"Does Marianne know about you and Edgar?" Scorpius used Legilimency to see the memory of Edgar reading the message. It reminded him of the times he'd secretly watched Rose talk to Lily or Albus across the Prefects' Common Room while he conversed with Orna. He couldn't hear what Rose said, but Legilimency had taught him to read lips.

"I asked that too," Teryn said, while in her memory Edgar gave a short laugh and mouthed the words, "If she did, we'd both be dead."

"What did he say?" Scorpius asked.

"Edgar said she didn't, that magic guided owls to people when there wasn't an address."

"What do you know about Marianne?" He searched for memories, unprepared for the mental images of Edgar showing up on Teryn's doorstep on his wedding night. His mate had been drinking. Slurred words were hard to read.

Cel'brating . . . won't have to touch her . . . don't need heir . . . need you . . . .

Teryn said, "Marianne told him that she's asexual. Edgar said they agreed to be partners in ambition, whatever that means. Society? Business? Why does any of that matter if they never have children?"

"I don't know." That was a lie. Some people lived to accumulate wealth and power. He'd never thought Edgar was one of them. Scorpius had a final question to ask. "There's a bottle of Incognito Potion in the bathroom cabinet. Didn't you buy four?"

"Yes." She looked confused, as if wondering how he'd known and why he'd looked in her bathroom cabinet. "I must have misplaced one of them."

Or Edgar took it with him and used it before he visited Crispin. There was one way to find out.

.

Scorpius returned the motorbike to its rooftop shed and Apparated to the pavement in front of a three storey Victorian house converted into flats. Crispin's was on the lower ground floor. Since Teddy was likely to be interviewing the neighbours, Scorpius cast a Disillusionment Charm before he entered the building. Voices echoed from the first floor: an interview in progress. He heard footsteps on the stairs coming up from the lower ground level.

Rose walked into the small lobby. She paused to check her watch, glanced toward the entrance, and bit her lip before going upstairs.

Scorpius almost lost control of his emotions. She was worried about him. He clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. If he called out to Rose, she'd want to be with him when he spoke with Crispin.

Scorpius went downstairs.

Crispin started apologising before he opened the door. He didn't know how the negative got into that packet, he was so sorry, and he would understand if Scorpius never hired him again. When he waved Scorpius into the flat, a new round of apologies began. He always meant to tidy, but he was a hopeless case, and he only had tea bags because he always forgot to put the lid back on the tea tin and got paranoid that he was drinking dust along with the tea.

Scorpius said, "I don't blame you for the photograph. I'm here to check that you're all right."

"Because of the Memory Charm?" Crispin asked. "The others told me about that. They searched, but they didn't find traces of Dark magic or Recordbralls."

"Did any of them try Legilimency?"

"Rose." Crispin smiled sheepishly. "I figured if I was going to stare into someone's eyes, might as well pick pretty ones."

Excellent reasoning. Scorpius asked, "What did she see?"

"Me puttering around, making tea, hear—I mean—waking up on the sofa."

"You heard something while you made tea?"

Crispin shook his head. "I misspoke. Rose didn't say that."

Scorpius silently cast a Legilimency spell. He searched Crispin's memories for images of when he'd made tea after sorting photographs and negatives into packets. He saw Crispin putting on a kettle. As the scene unfolded, Scorpius said, "You put a teabag into a yellow and black striped mug and then looked toward the door. I think someone rang the bell or knocked."

"I don't remember that."

"Even after I brought the memory to the surface?"

"No, although you did describe my favourite mug." Crispin scratched his head. "Wait. You're using Legilimency?"

"All I need is a moment of eye contact." The memories were still there, not erased. Crispin wouldn't be able to recall them, he'd been charmed to forget, but a Legilimens could find them.

"What about Rose?" Crispin asked.

"The same." He looked into wide eyes and delved into Crispin's mind again.

Crispin opened the door to see a wizard with dark blond hair and pale blue eyes . . . .

Pain jabbed at Scorpius's temples. He ruthlessly sent disappointment to join every other distracting emotion locked away. "Would you like to see your visitor?"

"You can do that?"

Scorpius planted the image. "I'm bypassing the Memory Charm because technically, what you're seeing is coming from me, not you."

Crispin blinked. "That's the bloke? Are you sure he isn't one of my neighbours? He's so normal looking."

"Instead of hulking and sinister?" Like Edgar when he wasn't taking Incognito Potion.

"Yeah."

Scorpius said, "I'll go up and tell the others that we have a suspect. Teddy Lupin's a sketch artist." His Green Knight drawing, at least, had been spot on. "He'll draw the wizard and show it to the neighbours."

