Ginny pulled gently at the hem of her plain navy blue dress and groaned inwardly that the heels she had pulled on were already starting to pinch her toes. She didn't very much enjoy getting dressed up – but Narcissa had made it quite clear that she didn't enjoy visiting with company that arrived in jeans, so like everything else Ginny had compromised on, she bought some plain easy to slip into dresses and wore them.

Mind, plain and easy to wear did not mean cheap. The wardrobe additions had cost her more than she liked to admit, even to herself, and she had always chewed Harry out when he mentioned it. Like he had any room to talk – she'd seen his new, extravagant – flat, it bespoke the wealth that his parents had left him. He didn't understand why she found this strange, so she didn't bother continuing the conversation. In fact, they didn't converse very often lately anyway. Though he had sent her an owl asking her to attend the Minister's Halloween ball with him in just short of a month. She had thrown the letter on the kitchen table with everything else she had to sort through before leaving for the Black estate.

The house elf opened the door before they even knocked and Ginny led Scorpius inside. He had been oddly withdrawn since she had explained that his father was back and he would be able to visit with him today. She wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not, but she hoped he opened up for Draco. She certainly didn't want to be blamed for turning him against his father.

Draco appeared then, walking down the stairs with an easy grace. Ginny offered him a small smile. She hadn't been to visit him since she had brought the agreement she had drafted with her own solicitor to Azkaban. Right after Ron had pulled enough strings to orchestrate his release.

"Ginerva," Draco greeted her when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Scorpius had stepped slightly behind her and she stepped to the side, bending down so she was even with him.

"Scorpius this is your father, you remember him don't you?"

Scorpius looked at Draco and Ginny was surprised to see that he had settled one on sending one of the infamous Malfoy glares at him – the fury in his eyes visible to her only because she had seen it so many times. She rested a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her the fury fading. "Scorpius, remember what we talked about…"

"No!" Scorpius yelled. He launched himself at Draco then, showing, perhaps, his Weasley upbringing as he leveled a swift kick at Draco's shins. "HE LEFT ME. YOU, YOU LEFT ME."

Draco had to stop himself from cursing as his son's foot connected with his shin. He was about to draw his wand when he found Ginny ably scooping the ten year old up as though he was still three and hauling him from the entryway. Where they were going he wasn't sure, but he lowered himself onto the steps with a heavy sigh. Because despite the fact that his son was probably being reprimanded right now, what he had said was true.

He was also rather annoyed at the very Weasley-esque behavior his son was displaying. He'd thought that Ginny and he had agreed he would be raised to carry on the Malfoy name. But certainly launching himself in a physical attack bespoke too much time with Ron Wealsey and the other red heads of that family.

Gods, what have I gotten myself into. Draco thought. Ginny emerged from the depths of the house with an apologetic smile on her face. And Draco frowned. She didn't look very sorry that Scorpius had kicked him.

"He's a little confused right now. He also doesn't necessarily recognize you. Narcissa only let me put photos of you in the album up to your marriage…She wasn't sure you'd want pictures of Astoria in there and…when me made it he'd already started calling me mum. I thought you could explain that mess to him."

"You never informed that he was calling you his mother," Draco stated stiffly. He pulled himself up off the stairs so that she was no longer looking down at him.

"You never asked, and anyway it hardly seemed important. Take a walk with me Draco, I want to tell you a couple things and your mother's doing her best to talk some sense into Scorpius. I'm afraid I've never been good at dealing with him when he's in this state…We're both too stubborn."

Draco allowed himself to be led into the backyard that was just beginning to show signs of autumn and down the path. The backyard had to have been magically enlarged, there wasn't room for gardens like this in a townhouse…But he knew his mother and he was sure she'd done just this. She loved her flowers.

"Draco, I need you to let go of this animosity you seem to harbor toward me," Ginny said finally with a heavy sigh. She stopped at a bench and fell heavily into it, ignoring the fact that she had on a dress and that the bench might be dirty. He brushed off a bit of dust before he sat next to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I thought you'd be happy to get on with your life. I don't understand why everyone's so bloody angry with me!"

"Get on with my life. Draco what exactly do you think I've been doing for the last seven years?"

"I was under the impression that you were forced to put your life on hold and take care of my son."

"Draco I've been building a life for me and Scorpius, I retired from my Quidditch career –" Draco moved to interrupt her and Ginny held up a hand – "I bought a house in the country, I enrolled him with a private tutor, I taught him to fly and got him involved in a Junior Quidditch league and I started a fairly successful business. In my spare time I worked tirelessly to get you released because that boy deserves a father more than anything in the world. Did you know that the first six months he stayed with me he would only leave his room to eat, and then only because I wouldn't bring food to him?"

Draco chuckled at this but frowned nonetheless. He hadn't realized that the three year old had been so perceptive of the events that had happened.

"He was so upset that you left him that he convinced himself that I had kidnapped him and that you were looking for him. When he finally gave up that notion he was just beside himself thinking that you abandoned him. I refuse to see him hurt again –" she held her hand up to him again with a sigh – "Which means that we are going to have to take this at his pace. I know that you are eager to steal him away and make life all unicorns and rainbows again but it's just not going to be like that. He's your son after all."

