Author's note: Wow, so this sequel is seven years late *winces* I never even realised it has already been seven years but well, my time management seriously sucks, clearly. This is the sequel to Self-fulfilling Prophecy. I have no idea how many people are still interested in this sequel, considering it has been seven years since I finished the first story, but posting the first part of this sequel will act as a kick to my arse to finally finish the story.

This isn't going to be a long sequel, was never meant to be. It will be two parts, perhaps three at most, but here it is finally. Once again, my apologies for taking so long with this.

Warnings: Dual pov; established slash; mystery for now

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

I hope you'll like the first part, whoever is still reading this!

Part 1

"Is there a particular reason why you want to change the custody schedule, Miss Weasley?" Judge Sarah Moonshine inquired; a faint frown creasing her forehead. Her ice blue eyes drifted over the documents that mum's lawyer had presented to her when they walked into the judge's office. "It appears as if the current arrangement is working, no?"

Mark Livingstone – mum's lawyer – rose up from his seat; his bushy moustache twitching violently when he started to speak. "Madam, the current arrangement was not very satisfactory for my client, but she agreed to it in order not to disrupt her children's lives too much while she was dealing with the divorce. However, the divorce has been finalised a month ago and she wants to start anew. The current schedule will no longer work for her and as article 654b of the Wizarding Law states, she is …"

On and on he droned, filling the room with his monotonous voice and words the young, dark haired boy couldn't understand. After the mention of the first article, Albus' attention drifted away from the small, grey haired man and his eyes wandered around the room, taking in the various cabinets; the sun fighting its way through the grey clouds and filtering through the light curtains; the quill hastily jotting down what the lawyer was babbling about; James plucking at a loose thread of his chair; dad sitting tense in his own seat, staring at the lawyer with narrowed eyes …

It was Wednesday the twenty-ninth of April and they were once again gathered at the Ministry, more specifically the Department of Family Affairs, which had been established a year after the war had ended. The divorce between their parents had been officially finalised a month ago, but the problems weren't over yet.

After their parents had agreed to get a divorce – though that had happened with a lot of shouting and grandmother acting as some kind of referee – they had decided on a custody schedule where Albus and James would spend one week with mum at their old house and one week with dad at Malfoy Manor. Dad had officially moved into the manor after their weekend trip to the dragon sanctuary and that had caused yet another argument between him and mum – an argument that had been quite weak compared to the one that soon followed afterwards when mum discovered that dad had started a relationship with Uncle Draco. Mum had thrown a hex at dad when she found out and only dad's quick reflexes had saved him from being hit by it.

A shiver still ran over Albus' spine when he remembered the furious look in Uncle Draco's eyes when mum had tried to hex dad. It had been the first time that the young boy realised that there was a viable reason why a lot of people were still quite wary around the blond wizard. He and mum still couldn't be in one room together without getting into a fierce argument.

The original custody schedule had Albus and James spending a week with dad when Scorpius had his own week with Uncle Draco. That way the boys could spend time with each other and they wouldn't have to miss each other. It was a schedule that worked out well for them.

Two weeks ago, however, mum had sent dad a letter, stating that they needed to revise the custody schedule.

So now they were here in the stuffy office again; Albus dearly hoping that mum wouldn't get her way. He loved his mum, but he really didn't understand why she suddenly wanted to change the schedule. It was fine now like it was, no? If they changed it now, he and Scorpius would never get to stay together in the manor during the same week and how were they supposed to meet then?

"… work schedule appears not to have changed significantly, so I see no reason to change the custody schedule," Judge Moonshine said firmly; her gaze cutting over the edge of her glasses as the crease in her forehead deepened.

Mum sat up straighter and looked ready to protest; the light flush on her cheeks darkening. "Judge, I must insist that …"

"Miss Weasley, your work schedule appears the same as when you first agreed to the schedule. Mister Potter requested this particular schedule as it allows your sons to spend time with their stepbrother and you agreed to this," Judge Moonshine retorted and a hint of disapproval tainted her voice. "Give me one good reason as to why there is a need to separate your sons from their friend."