"I'll put on the kettle if you think they'll want tea," Crispin said.

"I do," Scorpius said. He cast Disillusionment and Muffling Charms and went upstairs.

On the second floor, Teddy was interviewing an attractive brunette who volunteered that she and her mates planned to meet at the Iron Shackle for drinks that evening. Teddy smiled a little and asked if she'd seen or heard anything out of the ordinary when she came home from the hen party in the early hours of the morning.

The rest of the corridor appeared empty. Rose and Albus, like Scorpius, must have used Disillusionment Charms to conceal their presence. Since Albus was an Auror Trainee, he was probably standing at Teddy's right. Scorpius stretched out a hand and felt his way along the wall on the opposite side of the corridor. Once he touched silky fabric, he whispered, "It's me," and slid his hand down Rose's arm, caressing her skin. Instead of linking their hands together, he rubbed his fingers against hers and circled her palm with his thumb. Rose had beautiful hands.

Those hands pulled him toward her, and then she was pressing close, her arms around his back, hugging him. Her warmth created a need for a different kind of heat. He bent his head. His lips brushed her hair, trailed across her cheek to her mouth. She took a step back. He moved forward, his lips parting hers. Their combined weight made a thumping sound against the wall.

Teddy interrupted the brunette's rambling account of how obliviously drunk she'd been with a firm, "Thank you for your cooperation. If I have any more questions—"

"You'll come to the Iron Shackle?"

"I'll let you know," Teddy said as if she hadn't spoken.

The brunette said goodbye in a way that showed she thought Teddy was considering showing up to have drinks with her and her mates. Scorpius would have smirked if his lips weren't occupied with kissing Rose. He heard Albus laughingly ask if that kind of thing happened often.

Teddy answered, "Sometimes. Aurors call them badge bunnies. They go for any kind of law enforcement, but Aurors are at the top of their list." He cleared his throat. "I can see the air blur, Rosie. Are you having a seizure or is Scorpius here?"

She turned her head to the side, giving Scorpius the opportunity to kiss her throat. "He's here," she said breathily.

"Do I need to douse him with cold water?" Teddy asked.

"Maybe," she said.

"No." Scorpius reluctantly moved away from Rose. "I came up here to tell you that Crispin can describe the wizard who cast the Memory Charm and switched the negative."

Rose's hand found his. "Did you see his memory?"

"Yes."

"Was it—"

"He had a plain, unmemorable kind of face. Crispin thought he must be a neighbour."

Rose's fingers, linked with Scorpius's, squeezed. Whether she was expressing relief or had her suspicions and wanted to reassure him, he couldn't say. Not being able to read her expression was the downside of Disillusionment.

"Brilliant. A criminal with the kind of face no one remembers. Best day off ever." Teddy led the way downstairs.

In addition to making tea, Crispin had found a tin of chocolate biscuits and cleared the piles of newspapers, clothing, and photography magazines out of his lounge area. Scorpius suspected he had used a Locomotion Charm to send the clutter to the darkroom/bedroom. They had tea around the sofa table.

Scorpius was the only one who asked for a second cup. The desire he'd shut down and put in his overstuffed mental quarantine chest had melted layers of snow. He could feel icy water trickling down into the cracks, slowly chilling him from the inside out. His head began to pound.

"Are you feeling well?" Rose asked.

Albus said, "You are looking a bit blue around the gills."

Teddy jabbed a thumb toward to the door. "Crispin can show us his memory. You take Rosie and whatever party virus you picked up home. I'm saving my sick leave to extend my honeymoon."

"Thanks," Scorpius said through his teeth. He wasn't angry. He was concerned that his teeth might chatter.

"I'll bring you some of Kreacher's chicken soup later and give you an update on the case," Albus said.

"Owl," Scorpius replied. He pressed the heel of his palm against his temple. It didn't relieve the pain. "Dinner . . . my family."

Teddy told Crispin. "I'll sketch from your description and then, with your permission, use Legilimency to refine the image."

Albus walked them to the door. He said to Rose in a low voice, "You may want to use that, uh, special comforting charm when you get home."

"What's so special about it?" Teddy asked.

"What big ears you have," Rose said. She gave Albus a look that said you'd better not tell him as she opened the door. Outside, she told Scorpius, "Your motorbike will have to stay wherever you left it. I'm Apparating us home."

He held onto her while she Apparated and while she cast Disillusionment Charms to sneak them into the building and avoid the photographers camped out on the pavement in front of the entrance. In the lift, he said, "You. Me. Hot bath. Be fine."

Rose dropped her arm from around his waist. He swayed. She steadied him. "We'll have that bath after you wake up."

