Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Harry/Draco/Hermione
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 967
Notes:
30 Day OT3 Competition/Challenge: Day 19 - Tension
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Astronomy - Task 3 - Write about someone acting differently in order to protect themselves. Be sure to specify how they act and why! Prompt - (character) Scorpius Malfoy
Pokemon Trading Card Collection Challenge: Gulpin - Bronze - (dialogue) "Just because it's in front of you doesn't mean you have to keep eating! Don't you ever stop?!"
Hermione looked at her three men. Scorpius was cuddled up at Harry's side, a book shared between the two of them, while Draco read his own book on Harry's other side, contently running his fingers through Harry's wild raven hair.
She took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I have an announcement to make." She paused to let the suspense build. She smiled widely and placed her hands on her stomach as she said, "I'm pregnant!"
Harry and Draco immediately left the couch to hug and kiss her. She basked in their attention for a moment before she realized Scorpius wasn't joining them. She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What? No hug or congratulations for your mom?"
Scorpius stood up. "Do you know who the dad is?"
"Nope, I didn't know who your biological dad was until you were born, and I saw your blond hair. And it will be the same for this baby."
Scorpius nodded, his eyes shifting to the floor. "I'm going to go to my room."
Hermione watched him go. "What's wrong with him?"
"I'm not sure," Draco replied.
"Do you want me to go talk to him?" Harry asked.
Hermione shook her head. "No, let's wait and see if he chooses to come to one of us."
Scorpius didn't go to them, but things seemed to go back to normal, excluding a couple of oddities.
Things weren't normal, though, and the following Saturday proved that.
Harry knocked on Scorpius's door before he peeked in. "Hey. What are you doing in here? It's time for our weekly reading afternoon."
Scorpius looked up from his chocolate frog collection. "I'm busy."
Harry stepped fully into the room. "What do you mean you're busy? Saturdays have been our special reading days since I began teaching you to read when you were three. The only time we've ever missed a Saturday was when one of us was sick."
"And?" Scorpius rudely asked.
"And you're canceling our tradition. What's going on with you?"
"Nothing, I'm just busy, and I don't feel like reading today."
Harry sighed and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He found his partners in the sitting room. Hermione was reclining on the couch, her feet propped up on Draco's lap, and the blond was rubbing them.
She seemed surprised at Harry's sudden appearance. "Why are you here and not in the library with Scorpius?"
"He doesn't want to read with me today. He's busy and isn't in the mood."
Draco placed Hermione's feet on the couch and stood up. "I thought he was acting weird. He's been spending a lot of time with Hermione and me lately, more so than usual."
"And he's been pushing me away," Harry remarked. "But why?"
"The only way to find out is to ask him."
That night, the dinner table was ripe with tension. Scorpius refused to look at Harry as he shoveled food into his mouth.
Trying to get a laugh out of his son, Harry lightheartedly joked, "Just because it's in front of you doesn't mean you have to keep eating! Don't you ever stop?!"
Scorpius dropped his fork on the plate and glared at Harry.
"Harry!" Hermione sharply chastened.
"Scorpius—" Harry began, only to be cut off by said boy.
"I'm going to my room," he muttered mutinously.
Harry quickly stood up and grabbed Scorpius's wrist. "No, we need to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about," Scorpius stubbornly replied.
"You're pushing me away, and I want to know why. If you're angry at me, fine. You need to tell me why, though, so we can fix things."
Scorpius had tears in his eyes. "I'm not angry at you."
"Then do you suddenly hate me for some reason only you know?"
"Of course not, Daddy, I love you."
Harry blinked. Scorpius hadn't called him daddy since he was five years old. Hermione and Draco were thankfully staying silent and out of this. This was something Harry had to work through with their son. "Scorpius, you've always been able to talk to me. Let's not lose that now."
Scorpius stared at the ground. "I need to distance myself from you, so it doesn't hurt so much."
"So what doesn't hurt so much?" Harry asked, still not understanding.
Scorpius looked up, grey eyes peering into Harry's own green eyes so intently. "If this new baby's yours, you won't love me anymore."
Hermione let out a soft gasp, and Draco stood up and walked over to the two of them. "Scorpius, do you honestly believe that?"
Scorpius nodded. "Why would Daddy love me when he has a real baby?
Harry gripped Scorpius's chin and forced the boy to look at him. "I would still love you because you are my son. Blood makes no difference to me. I didn't know my blood parents, and the blood relatives I did know would cruel. The Weasleys became my family, and it never made a difference that I didn't share blood with them. Molly and Arthur never made me feel like an outsider in their family. Scorpius, I love you. And if this new baby does turn out to be mine biologically, that doesn't mean I'll love you any less. I promise."
Scorpius threw his arms around Harry's neck. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, so, so much. And I hope you never forget that."
Draco placed a hand on Harry's lower back and Hermione came over and stood behind Scorpius, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "It'll be okay," she whispered soothingly.
"We're all one big family. It doesn't matter who's related to whom," Draco confirmed.
The family of four—soon to be five—closed their eyes and tried to block out the negative thoughts, simply glad they had each other.
