her voice.

"How am I supposed to know?" Harry said back sharply. "If I knew then I would tell you, but I have never seen that kind of magic before." He looked over to Hermione, but she merely shook her head.

"I've never heard of forced apparition before. I mean…I suppose I could look it up, but I would definitely remember something like that in my spell books." She explained and Astoria gave out an angry cry.

Her husband could be anywhere right now. He did not want to go, that's for sure she reasoned as she recalled the terror in his eyes. They had never left each other's side even since they were dating, and now that he's disappeared it was as if he had stolen half her soul with him. She was scared, no scared wasn't the word for it, she was extremely frightened at this point. Already, many horrible thoughts have gone through her head. Scorpius held his mother's hand in comfort. He too was in a state of terror. He had never seen his father look so scared.

"What if they had taken him?" Astoria whispered. Her tears had stopped, but the expression on her face was more pitiful than ever.

"Who?" Ron asked with frustration. "Who could possibly?"

"I don't know! The one who summoned him!" she cried back. Sighing, she tried to calm herself.

Rose, James and Albus all looked at each other in discomfort. Something was terribly wrong, they knew, but did not dare ask.

"We'll find him." Harry said firmly, looking at Astoria right in the eyes. "Draco is a pretty good wizard. He has his wand. I'm sure, wherever he is; he can take care of himself." Though he said it with fake confidence, the doubt in his mind could not be stronger.

"What's going on?" everyone turned towards the kitchen to reveal Lily and Hugo in the doorway, sandwiches in their hands and a curious expression on their faces. Harry looked at his daughter helplessly. He had no idea how to answer.