XI
The silence in the dining room said more than any words. Everyone looked at Scorpius, who would like to disappear in an instant. He knew from the beginning that he shouldn't come there, but he never thought that the situation would become that bad.
However, Scorpius couldn't postpone his action too long - the irritated father was far worse than normal, and usually, he didn't have too much patience. Because of that, Scorpius took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the exit. On his back, he felt the worried looks of the Potters' siblings and their parents.
The front door was slightly open, and when he came to it, he saw his father staying a few steps ahead. Draco wore his usual dark suit and had his arms crossed on his chest. He stood as far from the house as possible, and his eyes were full of barely hidden fury.
When he spotted Scorpius, he began to walk towards the wicket.
"Get into the car," Draco barked.
Scorpius came down through two steps and stopped in the middle of the white path. He looked at the black Volvo on the street - his father drove it to his muggle's work. Like many other wizards, Draco knew how to apparate, but the Ministry of Magic had reduced licenses only to Aurors and government members. Everyone knew that Death Eaters had used that method of transportation very often in the past, and through that, it had been even harder to find them. Because of those strict regulations, the wizards began to use only Floo Network or muggle-like transportation methods.
When Scorpius was a kid, he always had been so happy when he spotted that car ride to the manor. Unfortunately, many things have changed since that time.
"No, I won't," he said calmly but with determination. "I will stay here."
Draco stopped and turned around rapidly. He quickly came to the son as if he wanted to grab his arm, but in the end, he changed his mind and only looked at Scorpius with anger. Probably, he knew that he was observed from the house.
"I won't discuss that here," Draco hissed. "You're coming back home."
"For what?"
That question had to surprise Draco because his hidden rage diminished for a moment. Then, understanding took its place.
"So this is your way to punish me for those words."
Scorpius still watched his father, trying to stay calm and rational. He couldn't allow his emotions to take action; despite what Draco thought, Scorpius didn't want to make a scene in front of the Gryffindors.
"It's not true, completely opposite in fact. I'm doing exactly what you requested from me. I'm making amends." Seeing that his father wanted to say something, Scorpius quickly continued his thought. "You expected me to fix everything that I messed up, and I fulfilled your wish and did even more."
"What are you plotting?"
Scorpius never thought that that kind of question would be so painful. If his father thought about him as a lair, how could he convince others? On the other hand, he had done so much to gain the name, but it wasn't a good time for that reflection.
"Is it so hard to believe that I was invited here?" Although Scorpius didn't want it, his voice gained a sharp edge. "Do I have to be cut off because you were cursed by everyone? I'm not like you!"
Scorpius expected a slap after these words, but his father only curled his fingers into a fist and moved his eyes to the side.
"I'm not here to make you angry," Scorpius added after a moment.
"If so, why didn't you tell the truth? What should I think when Pansy wrote to me that she saw you on the King's Cross in Potter's company? If you don't plot anything, why did you lie?"
On Scorpius' face appeared a sad smile.
"Because I don't trust you the same way as you don't trust me. And even more because I wanted to avoid this discussion. I knew how you would react. Mother asked me not to disturb you anymore, and I tried to do it."
Draco looked at him very strangely; on his face, anger made a place for a surprise. For sure, he didn't expect such words from Scorpius. However, he said nothing, so Scorpius continued.
"We can start another fight in front of all the Gryffindors who sat inside the house. They would have a beautiful show. Some perhaps would be glad to see it. Or we can do it in a civilised way. Not all my actions are related to you, not even half of them. I'm trying to hide every connection between us, so I ask you to leave me alone. Just go home… please."
Scorpius didn't expect how hard it would be for him to say that last word. Especially when he wanted to sound honest - without the usual anger or disrespect.
Suddenly, Draco's face changed, and a weak, humourless smile appeared on his lips. However, something else made Scorpius flinch. His father looked truly harmed by the last words, even though his pride didn't allow him to show that.
Draco took a shallow breath - as if to calm himself - and then he put his hand on Scorpius' shoulder.
"I hope you will succeed in erasing the curse of being my son," he said with a strangely official tone, turned around, and walked away.
Scorpius watched his father's back for a moment and wanted to say something more, but Draco quickened his pace and got into the car. He drove off, not looking at his son anymore.
Scorpius was left alone on the empty white path, and still, he heard the last sentence his father said. These words almost rumbled in his ears. Why did everything always end like that? Whatever he would say, whatever would do, the result was the same. Like always, he was a great disappointment to his father, no matter how much he would try to do better. It didn't matter if Scorpius had his private war or tried to build the bridges; the effect was disaster. Even at the moment when he seriously tried to stay calm and collected, they parted with anger.
No, it wasn't anger; that time, it was far worse - pain. Scorpius put a blow without mercy; one more time, he admitted that he didn't want to have anything to do with his father.
When he thought about it, he felt like an utter bastard, but it was too late to fix anything. What's more, these weren't words said through anger. Quite the opposite, Scorpius said it all with calmness and confidence - fully aware of what he did.
