A/N: Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me. I apologize for my super delay in updating for a long time. Gonna try and stick with this now.
"And have them owl me the new contract for my signature," Draco said finally, looking up from the parchment in front of him to his new secretary. She nodded as she made a notation on the pad in front of her.
"I've made the arrangements for your Yule Ball, there are only a couple outstanding invitations Sir, but the Minister did politely decline."
"Owl Ms. Weasley and let her know I've purchased a racing broom for our son," Draco said before he waved the woman out of his office. When she was gone he tossed his quill on his desk and turned his chair to stare out the window at the streets of Diagon Alley. Snow was falling lightly, leaving a light dusting on the ground. He sighed heavily and loosened his tie, noting the increase in traffic as the sun set.
"Draco darling, are you going to join me for dinner tonight?" Narcissa voice called from his fireplace. Draco spun his chair back around, pulling himself from his thoughts.
"Yes of course. Did Scorpius make it home safe for the holidays?" Draco asked, gracing his mother with a typical Malfoy smile. Narcissa refrained from frowning at the drawn look on his face.
"Yes, though he was rather disappointed you weren't there to meet him."
"Just wrapping up the details of our last merger before we close up for the Holidays. You told him that right?" Draco asked, slightly worried. Scorpius had asked him several times to meet him at King's Cross but Draco had been unable to escape the meeting he was in that afternoon. "Would you prefer to dine at the Manor?"
"No, no, my elves are already preparing all of Scorpius' favorite. We'll see you soon then?"
"Yes Mother," Draco replied with a genuine smile. Narcissa returned it as she withdrew from the fire.
"Yes mum I'll be over for dinner," Ginny said exasperated as she answered yet another floocall from her family. The stack of papers on her desk had seemed to grow only bigger as the day wore on. "I'm just trying to finish up some grading before I leave the castle."
"Well, I don't see why you can't bring it with you," Molly huffed. "Victoire and Fred are already home from King's Cross, they've been here nearly half the day."
"Yes mum, but they're two children. I have seven years to grade. I'll see you soon okay?"
"Sure darling. I'll be watching the clock," Molly said with a smile – happy to have won her way – as she withdrew from the fire.
Ginny played with the locket on her neck as she sorted through the papers she would have to grade over break. She regretted assigning so much last minute homework now, but her students had gotten a little out of hand with thoughts of the approaching break, including her first year son.
"Have you heard from Draco at all?" Molly asked as Ginny rolled up her sleeves and joined her in the kitchen. Ginny masked a sigh as she began whipping the mousse for dessert.
"No Mum, besides the invitation for Yule and a letter from his secretary about Christmas gifts."
"Don't you think you should write him?" Molly asked as she stirred the pot on the stove and checked the rolls in the oven.
"Molly," Hermione warned from her spot at the table. Her hand was resting on her, once again, very pregnant belly. "Ginny how are your classes going? Any promising students?"
"Actually I have a couple seventh years I might ask to try their hand in my lab," Ginny said with a thankful smile. "I'm thinking perhaps if I hire some people I could continue my research on a larger level even when I'm away at Hogwarts."
"Well I'm sure the apothecaries would appreciate that," Hermione replied. "Their potions selection has been remarkably limited. A lot of imports – seems you might have driven some of their old suppliers out of business and they're running out of the stock you made over the summer."
"Yes, a couple store owners mentioned that in some particularly nasty letters." Ginny finished the mousse and took a seat at the table next to Hermione.
"Fred! Victoire, set the table!" Molly called into the living room. There was a clatter as all the younger children began to unload the cabinets to set the table. Ginny relaxed back in her seat letting the sounds of her childhood surround her, lost in thought.
"Scorpius Malfoy," Professor O'Keeffe called. Ginny smiled as Scorpius approached the stool the Sorting Hat rested on. She noted the mask of emotion on his face as he turned away to sit on the stool and the hat was placed on his head.
Scorpius sat waiting for the hat to call out Slytherin, but unlike the student's before him it did not call out right away.
"Now this is curious. You are the first Malfoy I've met that has all the qualities of both a Slytherin and a Griffindor."
Please don't put me with those lions, Scorpius thought – his mind going to his grandmother and father. But then he flashed to his mother, a true Griffindor.
"Ah, but your mother was a Slytherin," the hat offered, showing him instead Astoria Greengrass. "But the woman who raised you…She was a tough one to place too – but if Slytherin is what you desire."
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat called. Ginny clapped with the rest of Slytherin.
Ginny had taken over the house despite the fact that she hadn't been a part of it as a student. None of the Professors on staff had been, in fact several hadn't attended Hogwarts. Neville, who had taken Professor Sprout's position at her retirement, was in charge of Hufflepuff. Charlie, who now taught Care of Magical Creatures, was Head of Griffindor and Aidan O'Keeffe the Deputy Headmaster and Professor of Transfiguration, who had studied in the Americas, was Head of Ravenclaw.
Ginny watched as Scorpius took his seat at the Slytherin table, memories of her own sorting going through her mind. The delay in the hat's decision made her think it might have had trouble placing him – and she could certainly understand why. She clapped with the rest of her colleague as most of her nieces and nephews were sorted into Griffindor.
