Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

A/N: I know it's been a little longer than normal since I've updated. This chapter is longer than the others to make up for it! Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows!

Chapter 5

After ending the Floo call with Malfoy, Harry immediately Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts, wishing he could Apparate straight to the Hospital Wing. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he could hear Hermione's voice as he had many times before, "Honestly, Harry, haven't you read Hogwarts: A History?" Harry shook his head and went to enter the grounds. He hesitated, however, wondering if he should wait for Malfoy.

Harry couldn't help being a little annoyed with the man. He didn't understand why he had declined his offer to grab a pint that evening. It had been ages since school, and he thought they had moved passed any hard feelings. Sure, they weren't exactly what Harry would describe as best mates by any means, but he thought they were at least friendly towards one another. As he continued to sulk, he couldn't help but be annoyed with himself for caring. Not to mention it gave a little too much credence to Ginny's accusation of being obsessed with the man. This only caused Harry to sulk more.

"Something wrong, Potter?" asked a familiar drawl, snapping Harry out of his thoughts. He whipped around to face his blond ex-nemesis. He had his all too familiar smirk plastered on his face, but Harry couldn't help but notice that it lacked the malice it used to contain back in their Hogwarts days.

"Just lost in thought. I figured I would wait for you, and we could walk up to the castle together," Harry replied, all the while trying to clear his previous line of thought.

Malfoy raised one pale eyebrow. "How considerate," he answered, before sweeping his arm in front of him, indicating for Harry to lead the way.

As the two men made the way up to the castle, Harry was struck by how easy the conversation flowed. They didn't talk about anything of any real significance, mostly the boys and work. They spent a lot of time voicing their concerns about their children. It wasn't the content that really struck Harry though. It was just how easily it was to talk to Malfoy, and he had never realized how funny his snarky, dry humor was when it wasn't directed cuttingly at him or his friends. Malfoy's humor hadn't changed much since school, but, like his smirk, seemed to lack the malice of the past. Before Harry knew it, they were standing in front of the Hospital Wing, and he couldn't help but wish the walk had been a little longer. Reprimanding himself for being more concerned about talking to Malfoy than checking on his unconscious son, he stepped in and rushed to Albus's bed.

Harry looked down at his still unconscious son in shock. He looked so much younger lying in the hospital bed. He was much paler than usual and had a large bruise on the side of his face. Harry couldn't help but be reminded of all of the times that Harry himself had been in his son's position. He saw Malfoy slowly approach the bed next to Albus where Scorpius was lying. He heard the other man's sharp intake of breath as he collapsed into a chair next to his son. Harry looked at the other boy lying in the bed. He looked much worse off than Albus. Scorpius had a large bruise on his face as well, along with what looked like a broken wrist that was wrapped as it healed and some possible broken ribs as well.

Harry looked up when he heard the door to the nurse's office open. Neville and Madame Merrywheather, the medi-witch who had taken over when Madame Pomfrey retired, stepped out.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, I'm glad you're both here," the nurse addressed them. "I'm sure that you're wondering what happened. First of all, please know that both the boys will be good as new in no time, but they will need to stay here for awhile to make sure everything heals properly."

"What happened?" Malfoy asked, his voice shaking slightly. Harry could feel the waves of worry rolling off of him from where he sat at his son's bed.

"Well, we're not quite sure," Neville answered. "All I know is that I was heading out to the greenhouses and noticed the Snitch and Bludgers out on the Quidditch pitch. It was during classes so I knew there were no team practices going on. When I went over to investigate, I saw the two of them unconscious on the ground. It looks like they had been playing Quidditch and collided mid-air."

Harry shuddered, remembering all of his near death experiences on a broom. "Albus got off easier. He just has some bruising and a concussion. Scorpius, on the other hand, has some severe bruising along his left side, 3 broken ribs, a broken wrist, and a concussion. As I said, both boys will be fine, but they do need to stay here for recovery. I expect that they should be waking within the hour, however, so you are welcome to stay here until that time," the nurse announced matter-of-factly before turning to check on other patients across the room.