In the end, Scorpius got what he wanted - Draco accepted his request and left him alone. He went home, thinking that his son preferred to stay with his enemy; that his only son detested him.
Was it what Scorpius wanted? Of course not! Maybe they didn't always deal well with each other, but Scorpius still remembered how much he had loved his father in the past. Currently, anger and frustration mostly covered that attachment, but Scorpius didn't want to be so cruel. He didn't want to harm any member of his family; it wasn't his purpose. He only wanted to walk with his head high and not to be ashamed about what blood was in his veins.
How much Scorpius wanted to hear that someone was proud of him, that he had done a proper thing. How much he wanted to come to that home with his family and not feel like some kind of a freak.
But it was impossible. Scorpius was alone - as always.
"Scorpius." He heard the voice of Harry Potter just behind.
"Please, sir, leave me alone for a moment," Scorpius said through the squished throat.
"Sure," Mr Potter replied, and not adding anything more, he came back home.
Suddenly, Scorpius felt that his eyes burned. Moreover, he felt growing frustration and powerless anger. He was furious with himself and with the entire world. Wasn't there a solution when he wouldn't feel like shite in the end?
Scorpius knew that he couldn't come back to Potter's house. He couldn't deal with questions about his father at that moment. In the end, he walked to the fence and went outside. He looked at both sides, but there was no one around, so he turned right and walked on the street without thinking about direction.
After each fight with his father, Scorpius needed a lot of time to calm down, but that day was different. He wasn't nervous. He only felt irritation. He couldn't find a good solution where everybody would be happy; it was a wish not possible to fulfil. If he tried to trust Potters, automatically, he would be in opposition to his father, who detested them. But if Scorpius chose his family, he would never erase the curse that was on them. Besides, it was a little too late for that; Scorpius doubted that Albus would leave him alone even if Scorpius asked for it. The Gryffindor was far too stubborn and persistent, even though it wasn't visible at first look.
And most importantly, Scorpius didn't want to change that. He had to admit that he liked Potter's company. In the end, Albus was the only person who didn't judge Scorpius because of his father.
Scorpius combed his hair with his fingers, trying to fight a coming headache, and then suddenly, he stopped in the middle of his steps. No more than sixty feet away stood his father's car, and Draco sat on the side, smoking a cigarette. It was such an unusual view that Scorpius wasn't sure if he didn't hallucinate.
Draco watched the street before him, and probably, he still didn't notice his son's presence, so after a while, Scorpius took a deep breath and came closer. After dozens of steps, his father spotted him at last but said or did nothing about it.
In truth, Scorpius also didn't know what to say. He never saw his father so dejected, and it frightened him. Scorpius always believed that whatever he would say, Draco wouldn't be hurt by it. However, at the moment, his father was visibly touched - too anxious to drive home.
Finally, Scorpius sat next to his father and, for a long moment, observed a thin line of smoke from the cigarette without a word.
"You know what mother thinks about muggle's cigarettes," Scorpius said when he couldn't stand the silence anymore.
Draco shrugged but threw the rest of the cigarette away.
"She wouldn't know about it. What are you doing here?"
"I have to calm down a little."
"So, there are two of us."
Scorpius sighed.
"What should I do?" he asked, not knowing exactly what he wanted to say. "Whatever decision I make, everything goes wrong."
On Draco's face appeared a sad smile.
"Are you asking me? All my life, I only made terrible decisions."
There was so much sorrow in Draco's voice that Scorpius felt a chill on his back. He didn't know how to answer. He didn't want to start another fight, but he had a feeling that in a situation like that, everything would turn into a quarrel at any time. Scorpius truly forgot how to speak with his father.
"I miss the time before Hogwarts," Scorpius said finally. He also looked at the empty street ahead. Draco didn't reply, but for sure, he listened, so Scorpius continued. "Everything wasn't so crazy then. I wish I didn't have to pretend I don't care what others say behind my back. I'm tired of it. I think that is the reason why I agree to go with Potters. I wanted to check if it could be different."
The father still didn't reply, so Scorpius took another breath and proceeded further.
"I'm sorry for not telling you where I was going. I was afraid of your reaction. I was sure that you would be furious and forbid me to go."
"You were right," Draco murmured and looked at Scorpius out of the corner of his eye. "Of all the people, did you have to choose them?"
Scorpius shrugged.
"It was a spontaneous decision, and despite what you think, I didn't make it against you. Not everything I do is designed to make you furious."
"Really?"
For a second, Scorpius spotted a trace of a smile on Draco's face.
"Amazing, don't you think? However, isn't it what you wish me to do? You told me to fix the situation between me and Potter, and I did that. Since they invited me on holiday, it seems I fulfilled your request."
Draco shook his head and sighed deeply.