Her tone warned him not to argue. He let her guide him through the flat to the bedroom. Felix jumped up on the bed as she pulled back the covers. When Scorpius sat down, the Niffler stood on his hind legs to lick his master's face. Scorpius kicked off his shoes and dragged off his shirt as Rose unbuttoned his trousers. He said, "Wasn't trying to be Jack Frost."

"I know."

"I put emotions in the Occlumency chest."

Rose's lips curved as she tugged his trousers down. "Not all of them." She gave his shoulder a nudge. He pulled her down to lie on top of him. He still shivered. She said, "I'll cast a Warming Charm after the Conforto."

"Need body heat." Need you. The thought brought up the memory of Edgar showing up drunk on Teryn's doorstep on his wedding night.

She dragged the covers over them. "If you release your emotions you'll end the pain of suppressing them."

He closed his eyes. "Can't." In his mind he stood frozen, unable to cast a spell to unearth his buried emotions, much less open the lid to set them free.

"Then I'll help." The mattress shifted. He heard a drawer open. Envisioned Rose waving her wand.

"Conforto!"

.

Scorpius awoke in the bathtub. For a few disorienting seconds, he wondered why the water was warm, and then he remembered: the bath wasn't countering the backlash of a wizard's handshake. It was countering the effects of freezing out too many emotions.

"How do you feel?" Rose sat on the edge of the tub, fully dressed. Her eyes were shiny, the tip of her nose pink.

"Tired." His voice sounded hoarse. His nose felt stuffy and his eyes were heavy. He asked, "Was Teddy right about a virus? Did we catch a cold?"

"You cried in your sleep." Rose wiped her eyes with her fingertips. "I—I thought this might soothe you."

Crying? "What would I have to cry about?" His vision blurred. Watery eyes were a sign of a cold. Everyone knew that.

"Edgar." A tear slipped down Rose's face.

Trickles of moisture ran down Scorpius's cheeks. He slid down into the water and counted seconds in Latin, holding his breath. Unus, duo, tres, quattuor . . . . He surfaced at septuaginta. "Stress," he said. "People cry from stress. It's biological. Endorphins build up from repressing emotions and crying provides an outlet."

"You were sad about Edgar."

Scorpius's first impulse was to deny it. He couldn't lie to Rose. "Sad. Angry. Disappointed. Hurt." Oddly, admitting his feelings made them easier to deal with. They didn't weigh as heavily on his heart. "He tried to use me—us—to undermine my grandfather. And we gave him Incognito Potion to help do the job."

"We have to tell Uncle Harry," Rose said.

"Not yet. Not until we can give him the name of the Ministry employee selling Trackingbralls. Not until we find out what's behind the Stop Snitching flyers in Knockturn Alley."

"And how long will that take?" Rose asked.

It was a fair question. It had been weeks since Harry asked him to pass along information. All they had was circumstantial evidence gained from unauthorised Legilimency. "If Grandfather's willing, we could have what we need tomorrow."

Rose stared. "You're going to walk into his office tomorrow and ask for his help?"

"No, I'm going to ask him in the library after dinner while you, Grandmother Narcissa, and my parents have coffee in the drawing room."

"The family dinner is at Malfoy Manor."

She seemed a little stunned, but not dismayed. Scorpius peered at the waterproof clock they'd hung on the wall to ensure shared showers didn't make them late on weekday mornings. "Drinks are at seven, so we'll have to hurry. Family dinners are rather formal."

"It won't take us three hours to get dressed."

He adjusted the tap to pour out hot water. "You promised we'd have a bath when I woke up." He smiled. "I'm wide awake."

"And pruney."

Scorpius waggled his fingers. "The wrinkles enable me to grip wet objects."

"What if I like being slippery?"

"Bring some bath oil."

Rose pursed her lips as if considering his suggestion, but he could tell that she was amused. She sauntered over to the bathroom cupboard and came back with a dark red bottle with a wooden stopper. "Are you sure about this?" she asked. "The scent was advertised as romantic and long lasting."

How bad could it be? "I'm sure."

She removed the stopper and dumped an alarming amount of bath oil into the water. A floral and woodsy scent filled the air. Rose coughed. "It's supposed to make us imagine that we're in a limpid pool surrounded by water lilies and exotic grasses."

"You might have used a little more than recommended."

Rose squinted at the label. "I did." She put the bottle on the floor and started to undress. "I guess those pruney fingers of yours will come in handy."

He raised his feet out of the water. "Don't forget my toes."

.

Three hours later, Stevens ushered them into the Manor. "Welcome, Miss Weasley. You look lovely this evening."