Harry saw Malfoy reach out to grab his son's hand, his posture stiff with worry. He wanted to say something to the other man, but he just wasn't sure what to say so instead he looked down at his unconscious son. He knew that he'd be okay, but that didn't mean he wasn't still worried. He hated seeing his son hurt for any reason and seeing him unconscious in a hospital bed was something he could definitely live with never seeing again. Albus was a Potter, however, so he was sure that this would not be the last time he saw his son in this state.

The next 45 minutes or so were spent with both men deep in thought sitting next to their respective sons. Every once in awhile, Harry would open his mouth to say something to Malfoy, but would immediately close it. He knew there was nothing he could say to make the other man relax, despite how desperately he wanted to help. Harry spent a lot of time contemplating why he wanted to help so badly. On the one hand, he was known for having a bit of a savior complex, but on the other hand, he couldn't help feel that this was different. He just couldn't stand how distressed the other man appeared. Every time he went down this line of thought, it just led back to Ginny's accusation and Harry would immediately focus his thoughts back on his son. After going down this path for about the sixth time, Harry noticed his son's eyes flutter. He appeared to be waking up.

"Albus? Are you awake?" he asked softly. He saw Malfoy's head snap around out of the corner of his eye.

"Dad?" Albus asked, sleepily. "What happened?"

Harry chuckled softly. His son was okay! "I don't know. Professor Longbottom found you and Scorpius on the Quidditch pitch, unconscious, during classes. Care to explain that?"

Albus looked at his father sheepishly. "Well, we both had a free period and thought we could get some extra practice in. I don't remember exactly what happened. All I remember is trying to block a Bludger from hitting Scorpius but being too late. I think he must have run into me afterwards. Is he okay?"

Harry smiled down at his son, the boy's concern for his friend evident in his voice. "Yes, Scorpius will be fine. He should be waking up any minute, but Albus you should know better than playing Quidditch with no supervision. You definitely shouldn't have had Bludgers out for just the two of you!"

"I know! I'm sorry, dad. We just wanted to get some extra practice with a challenge. We won't do it again! I promise! I hate that Scorpius got hurt. It was my idea, and now it's all my fault he's hurt." Albus sounded legitimately distressed about the incident.

Harry was about to respond when Malfoy spoke up. "It's not your fault, Albus. Scoripus should know better, but that's alright. As long as you've learned your lesson, that's what matters. I'm just glad you're both going to be okay." Harry gaped at the other man; he had never heard him speak so gently before.

"Thanks, Mr. Malfoy. I really am sorry."

Malfoy smiled at Albus. "I know, everything will be fine."

Albus visibly relaxed, but Harry could tell that Malfoy was still visibly tense. Just as he was about to finally offer his support, he heard a soft grunt from Scorpius's bed. He must be awake. "I'll go find Madame Merryweather," Harry mumbled, before leaving to give Malfoy and his son some semblance of privacy.

Harry returned a few minutes later with the nurse in tow. She did a thorough examination of both of the boys and deemed that Albus could leave but Scorpius had to stay overnight to ensure that his bones healed properly. Harry could see that Malfoy was visibly shaken by this news. Albus, however, refused to leave the Hospital Wing until his friend could leave with him. Harry was proud of his son for sticking by his friend in his time of need.

The next couple hours were spent chatting with his son and making sure he didn't need anything while keeping an eye on Malfoy and his son to see if the blond man had relaxed at all. He seemed slightly more relaxed once Scorpius woke up, but he still had waves of tensions rolling off of him.

Around 6 o'clock that evening Madame Merryweather brought the boys dinner and suggested gently that they were in good hands so there was no need for Harry and Malfoy to stay. Harry agreed with the nurse, but he could tell that Malfoy was much more reluctant to leave his son. "Hey Malfoy, I know you said you were busy, but given the circumstances, how about we get a pint or 2 at The Three Broomsticks before heading home? It's been a long day; we could both stand to relax," Harry suggested casually. For reasons that Harry couldn't pinpoint, he felt anything but casual while suggesting it.