"After everything that had happened in the past, I can't stand next to them with my head high. Because of that, I would prefer that you won't hang out with them; otherwise, sooner or later, I will have to interact with them also. Today is the best example."
For a second, Scorpius felt growing anger, but he withdrew every negative emotion and stayed calm.
"The case is that not everything here is about you. It is my life, and I prefer when you don't mess with it."
"You forgot that I'm your father. I have to mess around a little."
Scorpius smirked. He didn't want to add that Draco messed up in his life even though he was far away. They both knew that already.
They sat there in silence for a long time. Scorpius even thought that it was the first time in many years that they spoke almost normally with each other - without lies, anger and accusations. It was a nice change. It seemed that there was still a part of Scorpius that was eager for Draco's approval, even though Scorpius had so much against it.
"I will come home," Scorpius said before he had a second thought about it. "I shouldn't have come here in the first place; it was stupid. I didn't want to make you angry again; usually, I didn't want that, but it happens all the time."
Draco stood up and cleaned his trousers.
"I had always tried to please my father in the past," he said, looking at the darkness on the street. "Nothing good had come from that."
Scorpius noticed as his father unconsciously grabbed his left arm, where the dark sign was still visible.
"I believe you know what you are doing, and you will walk with your head high despite circumstances," Draco added, then nodded and got into his car.
Scorpius also stood up and, without a word, observed as his father drove away. He stood there long after the car disappeared from his eyes. In the end, he pulled himself together, turned around and came back to Potter's house. He knew that the next round with Gryffindors waited for him there, but he felt ready for it.
After a few minutes, he spotted Potter's house, and two people stood next to the fence. He quickly recognised Lily and Albus.
"We were afraid that you won't come back," Lily yelled, waving her hand.
It was surprising how fast Lily changed her attitude towards Scorpius - from scared to enthusiastic. Having that kind of sister was another point on Albus' list of luck.
"You can't so easily get rid of me," Scorpius replied with a vile smile. "Since you invited me, you have to deal with the consequences."
Lily laughed openly.
"You sound as if we would regret it. Come, there will be ice cream," she said and turned towards the house.
"As you wish," Scorpius murmured and walked after the girl.
Scorpius left his bag on the floor and sat on the bed prepared for him. Albus' room wasn't big, and with them both there, it was crowded. There were two beds, one desk and some other furniture such as a bookshelf and wardrobe. On the walls were plenty of photos of Potter's family, some landscapes or animals. Some of them had an artistic touch.
Looking at those photos, Scorpius understood that he knew nothing about Albus, about his hobbies and passions, or what he liked or detested. In truth, even though they spent so much time together in the greenhouse, they didn't know each other at all.
Scorpius cringed at that thought and withdrew every question he wanted to ask. Sooner than later, those questions would lead to Scorpius' life, but he didn't want to talk about it. If the wind would change, Albus could use Scorpius' secrets against him. Scorpius shouldn't forget about that.
"Everything all right?" Album asked, putting his things on the desk. "You know… with your father."
Scorpius snorted. Potter needed more than an hour before he found the courage to ask that question.
"I wasn't hit by some awful curse, so it seems it's okay," Scorpius replied with false humour. He didn't want to speak about his last meeting with his father.
Happily, Potter didn't push further.
"Good to hear," he said quietly and came back to put his things on shelves.
There was silence in the room for quite a long time. It seemed Potter realised that Scorpius wasn't in the mood for talking.
In the end, Scorpius took off his boots and laid down on the bed with his arms under his head. He had so many different thoughts that he didn't know how to clean the mess in his mind. It was a very eventful day: leaving Hogwarts, meeting with Potter's family, quarrelling with Ronald Weasley, and talking with Draco. And, of course, Scorpius shouldn't forget that he got to know his cousin. It was far too much for one day, and it was only the tip of the iceberg.
Since Scorpius didn't want to think about all those heavy subjects, he focused on one which was the most neutral.
"That Ted Lupin, he mentioned that he lives with his grandma. I suppose his parents are dead."
Albus took a glance at him and nodded.
"Yeah, they died during the war. They were members of the Order of the Fenix and were killed in the battle of Hogwarts. It was just after Ted was born."
"He doesn't look like someone with such a traumatic past."
"He wasn't left alone. My parents cared about him. You know, my dad is an orphan too, so he understood how difficult it is. Now, Ted is almost like a second brother to me."
"As if one James wasn't enough," Scorpius added.
Albus chuckled.
"He is a little overprotective and stubborn; nobody knows it better than me, but you can get used to it. He has goodwill."
"Yeah, for sure, he willingly punches my lights out."
"Sometimes I also wanted to do that."
"And vice versa."
Scorpius looked at the Gryffindor and smiled viciously, but Albus didn't seem to care because he still smiled gently.
"I'm glad that nothing like that happened," he added.
"Don't worry, and we have the next four days to begin to hate each other."