"Unicorns and rainbows really?" Draco asked with a smirk. Ginny slapped his arm. "What is it with everyone abusing me today. I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Look at it from our point of view for a minute," Ginny stated lightly. Draco looked at her then and really saw her for the first time. She looked so much older than her years, but motherhood had had the opposite effect on her that it had had on Astoria. She glowed with the responsibility and she seemed to have a genuinely good relationship with his son. He supposed he couldn't begrudge her the term of endearment his son had bestowed on her, though it was so typically common. Weasleys.

"So Narcissa told you then…About what's been going on," Ginny asked finally. Studying her hands.

"Yes. And she said that you've taken over controlling her symptoms. You didn't have to do that, St. Mungo's is quite capable." Ginny snorted.

"Hardly. The potions they gave her made for more bad days than not. I've been altering them slowly to see if I can create a mixture that gives her an almost normal life. Though if she'd tell me BEFORE she runs out she would have a much better chance at that. Even a single day not taking them will cause a relapse. This past time she waited two days to contact me."

"I think perhaps she needed me to see what her condition was," Draco said softly. Finally understanding why Ginny had demanded he see his mother first. That, and the fact that his shin was starting to bruise from his encounter with his son.

"You said that Scorpius is in a Junior Quidditch league?"

"Yes and he's quite good."

"Of course he is, he inherited my Seeker reflexes," Ginny laughed aloud at this.

"Scorpius is a Chaser, Draco. And he's one of the highest scoring Chaser's in the league." Draco huffed at this. A Malfoy…Playing as a Chaser…He sighed, well there could be worse things. He had always wanted to Keep but his father had insisted he train as a Seeker. Perhaps some changes were…for the best.

Can't believe I just thought that. Everything's changed and nothing seems to be better besides the fact that Astoria is finally out of my hair and I'm not rotting in Azkaban anymore.

Ginny was talking to him again but he was finding it hard to pay attention. She was chattering on about Scorpius' last game, but his eyes had settled on her left hand. It was still devoid of a ring, in fact she hadn't mentioned Potter since she'd been here…Or any other bloke for that matter.

"So I was thinking that you could attend the Halloween ball with Scorpius and I. It's his first Minister's ball, but your mother and I want him to be announced to society before he goes to Hogwart's and now is as good a time as any. And it will serve to reintroduce you at the same time. His presence will keep everyone on their best behavior."

"Wait, what –" Draco sputtered; trying to backtrack in his mind to see if he'd heard he right. She was looking at him with her eyes narrowed.

"You weren't listening were you," She huffed.

"No I was pondering why you haven't mentioned Potter since you got here, I know you worship him," Draco replied sarcastically.

Ginny stood at this point. Offered him a glare and disappeared from the gardens. Draco was left to stare after her in surprise.

What. Just. Happened.

Ginny remained cold towards him through lunch and he was forced to make conversation with his son, who – while not blatantly ignoring him – still seemed rather put out to be having lunch with him. He was pleased to see that the ten year old had excellent table manners and seemed to know what cutlery to use when. Narcissa seemed to also be ignoring him, talking to Ginny in hushed tones about some upcoming tea party. His ears perked when he heard Ginny say that she would be attending especially when he heard Parkinson's name in the same sentence.

"Yes," Ginny was saying, "her son seems to get on well with Scorpius and Luna said that she would probably be going with her boys. I don't really see a way for me to politely decline at this point. What with Leo playing in the league now. I just wish her mother wasn't such a cow."

Narcissa chuckled at this and admonished Ginny lightly. When Draco turned his attention back to Scorpius the boy was watching him – fork poised over his pasta. When Draco met his eyes the boy quickly looked down at his plate and took another bite.

"Mum says I'm to go to the Halloween ball," Scorpius said finally, breaking the silence between the two men. Draco nodded.

"She mentioned that to me too. You don't seem very excited."

"Seems boring," Scorpiu said with a frown. "Leo Parkinson went to one over the summer and said it was. Not like we can play Quidditch like at those silly tea parties – least at those we don't have to get tutored. Have to get tutored THEN go to the stupid ball." Draco chuckled at this, remembering that he had felt very much the same when he was ten years old. "Plus Uncle Harry says he's gonna bring Mum."

"Scorpius," Ginny warned, interrupting her conversation with Narcissa to give him a pointed glare.

"It's not polite to talk about other people's business Scorpius," Narcissa said.

"Yes grandmother," Scorpius said with a sigh. When the women turned back to one another he rolled his eyes. Draco had to keep from laughing.

"They have spy ears," Draco said lowering his voice to an exaggerated whisper. Scorpius' eyes widened and he looked at Ginny and Narcissa to see if they were going to yell at Draco for the slight – but the women were pointedly ignoring them both now.

As lunch was finishing Ginny finally turned from Narcissa to look at Draco.

"Scorpius is going to stay with Narcissa tonight. I have to take care of some more delicate potions and as much as he's a help in the lab," Scorpius beamed at this, "he doesn't typically sleep until I finish and it's going to be a late night. Can you bring him to his match in the morning and I'll meet you there?"

"Of course."

"Scorpius escort your mother out," Narcissa said with a wave of her hand. Ginny bent down to kiss the woman's cheek and swept from the room to retrieve her cloak. Scorpius stood and followed her out.

"You two seem chummy," Draco said, only a little petualant. Narcissa laughed.

"She's all I've had for the past five or so years. We've certainly…Bonded. I even go to dinner at the Weasley's sometimes. I'm sure your father is rolling over in his grave."