Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything related to him.

Note: This was written for Fire the Canon's "50 Days of Inspiration" competition using the prompt "We can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it" -Lyndon Johnson.

Warnings: n/a

Rating: K

Characters: Draco, Scorpius

Word Count: 346

"Daddy? What's a Mudblood?"

Draco turned to study his six-year-old son. "Where did you hear that word from?" He asked, mainly to stall for time to formulate an answer. He wished Astoria were here to take the question, but she was off with the other females of her family for a spa day. He was on his own.

"When I was with Aunt Daphne, Grayson Nott stopped by with his parents. He's the one that said it." Scorpius answered.

Of course. Pansy Parkinson - well, Nott now, never dropped her Pureblooded preferences. She must be passing them on. Draco thought. The situation was explained well enough, but what he was going to do about it? He was at a cross roads. "Well... do you know how your Mommy and I can do magic, and there's some people, Muggles, who can't?"he. He paused, waiting for the little boy's nod. "When a baby is born to two Muggles, and it is capable of magic, it's a Muggleborn witch or wizard. Some people, though, say that those babies are dirty for being born to Muggles, rather than people like us who can do magic. They call them Mudbloods instead."

"So..." Scorpius looked like he was trying to piece the explanation all together. "So it's a bad word that they call someone because their parents are different?" He asked, looking up at his father for confirmation.

"Exactly," his father agreed, smiling down at his son.

"Oh." The boy pondered this for a moment, then his eyes got wide. "I didn't mean to say a bad word, Daddy! I won't say it again, I promise!"

Draco chuckled. "I'll forgive you this time, since you didn't know it was a bad word, but I'll hold you to not saying it again." He ruffled his son's hair as the boy nodded his head furiously in agreement. "Why don't you go play for a bit before your mother gets home?" The child wasted no time in running off.

I handled that well, I believe, Draco thought. I think Astoria will be proud of me.