Scorpius woke up early, not accustomed to new surroundings. It was just dawn outside, so he probably had a lot of time before others also got up. He tossed and turned in bed but couldn't fall asleep; however, he didn't want to get up and wandered through Potter's empty house - they might be offended by it.
In the end, Scorpius lay on the bed for more than an hour, and to kill some time, he repeated the last learned charm.
He was more than happy when he heard Albus yawn and sat on his bed. Then Scorpius could, without further hesitation, get up, find the bathroom and wash himself a little. Wearing a navy blue t-shirt and dark jeans, he came back to Albus' room, but he also met Lily there. The girl still had her colourful pyjamas and talked with her brother. She didn't stop even when she noticed Scorpius' presence.
"Do you have a swimming trunk?" she asked suddenly.
Surprised, Scorpius raised one eyebrow and shook his head. However, it didn't discourage Lily because she only waved her hand.
"No problem, Albus will lend you. My mom said that after breakfast, we will go to the aqua park."
It wasn't a question but rather a statement, so Scorpius wasn't going to discuss it.
"Can you swim?"
"Of course," he snorted in reply. He could bet that he could swim better than most of them.
What Lily said was true because right after breakfast, they quickly packed swimming tools, and in the company of Mrs Potter and Mrs Granger, they jumped into a magically widened blue Ford. At the last moment, Ted joined them, too.
Scorpius swam to the edge of the pool and stopped to take a breath. Girls with Hugo came to the shallow children's pool, but he preferred the normal one, even though it was a little crowded because of the holidays.
Scorpius wiped away water and hair from his face and looked around. Next to him, Ted swam and a little further, James. They both knew what they were doing, but Scorpius had to admit that Potter's technique was better.
"Are you tired?" Ted asked with a smile when he stopped at the pool's edge. He might pretend differently, but he looked exhausted, too.
Scorpius snorted.
"You bet," he said, then dived in, pushed from the pool's wall and under the water, he took almost half of the distance. After reaching the opposite side, he turned around, and in a few seconds, he came back to Lupin.
"I see that you are a fish in water. I never was good at diving. As a child, I detested when water came to my ears."
"Near the manor was a huge river," Scorpius explained. "I had learned how to swim before I began to walk properly. Water in the ears was never a problem."
Yes, swimming was one of the things that were directly related to Scorpius' childhood. When the weather allowed, he had come with other kids to the river and had been spending all day there. Often, they had done things that were far from safe. His mother frequently asked him to be careful, but at that time, he hadn't taken those requests to his mind.
They had climbed up to the highest trees and jumped into the water from them, which was completely crazy. When Scorpius thought about it, it was a miracle that nobody had broken a neck then.
"And your parents agreed to that?"
Scorpius shrugged.
"Usually, I didn't ask," Scorpius added, then he jumped off the pool and came to the sector with the trampoline. Without hesitation, he climbed onto the top, took a glance at Ted, and jumped into the water. For sure, it brought back memories.
Scorpius swam out, wiped his face one more time, and spotted the Potter brothers on the pool's edge. James looked very eager to jump, too, opposite to Albus, who, as always, had a problem with finding his Gryffindor courage.
In the end, James jumped almost like a professional, but Albus fell into the water without much grace.
"I was sure that you would run away," Scorpius commented when the younger Gryffindor swam out.
"I don't like jumps," Albus replied.
At the same moment, Scorpius spotted a small, colourful shape at the bottom of the pool. He dived in quickly and took the thing.
"Well, well, well, I got the trophy," he yelled, laughing. Then he threw the mysterious thing to James.
Potter immediately recognised Albus' trunks. Not only him, because Albus turned bright red.
"Give it back!" he screamed.
On James' face appeared a very nasty smile, so unusual for that pride Gryffindor.
"It's a punishment for lack of training, but don't worry, we give it back to Rose, and she will make a new Gryffindor flag from it."
"Haha, very funny," younger Potter barked and swam towards James, but he was quicker and threw trunks back to Scorpius.
"Maybe I will borrow this one from you also," the Slytherin mocked. He waited as Albus came closer, and then he threw trunks one more time to James.
In the end, the older Potter had mercy on his brother, although the wet trunks hit Albus right in the face.
"Bastards," Albus murmured, which caused both boys to begin laughing.
"You are inappropriate," Ted commented after a moment. "Don't you know that things found in the pool should be returned to the swim guard?"
"Do you hear him, Albus? And you are calling us the bastards. You should be grateful that we don't have such ideas. Otherwise, all people here would watch your naked arse," Scorpius added, still laughing.
Albus only shook his head, and to be sure, he tied trunk strings more carefully.
Scorpius came out of the shower, took his things, and walked to the changing room. When he was ready, he joined the girls who dried their hair. Of course, older witches could easily dry it with magic, but there were too many muggles to risk that.
After a few minutes, everyone was ready to go. One after another, they crossed gates and left colourful bracelets for the staff. Then, they walked towards the parking lot. It was quite a distance because, in the morning, many people came here alone or with children, so Mrs Potter had a hard time finding a free slot.