Malfoy froze for a second after the question. Harry could tell that he wasn't sure what to make of the invitation and was fairly certain he was about to be rejected for a second time. And then, to Harry's surprise, Malfoy shrugged. "Sure, why not? You're right, Potter, it's been a rough day."

Harry smiled at his schoolboy nemesis. He turned to give his son one last hug and bid him goodbye while Malfoy did the same. The two men then left the Hospital Wing together to start what Harry could only hope was the beginning of a friendship.

The duo arrived at the Three Broomsticks awhile later. There were a few people already seated at tables but it was certainly less crowded than during a Hogsmeade weekend. Harry and Malfoy took a seat at the bar, and Harry immediately ordered them two pints of butterbear and two shots of firewhisky.

Malfoy cocked an eyebrow at him after hearing his order but didn't comment. Harry smirked at him. "What?" he asked innocently. "It's been a rough day."

He saw the corner of Malfoy's mouth twitch as if he wanted to smile but stopped it. He then downed his shot and half of his butterbeer. "I suppose you have a point," he drawled.

Harry watched the other man down his alcohol, mouth agape. He decided the best course of action was to follow suit. The walk to Hogsmeade had been slightly more strained than the walk to Hogwarts, and Harry couldn't help but want to erase that awkwardness. He had quite enjoyed their earlier walk. He lifted what was left of his butterbeer towards Malfoy. "To the boys' health."

Malfoy raised his glass, as well. "Cheers," he responded before downing the rest of the liquid in his glass. He then signaled to the bartender to bring another round. It was time for Harry to cock an eyebrow him. Malfoy shrugged back. "Rough day, right?" he replied with a grin.

Harry shook his head with a smile. A little liquid courage never hurt anyone. "So, about your owl," he began, as he downed his second shot of firewhisky.

"Oh yes, we should discuss this since we're here. I know that you probably have many traditions with the…Weasleys, but I know it would mean the world to Scorpius to have his best friend over for his birthday." Harry chuckled inwardly. He could tell that Malfoy had to physically restrain himself from calling the Weasleys a derogatory name, but he had a greater respect for the man for restraining himself.

Harry nodded. "We usually spend the night at the Weasleys after Christmas dinner and spend Boxing Day with Molly and Arthur. It's mostly just sitting around and relaxing so it's no problem at all for Albus to miss out on it. I'm sure he would much rather spend time with Scorpius, and I would hate for him to be miserable on his birthday."

Malfoy beamed, yes genuinely beamed at him. "Are you sure? You, Ginevra, and the rest of the children are invited, as well. Only if you would like to come along, that is."

Harry couldn't contain his shock at hearing that he was invited to Malfoy Manor. It must have shown on his face because Malfoy quickly added, "Only if you want to of course."

Harry snorted. "I can't imagine that Ginny would even consider it, but I might accompany Albus." He could tell by the look in Malfoy's eyes that he desperately wanted to ask why Ginny wouldn't consider it, but he didn't ask. It's probably un-Malfoy like to be curious. Harry snorted again at his thoughts.

The rest of the evening passed relatively uneventfully. The pair ordered food to accompany, at this point, the copious amount of alcohol they had consumed. Harry had lost track of how many butterbears he had drank at that point. He knew he was acting drunk, but he simply couldn't help it. He also marveled that, besides the slight flush on his face, Malfoy didn't appear drunk in the slightest.

As the night was winding down, Harry, fueled by all the alcohol, decided to confide in Malfoy about why Ginny wouldn't be accompanying him on Boxing Day. "Do you wanna know why Ginny would never consider coming with on Scorpius's birthday?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. "She thinks I'm obsessed with you."

At that, all of the color drained from Malfoy's face, and he looked as if he had just seen the ghost of his late father. He threw some money on the table, with a mumbled, "I have to go." And before Harry could process what was happening, Malfoy had Apparated away, leaving Harry staring at the space he had occupied for several minutes, wondering what had just happened.

A/N: I only have a vague idea of where this story is going so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know!