Mum pursed her lips together and looked annoyed, but she remained quiet.

"If that is all, everything is settled then. The custody schedule will remain as it is now, unless there are significant changes in either of the parents' schedule," Judge Moonshine dismissed them, closing the file. "Have a good day, Mister Potter, Miss Weasley, James, Albus." She nodded at them and the door opened silently.

Mum gave them a tight-lipped smile and a quick hug before she stalked out of the room, closely followed by her lawyer who offered dad a cool nod.

"Let's go, boys," Dad sighed and stood up, giving the judge a polite nod.

Uncle Draco rose up from the plastic chair right next to the office. "I take it the meeting didn't go according to Weasley's wishes?" The corners of his mouth curled up into a subtle sneer.

Dad heaved a sigh and raked a hand through his hair. "The custody schedule remains the same. The judge decided she didn't have any sufficient reason for a change."

"I wonder what kind of excuse she'll make up next time," Uncle Draco murmured darkly.

"I don't want to think about it," Dad muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's just go home, okay? Before Zabini decides it's a smart idea to take Scorpius flying."

"He's not that bad at flying," Uncle Draco protested in defence of his friend.

"Yes, because nearly crashing in the pole by merely turning the broom around is a sign of a professional player," Dad deadpanned and James snickered.

This started an argument about whether or not Uncle Blaise should be allowed to supervise flying as they made their way to the Red Claw's office in order to return to the manor.

A week after James' eleventh birthday, they were once again staying in Malfoy Manor. The May sun was beating down on the grass and bees were flitting around the flowers noisily, accompanied by the occasional butterfly. Thanks to some well-placed screens, courtesy of the house elves, a nice patch of shade kept the boys cool as they sat outside working on their homework. James had gone inside, hoping to beg some biscuits from the house elves. Albus didn't think he would have much luck, considering it was nearly dinner time.

"James is taking a long time," Scorpius muttered, staring down at his essay with a frown.

"Maybe he thinks that being persistent will get him more biscuits," Albus chuckled, placing down his quill after finishing his last sentence.

"He's not going to get any - "

"There's something wrong with dad." James suddenly popped up behind them, making the two younger boys yell in surprise.

Heart still beating madly, Albus turned around swiftly in his chair. "What do you mean?" he asked, worry creeping up on him. Something was wrong with their dad?

"He's in the bathroom on the first floor, puking," James explained, dropping down in his own chair. The pages of his book fluttered with the wind he stirred up.

"Maybe he ate something wrong?" Scorpius suggested; a faint frown etched onto his forehead.

"Doesn't sound like it," James retorted and furrowed his eyebrows. He tapped his quill against his parchment as he continued, "Uncle Draco was with him. I didn't hear everything, but it sounds like dad has been puking a lot lately. Uncle Draco says he needs to go to a Healer."

Albus looked down at his essay with apprehension stirring inside his belly. What was making dad so sick? Now that he thought about it, dad had looked a lot paler lately, but Albus had thought that had to do with the fact that he hadn't been out in the sun much. Dad and Uncle Draco had been working on a case the last two months that had them returning home often late in the evening. Leaving home early and returning late didn't give them many chances to be out in the sun after all.

What could make dad puke a lot?

The three looked up startled when the door to the garden opened, revealing dad standing there with a faint smile. "It's nearly time to eat, boys. Make sure you put your homework away and wash your hands, okay?"

They nodded in agreement, but Albus couldn't help but notice suddenly that there were light bags underneath dad's eyes and his mouth was pulled in a tired line. Were those just signs of exhaustion or was there something more going on?

He shared a look with Scorpius and James before they silently gathered their stuff and followed dad inside.

Whatever was wrong with dad – it couldn't be anything too bad, right?

It was on Sunday evening, two weeks later, with only a few hours left at his home that Scorpius heard more about Harry's mysterious illness. 'Heard' was probably the wrong word, as he was merely walking past the bedroom Harry was now sharing with father when his ears picked up tatters of a murmured conversation between the two adults.