Scorpius walked next to Albus, who eventually forgave him and James for previous jokes because he talked with his brother and Rose about plans for the rest of the day.
"As for wizard who had come from such… conservative family, you seem to deal with muggles' technology quite well," Mrs Granger said to Scorpius at one moment.
Scorpius looked at the woman for a while, thinking about how he should interpret the 'conservatism' of his family. In the end, he didn't feel offended, so he only shrugged.
"All my childhood I had spent with kids from the village near the manor. Because of that, I often had to deal with their technology. Probably in our group, only you and I grasp the difference between headphones and smartphones."
Mrs Granger chuckled.
"Probably you are right. Ron always had a huge problem with understanding muggles' gadgets."
"Weren't your parents against your friendship with muggles? Weren't they afraid that you could show your magic abilities?" Rose, who walked next to her mother, asked.
Scorpius hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about such details from his life, especially when he spotted that more eyes turned towards him. On the other hand, he didn't want to lie to these people; in the end, they were far more hospitable than he expected. That day, they treated him as if he were one of them.
After considering that all, he took a deep breath and looked at Rose.
"Remember that my family lived there for many generations. Do you truly believe that people from nearby villages don't know who we are?"
Rose's expression suggested that she never thought about it in that way; nonetheless, Scorpius continued.
"In the past, surrounding villages had belonged to my family, and many people were somehow connected with Manor. Grooms, gardeners, couriers - house elves couldn't do everything. At that time, no one cared so much about that whole conspiracy, and because of that, muggles knew that the lord wasn't an ordinary man. They served him, and he took care of their safety. Some of that knowledge remains nowadays."
"Are you trying to say that kids you had played with as a child had known that you were a wizard?" Lily asked.
"No one said it aloud, but I think they knew," Scorpius replied, then added after consideration. "I remember one situation when some woman came to my mother in the middle of the night. Her son was really ill, and because of the awful winter weather, the ambulance couldn't reach them. The man could not survive the night, so his mother asked my mother for help."
"And what happened? What did your mom do?" The young Gryffindor girl asked.
"I'm not sure. I was eight, and I only remember that she left Manor, and when she came back, she didn't want to talk about it. Nevertheless, that man is alive to this day."
When Scorpius only said it, he understood how a grievous mistake he made, and he cursed his long tongue. He should be quiet. At that moment, he openly admitted that his mother probably used charms in the presence of muggles, which was a serious crime and could bring solemn problems to her. The Ministry searched for that kind of accusation about people like her.
But when Scorpius looked at the faces of Gryffindors, there was rather an amazement than the will to use it against Scorpius' family. He could only hope that he wouldn't regret it in the future.
"I thought that Malfoys detest muggles," James commented, breaking the prolonged silence.
That time, Scorpius much more carefully chose the next words.
"It depends. I have nothing against them. My parents also have more serious problems than that, but things were different in the past. Almost all pureblood families had thought that everyone had his proper place in society and the muggles' place wasn't between wizards."
"But they could be servants or slaves, right?"
Scorpius shrugged.
"Something like that. However, are you really surprised? Everyone that had some power, muggle or wizard, would try to rule others, and the magic gift gave almost unlimited power. Many tried to use it for that purpose. Not everyone is so honourable to think that all people are even."
"What about you?"
Scorpius clearly understood what James wanted to hear, but he wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. On the contrary, a little piece of brutal truth could do good to the proud Gryffindor.
"Me? I learned a long time ago that equality does not exist among muggles and wizards."
When Scorpius noticed the expression on others' faces, he understood that for them, he had to sound like a typical Voldemort believer.
"So you say…" Rose began, but he cut her off.
"I'm only saying that I'm screwed up from the start because I'm a Slytherin and the son of a Death Eater. I didn't do anything, but I bear the consequences. If you think that equality should work that way, you should look to the dictionary to check the meaning of that word."
Scorpius said it with an even tone, but the silence that came after his statement spoke volumes.
In that silence, they came to the car, and with each passing minute, Scorpius had growing remorse that he destroyed a good mood. As always, he should keep his mouth shut.
The next talks began when they sat in the car, but Scorpius stayed silent. During the ride, he looked through the window and thought about every stupid thing he had said. He cursed his lack of common sense. Why, when he began a quarrel with someone, he so easily found the right words, but when the situation needed deliberation, he talked without thinking?
They had eaten dinner in some pizzeria in the city and ended up in the cinema, watching a really stupid comedy. Both the dinner and the movie didn't improve Scorpius' mood.
Scorpius lay on the bed and read without much interest a book from Albus' collection. A few minutes ago, Potter walked to the bathroom, so at that moment, nothing broke the silence around. Scorpius tried to focus on the book because he didn't want to think about previous events again.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the opened door. Scorpius expected Albus, but it was Lily who came in. Wearing her colourful pyjamas, she looked around the room, probably searching for her brother.