Scorpius sighed as the house elf dropped his trunk off in his room at his grandmother's. He'd said goodbye to Ginny at Hogwart's after a rough semester, and his father hadn't even met him, as promised, at the station.
Scorpius threw himself on the bed with another heavy sigh and ran his hand through his hair.
"Scorpius," Narcissa called knocking on the open door. Scorpius sat up and leaned back on the headboard waving his grandmother in.
"Grandmother," Scorpius greeted her. He moved his pillows around in an effort to avoid eye contact with her piercing blue eyes.
"Do you think we should invite Ginerva for dinner tonight?" Narcissa asked innocently enough. Scorpius sighed heavily running his hands through his hair again. He could tell when Narcissa was fishing for information.
"She's having dinner at the Weasleys," Scorpius replied. "She hasn't seen most of her family since the start of the semester. Plus we had lunch today before the train left."
"Alright darling, I just thought I'd ask. I just flooed your father he's going to be home in time for dinner. Why don't you get cleaned up?"
"Sure Grandmother," Scorpius replied. He pulled himself off his bed and wandered to the closet to find clothes that weren't from school.
Scorpius noted that his wardrobe seemed to have expanded while he was away at school. Leave it to grandmother to spend her spare time purchasing new clothes for him. He pulled out a green button down shirt and a pair of charcoal slacks.
"So how are your classes going Ginbug?" Arthur asked Ginny as the family sat down to dinner. Ginny smiled, genuinely, while she scooped some potatoes onto her plate.
"Better than last year. Working from my own lesson plans has made a world of difference. Though the last two weeks were tough."
"The kids always get distracted when they know they're about to head home," Charlie replied as he took a bite of his roast.
"I only wish I wasn't still proving myself. I ended up assigning a ton of extra homework…I forgot that means I have to grade it all," Ginny replied with a sigh.
"Just mark them all with passes," Ron chimed in with a full mouth. Hermione slapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"If only," Charlie chuckled as Ginny rolled her eyes.
"How's the Assistant Coaching going Ron?" She asked instead of dignifying his statement with a response.
"Good, the team looks good. They should do well at the match next weekend, then they have a training break until after the New Year."
"And we get Ron all to ourselves for two weeks," Hermione replied. She was glowing with the pregnancy. Ginny offered her a soft smile.
"Are you ttravelling with them?"
"No, I'm going to stay home for this one," Ron replied. Hermione looked surprised at his statement but her smile only grew broader. "They asked me to go but I told them it's time for family – especially with Hugo home for his first winter break."
"What are you plans for the break dear?" Molly chimed in.
"The lab," everyone at the table responded. Ginny laughed in response and held her hands up in defeat.
"I need to brew some potions for a couple orders but Scorpius and Theo agreed to help so it shouldn't take long at all."
"You might invite those Seventh Years, time permitting, give them a taste of what lab life is like," Hermione suggested. Ginny mulled over the thought as she took another sip of her wine.
"Yes, perhaps I will do that. So where's Harry tonight, I thought he'd be here…Even with his busy job." Ginny noted the glances everyone at the table threw toward Ron, who was unaware as he was busy tucking into his meal.
"He had a late meeting with the Minister of France," Hermione offered by way of reply.
"I certainly don't miss the long hours," Arthur replied.
"And we enjoy having you around – without the security detail," Molly replied, but not before Ginny caught the concerned glance her mother threw her way.
"Mother the meal was delicious," Draco said as the three made their way to the living room. He poured himself a firewhiskey and pulled a bottle of Butterbeer from the cabinet.
"Draco!"
"Relax Mother, it's only one Butterbeer," Draco replied. Scopius smiled as he took a drink from the bottle. Draco threw himself on the couch loosening his tie. "How was the train ride?"
"Fine," Scorpius replied. He took another sip of the butterbeer as he sat on the couch across from Draco. Narcissa shook her head at the two as she withdrew from the area. "Why didn't you come pick me up?"
"I'm sorry Scorpius, my meeting ran long and I just couldn't get away. Your grandmother said everything went smoothly."
"Yeah I guess," Scorpius replied with a frown.
"Do you have much homework over break?"
"No except potions. Mum really piled it on," Scorpius replied with a scowl. "She told us we were distracted. All because some stupid Griffindor couldn't keep an eye on his stupid potion."
"Griffindor was your mum's house," Draco replied with a chuckle.
"Yeah well most of my cousin's are in it too. But it was Lysander's potion that blew up. Seriously, how hard it is to watch the heat?"
"Who was his partner?"
"Randolph Longbottom," Scorpius replied. Draco chuckled again.
"Well that's why," Draco replied. "Snape used to hate Longbottom – his potions were always exploding. Did I tell you about the time…"
Scorpius lost track of the story his father was telling, just happy that he was finally spending time with him, and that his father finally seemed animated. Dinner had been incredibly reserved, especially when grandmother mentioned his mum.
Narcissa might not have noticed, but Scorpius had seen the flicker of pain cross Draco's face every time Ginny was brought up. A flicker he recognized because he had seen it on her face almost every time he had mentioned Draco in their weekly dinners – until he had stopped mentioning him altogether. He hated to see Ginny hurting, he felt protective of her, especially when he realized how lucky he was to have both parents. He'd met so many sixth and seventh years who had lost one or both parents in the war.