Biting his lower lip, Scorpius hesitated next to the door. He knew he should just continue walking to his room, but he was so curious … Harry hadn't said anything about feeling ill, but he clearly hadn't started feeling better yet. Maybe he should …

He froze when footsteps stopped on the other side of the door.

"What do you want to do then, Harry?" Father asked and he sounded oddly resigned.

"I don't know, Draco," Harry sighed frustrated. "It's not like I was expecting this to happen, you know."

"Terminating it isn't possible anymore," Father replied softly.

Terminating? What did that mean? Scorpius furrowed his eyebrows confused and held his breath, listening intently.

"I know that, Draco! I was there when the Healer explained it, remember?" Harry bit out annoyed and a short silence fell heavily. "Sorry, I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"Don't worry about it," Father murmured and the footsteps removed themselves from the door. "Not that we have that many choices left, but would it really be so bad to just … keep it?"

"It's just … I worry about how the others will react," Harry muttered.

Now the young boy was thoroughly confused. What did they want to keep? Why would Harry worry about how other people would react to that? Who were these other people? Why would he want to keep an illness?

Scorpius was quite certain he was missing some very important information and that frustrated him immensely.

"Honestly, Harry, the only people who really matter when it comes to this are our sons," Father stated clearly; a hint of impatience lingering in his voice. "Nobody else. It's our family; if others can't deal with it, it's their fucking problem. We don't have to explain ourselves to anyone."

Scorpius' mouth dropped open at hearing the unexpected profanity coming from his father's mouth. Father always sounded so proper; hearing him curse brought him off balance. Cursing was something only uncouth people did after all – at least if Scorpius had to believe the portraits of his ancestors.

"What if our sons are against it?" Harry asked; his voice sounding smaller than Scorpius had ever heard before.

It made him uneasy; Harry had always seemed so strong, a force to be reckoned with. To hear him suddenly sound so small and insecure … What was happening that caused such an abrupt change in the man? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good if it made Harry sound like that.

"They won't be against it," Father said confidently.

"I hope you're right," Harry murmured.

"Of course I am," Father sniffed. "You did outdo everyone with that particular birthday gift, though."

"You can't claim it wasn't original," Harry chuckled weakly.

With every word that was said Scorpius' confusion only grew, together with his frustration at not understanding what exactly they were talking about. Cleary they were talking about the odd illness Harry had had for a few weeks now – but what did that have to do with whatever birthday gift he had given father? When Scorpius had asked his father what he had received as gift from Harry, the older man had said it was an old potions book – what was so special about that that Harry outdid everyone with it?

Suddenly footsteps neared the door again and Scorpius ran further down the corridor, slipping around the corner just in time. Father didn't like eavesdropping, said it was disrespectful, and clearly this had been a conversation that they hadn't meant to have overheard.

And while he felt guilty for having eavesdropped, he couldn't help but wonder what Harry and father were keeping from him and the other two boys.

"Are you ready, Scorpius? Your father will arrive in a couple of minutes," Mother stated, placing a hand delicately on the doorframe. Her dark coloured eyes rested on his suitcase briefly and she nodded approvingly. "Do you have everything in your suitcase?"

"Yes, I just checked and I have everything," Scorpius replied and allowed one of the house elves – one named Nippy – to dress him in his robes, even though he wouldn't be outside for that long and the sun was already shining brightly, despite it not being eight o'clock yet.

"Good. Let us go downstairs then. He'll be here soon."

She waited until he had crossed his room towards her, Nippy already having popped downstairs with his suitcase, before she guided him down the wooden staircase. They passed an open window on the landing and the faint smell of flowers blooming clung to the air.

"I'll see you next week again, Scorpius," Mother said and kissed his forehead with cool lips. "Enjoy your week."

It had taken her some time, but she could finally say that particular sentence without sneering it or sounding coldly. That wasn't to say that all the tensions between her and father had been resolved, but there were definitely fewer arguments between his parents.