"He is taking a shower," Scorpius explained from behind the book.
"Great, because I came to you," she said, then she walked inside and closed the door.
It was really suspicious, so Scorpius put the book aside, sat on the bed, and looked at the nervous girl for a while.
"To me?" he asked eventually.
Lily nodded and came closer. She stopped two steps away from the bed. She certainly looked like someone with a mission, ready for some great words. Finally, she took a deep breath and began:
"I only wanted you to know that, for me, it doesn't matter that you are a Slytherin and your dad was a Death Eater. I like you."
Scorpius was truly surprised by these words. He was sure that the youngest Potter girl felt for him only a very deep awareness. However, she sounded honest at the moment.
"There are many who don't think the same."
The girl rolled her eyes.
"Don't mind James, he worries too much."
"I had an opportunity to notice that he is a little overprotective."
Lily came closer and sat on the end of the bed with hesitation.
"He wasn't that way in the past, but then there was an accident, and it changed him."
Scorpius wanted to ask about more details, but he withdrew his curiosity. Lily didn't look eager to say more in that matter, so he could only assume what had happened. For sure, it was connected to Albus somehow because James never was overprotective towards Lily.
"I understand; nonetheless, it's nice that at least one Gryffindor doesn't see me as a bunch of sticky trolls shi..."
"Yuck! Don't end that!" Lily laughed.
Scorpius also began to laugh, and that time without his usual mischievousness.
The next day, all of them took a trip to the city centre. London was crowded and full of events, as always at that time of year. There were street shows and plays, and they even found circus performers doing their tricks during the festival.
The weather was quite nice, even though it was the middle of April, and it brought thoughts about the summer holidays. Not that Scorpius was eager to come back home. After the last events, he couldn't think about two full months with his father. However, he tried not to deliberate about it too much.
That day, Scorpius tried even harder to think about what he did or said so he didn't cause such a disturbing situation as the previous day. In truth, most of the time, he talked with Lily, who wanted to show him every single attraction in the city.
When they saw almost everything that was to be seen, Harry Potter, who was their guardian, took them to the huge aquarium near the London Eye.
Usually, Scorpius was hard to impress, but that place exceeded all his expectations. The awesome atmosphere there couldn't be destroyed even by a crowd of tourists in all the corridors.
Wandering through the glass corridors and watching various sea beings, Scorpius felt as if he had gone into a completely different reality. At one moment, a huge shark swam right above his head, so he stopped in the middle of his steps to watch it closer.
"It's great," Albus said, standing next to him. He also watched the shark.
Scorpius nodded.
"Yeah, there is no comparison between this and the Care of Magical Creatures."
Potter chuckled hearing that.
"I didn't know that you were taking that lesson."
"Theoretically."
Albus looked at him with a question, so he shrugged and added:
"I had to take the second faculty, but I have better things to do."
"And aren't you afraid that Professor Hagrid will give you the troll at the end of the year?"
"Hagrid? Everybody knows that I do him a favour by not showing up to the lessons. He has enough problems with making full sentences without my comments, blimey."
Albus began to laugh.
"If you present it that way, it makes sense," he said after a while. "But I like these classes, and they are far better than Numerology."
"Geez, who in his right mind would choose Numerology?"
"Rose persuaded me. You know, she truly wants to be like her mom, the best student and so on. But sometimes, she lacks determination."
Scorpius looked at the girl who, standing near the glass wall, explained something to Lily and Hugo. It seemed not only Albus and Scorpius had a problem with famous parents.
"What is the second faculty you DON'T come to?"
Scorpius laughed openly, hearing mockery in Albus' voice. It seemed the Gryffindor stopped worrying about what he said in Scorpius' presence.
"Divination. And despite your accusations, I attend that lesson regularly. Trelawney is funny, and I love to hear when she foretells my quick demise. I couldn't miss that."
Albus shook his head.
"You choose strange entertainments."
"Said a guy who likes to clean unicorn dung."
The rest of the visit to the aquarium passed in a nice atmosphere. Most of the time, Scorpius walked with Potter, and they talked about everything interesting behind the glass. After a few days, when Albus was strangely silent, that was a pleasant change. It seemed that Potter stopped worrying about what could happen during his integration experiment - as James called it. It didn't end with total catastrophe, so Albus could take a break and feel free to enjoy a tour. On the other hand, Scorpius had nothing against it, and he also stopped paying so much attention to what he said. Frequently, he gave sarcastic remarks and made fun of Albus; however, the Gryffindor boy didn't look as if he minded it.
Scorpius would never say it aloud, but Potter was right. There weren't so many differences between them. Of course, they had completely different characters but had a very similar sense of humour, which could be spotted when Albus began to laugh each time Scorpius left some critical comment. What's more, they both didn't like to show their true thoughts; however, they reacted differently. Scorpius, if the truth was unwanted, hid behind the lies, but Potter used to be silent in that situation. But the longer they talked, the better they understood which topic they should avoid, so there was no need for lies or silence anymore. They both didn't want to spoil the mood that day.