"He's saying we don't have helmet hair," Scorpius told Rose, who was exceptionally lovely in a strapless black gown. He dressed to match in a black dinner jacket and trousers. "Amazing what Styling Charms can do."

"If you are attempting to imply that you travelled by motorbike, I am aware that you used more conventional means of transportation," Stevens said. "Master Lucius has received three owls from journalists desiring confirmation of your dinner at the manor."

"Only three?" Scorpius asked Rose. "Weren't there more journalists hanging round when we strolled out of the building?"

She patted his arm and said mock-consolingly, "Not everyone checks their facts before reporting a story."

"Indeed," Stevens said. He escorted them to the drawing room. "It's good to see you in high spirits, Master Scorpius."

"It's the company I keep." Scorpius looked at Rose. Talking things out with her—in and out of the bath—had put him in a philosophical mood. He couldn't change the past. All he could do was live in the present, and at that moment he was happy to be bringing Rose to the manor for dinner.

She replied, "And the shot of Firewhiskey you drank before we left."

Stevens chuckled and then adopted a sober mien as they reached the drawing room. He opened the doors, announcing, "Master Scorpius and Miss Weasley."

Grandmother Narcissa, regal in a silver gown, rose from a settee to greet them. Rose received a smile and a compliment on her gown. Scorpius leaned down to receive an air kiss in the vicinity of each cheekbone. Grandfather Lucius wore dark grey dress robes with a mandarin collar. He inclined his head and said, "Miss Weasley, a pleasure," before telling Scorpius, "Your parents refused to join us."

"Why?"

"Your father's still a trifle overset about the disagreement he and your grandfather had this morning," Narcissa said. When Scorpius didn't respond, she added, "Draco objected to the . . . concerns . . . Lucius voiced in his letter to you."

"I told Draco you didn't read it," Lucius said. "As you can see, it made no difference."

"I'll go talk to them," Scorpius said.

"Marvellous," Narcissa replied. "Miss Weasley can tell me all about the party while you're gone. There weren't enough photographs in the paper. I want to know how the décor has changed since Lucius and I were there last and what designers everyone was wearing."

"Of course," Rose said faintly, allowing Narcissa to take her arm with white gloved fingers and lead her to the settee.

"I'll come with you," Lucius said, following Scorpius into the corridor. "To tell the truth, Draco never opened his door. He may not have heard me."

"I'm sure he did. Average Soundproofing Spells are no match for your Sonorous Charms."

Lucius said waspishly, "At least one of us is proficient at spellcasting. Your Neutralising Charms are no match for whatever scent you and Miss Weasley doused yourselves in. You smell like you've been cavorting in the garden."

"Close. A limpid pool surrounded by water lilies and exotic grasses." Scorpius laughed when his grandfather curled his lip. "It said so on the bath oil bottle." He grinned when, after visibly trying to fight it, the corners of Lucius's mouth twitched. They walked companionably through the manor.

Scorpius asked, "Am I going to read your response to the Prophet article in tomorrow's paper?"

"I believe so, especially after your public declaration that you were bringing Rose to a family dinner—which I will also take credit for."

They were nearing the door leading to Draco and Astoria's private quarters. Scorpius knocked on the door and raised his voice. "Dad, it's Scorpius. Let me in."

The door opened. Astoria, dressed in a floor length white dress, said, "Thank Merlin!"

"On further thought," Lucius said, "I believe I'll go tell Mrs. Stevens to delay dinner a half-hour."

"Thank you." Astoria kissed Scorpius on the cheek and then pulled him into the entry to their private lounge and shut the door.

"What happened to all the furniture and paintings?" Scorpius asked. The lounge was empty.

"Shrinking spells. Your father's throwing everything into carryall bags. He's on a rampage." She pointed to their bedroom. "Go talk sense into him, please."

"Me?"

"Not an actual rampage. He isn't threatening to harm anyone." Astoria said. There was a crashing sound followed by a shouted obscenity. "But he is drunk."

.

.

Things are coming to a head in the Malfoy family and this story! I could not come up with a title to this chapter, so I read over it hoping for a phrase to jump out and instead was struck by all the feelings, so I'm calling it The Feels. Imagine the memes. :D Special thanks to the readers who reviewed the last chapter: alix33, Arcoiris, Asiastana, Connected-by-a-Semicolon, ctc, Dracorocks, ExcellentlyEllen, fynnsmom, HopeWithinDarkness, Leena7, Lumiere97, Mme bookworm, Needle In a Haystack, nobodysperfect2133, Nocturna Mae, Rose of the West, rosesnlilies, scribbleeexx, Siriusmunchkin, VandyFNP, and Willenwolf.