"Master Draco Malfoy has arrived," Nippy squeaked and the door opened with a snap of her long, bony fingers.

Father smiled at him and nodded in greeting at mother, who inclined her head.

"I'd like you to make an hour free somewhere this week," Mother announced; her hand resting lightly on Scorpius' shoulder. "I want to discuss holiday arrangements with you."

"All right, I'll send you a message when I'm free," Father replied before pointing his wand at the suitcase and shrinking it so he could fit it into his pocket.

They said their goodbyes and Scorpius grasped father's offered hand. As soon as they were past the wards of the property Scorpius clasped his arms around father's arm tightly in order for the older wizard to Apparate them to the manor.

A couple of the peacocks greeted them when the gates swung open, allowing them entrance.

"Are Albus and James here already?" Scorpius questioned, eager to see his friends again after having been separated for a week.

"They should be," Father told him, guiding him along the pathway. "Harry said he'd leave after I did to pick them up."

One of the house elves opened the door for them, bowing in greeting and Scorpius hurried inside, wanting to see his friends immediately. He would have class in half an hour, which meant he wouldn't be able to see either James or Albus until this afternoon.

They weren't downstairs, so he hurried to the first floor where they all had their bedrooms. The doors to their rooms were open, but when he peeked inside, there was nobody there. None of their bags were here either and the sheets on the beds weren't wrinkled. With a frown he stepped back into the hallway after having checked James' bedroom and stood there for a moment.

Where were they? Father had said they should be here, but nothing indicated that they had set foot inside their rooms. Maybe they were on the next floor with Harry?

After Harry got together with father, they had moved to the second floor and had chosen a bedroom there. It was bigger than the bedrooms of the boys and Scorpius had heard Harry complaining about it at first, saying things like that the bed was way too big.

The portraits he passed on his way to the second floor were all still sleeping or in the case of one of his great uncles reading a very thick tome and paying him no mind. Two house elves were taking down the drapes of the windows on this floor, most likely to give them a good wash, and they bowed their heads to him when he walked past them. He nodded back a bit distracted and halted in front of the closed door. After hesitating for a moment, he knocked loudly and waited.

There was no answer.

Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, he knocked again, even harder than before. Still no reaction. Was Harry even in there? Or was he still out, picking up Albus and James? Maybe he was having another argument with his ex-wife.

Apprehension building up in the pit of his stomach, Scorpius slowly pressed down the doorknob and pushed against it, letting the door swing back soundlessly. The curtains had been drawn back in the room, bathing everything in the early sunlight. Red Auror robes were strewn across two chairs and some regular clothes were thrown near the wardrobe.

And there, still in bed, was Harry. He was dressed in a white shirt and dark blue jeans, but he was sleeping, as if he had crawled back into bed after getting dressed. He was facing the door; one of his arms nearly covering his face completely from view. On the nightstand his glasses and wand laid ready for him.

Why was Harry still sleeping? Hadn't he gone out to pick up James and Albus?

Perplexed Scorpius stood there for a moment before he hesitatingly made his way to the sleeping man. He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and carefully shook him.

"Harry? You need to wake up," he called out softly.

At the sound of his voice – or maybe it was his touch – green eyes snapped open and stared at him blankly for a moment. Harry sat up and rubbed over his eyes, looking drowsily at the young boy.

"Scorpius, what are you – shit, how late is it?!" He hastily shot out of bed, snatching his glasses from the nightstand and shoving them on his nose.

"Oh, eh, nearly eight o'clock," Scorpius answered startled and took a couple of hasty steps back, bumping against the wall.

"Shit, shit! I'm late!" Harry cursed and after grabbing his wand, he ran out of the room, leaving a confused Scorpius behind.

Since when was Harry late to anything?

AN2: So yes, no idea if people are still willing to read this, but I figured I might as well post it today, seeing as it's Harry's birthday. This way it also acts as a kick to my arse to finally finish this story.

Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.

I hope to see you all back in the next chapter! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!

Cuddles

Melissa

P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.