Of course, most of the time, they were watched by James, but older Potter stayed apart and spoke only with his father. Harry Potter also didn't interfere in their trip, and Scorpius had to admit that he was completely different from how the media showed him. He was a war hero, the child from prophecy, and the destroyer of Voldemort, but… he was a really normal guy. The typical father and husband who loved his family and cared about them. He was kind and well-mannered, too.
Harry Potter also watched them, but in opposition to James, in his eyes, was a lack of suspiciousness. He was rather genuinely glad that his son had a good time.
Later that day, when they saw everything in the aquarium, they came home hungry and tired. But Mrs Potter and Mrs Granger prepared a grill in the garden.
Eating sausages and grilled vegetables, they sat on the blankets on the grass and discussed every event of the day. Of course, Lily was the one who needed to say everything to everyone.
The evening was warm and pleasant. Scorpius sat with legs crossed on the blanket, and next to him, Albus napped. Further on the left, Rose loudly quarrelled with James, who still tried to get under her skin, and the youngest - Lily and Hugo - talked with their fathers about the visit to the Aquarium. That day, even Ronald Weasley was in a good mood and stopped looking at Scorpius with angry eyes.
Looking at that all, once again, Scorpius felt a pang of envy. He knew too well that when he would come back home, nothing would look like that. He could only hope that his parents would allow him on vacation at his grandparent's house, where he could remember how it was when he was a child.
If he were born into a different family, his presence in Potter's home wouldn't look so odd, but it was something he couldn't change. Of course, everyone there was surprisingly nice to him, but still, he felt like an intruder, especially at a moment like that, peaceful and almost intimate.
More and more frustrated by these thoughts, Scorpius stood up and walked into the house. He purred a glass of water and, standing next to the kitchen table, he tried to swallow a mass that formed in his throat.
"Everything all right?" Mr Potter asked when he came in a minute later.
Scorpius momentarily withdrew all negative emotions he felt. He didn't want to talk to anyone at that moment but didn't have a choice, so he swallowed another gulp of water and nodded.
"I have to stretch my legs," he lied without a blink.
The man smiled lightly, then came to the sink and left dirty plates there.
"Does Hogwarts really change that much?" he asked suddenly, not looking at Scorpius.
Scorpius didn't know how to answer that question.
"Hard to say. I don't know how it was before," he said after a while and put his glass in the sink. Then he added: "But it's not a problem with Hogwarts. The whole Wizarding World hates people like me."
Mr Potter was seriously taken aback by those harsh words. Even Scorpius was surprised that he found the courage to say them. Harry Potter was a stranger to him, but that honesty seemed right and natural.
"It shouldn't be that way," the man sighed. "Twenty years had passed, but Voldemort still spread his ferment. There is much truth in words, that you can kill a man, but the idea will live forever. He didn't create these divisions; they always existed, but he grew them up to the next level. It shouldn't be that your blood or origin has to decide who you are, only your actions."
Scorpius flinched mentally. His actions weren't any better, but he left that thought to himself.
"Maybe not your generation, but the next one will remove his influence from our world," Mr Potter continued.
It wasn't much of a comfort for Scorpius; he didn't look so far in the future.
"Maybe, but I don't think so," he said eventually. "Probably only the target of hate will change. I don't believe humans will manage to erase it completely."
Mr Potter looked at him strangely.
"Really cynical way of thinking for someone so young."
Scorpius only shrugged.
"Not much left in my situation."
"Please, don't infect Albus with it. He tries so hard to be tougher, but he isn't too strong mentally. I know how much his imperfections bother him."
Scorpius smiled slightly.
"I have a feeling that Albus has a far greater influence on me than the opposite. You cannot explain my presence here in another way."
Harry Potter also smiled, and then he turned the water on and began to wash off the dishes. Yes, the greatest hero of their times did the chores like any other normal person. It was seen that he was raised in the muggle's family because he didn't use the magic for it. Did it make him a less worthy person? Not at all, quite the opposite in truth. That wizard would be the most famous person in the world, but he resigned all honours for the sake of his family because he didn't want his kids to live in his shadow.
Didn't Draco do the same for Scorpius? He left society and removed himself almost completely from the wizards' world so Scorpius wasn't blamed for his father's faults. Draco sacrificed everything for that one thing, but Scorpius never spotted it before. He was blind in many aspects.
However, he couldn't fix it at that moment; he could try it on holiday when he would come back home. Nonetheless, Scorpius wasn't going to stay idly; he rolled up his sleeves and began to collect all the dirty dishes nearby.
The morning of the next day was very loud and full of action. It was Easter Sunday. Lily woke them up early and followed them downstairs, where people were gathered. On the long table appeared many plates with different types of dishes. After a half-hour later, everything was ready for Easter breakfast. The atmosphere was really nice and joyful, truly family, with nothing to disturb it.
The most surprising thing for Scorpius was the fact that he got a package full of sweets, the same as every other kid.
Then they went on the long walk with Potter's grandparents and ended up on a large grass field near the river where there weren't many town buildings. For Scorpius, it was very similar to the surroundings of the Manor.
Laying on the blanket and watching the clouds above, Scorpius could forget about every negative event lately, even though he knew that it wouldn't last long. The next evening, they would come back to school, and everything would return to its previous state.
Not without surprise, Scorpius noted that the longer he was with Potter, the stronger he detested that situation. He didn't want to come back to his previous routine but knew he couldn't be openly friendly to the Gryffindors; it would enrage people in both houses.
"How long do you have to walk to McGonagall?" Albus asked after a long silence. He sat on the grass and drank lemonade.
The perspective of lessons with the Headmaster was the only one that made Scorpius eager to come back to school.
"Until further notice."
Potter looked at him suspiciously.
"Nice, she must have been pissed off if she hadn't even set some deadline for you."
What should Scorpius say? It seemed Albus still thought that it was a punishment for Scorpius. Of course, Scorpius could simply agree with him and close the topic, but after these few days, he didn't want to lie to Potter. Probably, Albus would find out sooner or later, nonetheless.
Finally, Scorpius turned to the side and put his hand under his head.
"It's not the case. I'm not grounded. McGonagall is teaching me charms."
That time, Potter looked at him, truly surprised, but he quickly pulled himself together and smiled.
"Isn't you, who said that as a Slytherin, you couldn't count on teachers' help? It seems even you can be wrong."
Scorpius rolled his eyes.
"I had much luck. Be rational, she could throw me away with a strong kick in my arse."
"What have you done?" Suddenly, next to them, Rose appeared. Very bad timing.
"Nothing I want to tell you," Scorpius replied, looking at the Gryffindor girl with a challenge in his eyes.
Rose only snorted.
"It doesn't matter. I will pull everything from Albus."
"Thanks, Rose. It is really nice when you treat me as your property," Potter murmured.
"After all these years, you should get used to it," the girl answered with a mischievous smirk.
Albus only shook his head, but a light smile on his lips suggested that he didn't take his cousin's words too seriously.
That evening, a festive dinner took place when Scorpius all the time had to listen to the babbling of very excited Lily, who was ready for the next day's shopping. She talked about dresses and shoes and the visit to the Diagon Alley, which was the last stop before the train to Hogwarts.
Normally, Lily's babbling would annoy Scorpius, but after a quiet and peaceful day, he couldn't be mad at her. He even agreed to go shopping with her, even though he knew he would solemnly regret it the next day.
When Scorpius sat with Albus and Lily on the veranda that evening and watched the surroundings drowning in the dark, he had to admit that he would get used to it. Maybe these Gryffindors were so naive and sometimes annoyingly honest, but beyond that, their company was quite good, especially when they completely ignored who Scorpius was. It was almost scary how fast they removed all the diversity between them. They needed only a few days to bury that bottomless chasm.
How much of that hate was fed by people who were afraid of changes?
Of course, Scorpius wasn't delusional. He knew that nothing was so simple. The next day, he would come back to brutal reality, and the fight would start from the beginning. However, he didn't want to think about it at that moment.
"Thanks," he said, not looking at the siblings. Feeling their questioning eyes on him, he added quickly: "For the invitation."
"You are welcome," Lily replied with a smile. "But don't be a drama queen the next time."
Scorpius felt a strange pressure on his guts when he heard that "the next time". He didn't think he would have that kind of opportunity for a long time. However, he wasn't going to tell that to Lily, so he only nodded.
"I would try," he murmured, still not looking at them.
"What do you think?" Lily asked when she jumped out of the changing room dressed in a white dress with a black silk belt.
Scorpius and Albus sat on the large sofa and, with not too great enthusiasm, watched the girl's outfits. The last one made them flinch.
"Only if you are going to a funeral," Scorpius commented.
Lily rolled her eyes and withdrew to the changing room.
"She has three more tries, and I'm leaving," the Slytherin added with a lower tone.
"You are tougher than me. I already have enough," Albus, who almost lies on the sofa, replied.
"Softie…"
Fortunately, the next dress was good enough, and they could leave the shop. Of course, it wasn't the end. Lily had to look at shoes, bracelets, and sunglasses. However, after a while, they met with Rose, Hugo and James, so the girls went further searching. The boys sat in the cafeteria and the rest of the time they spent eating ice cream and drinking soda.
An hour later, Mrs Potter came for them all and took them on to Diagon Alley.
When they came through the wall next to the Leaking Cauldron, Scorpius felt as if he came back to reality, to the different, however not better, world. As if to confirm that feeling, after a few minutes, Scorpius spotted the ugly face of Dean Westwood. The Gryffindor stopped when he saw the group, and his eyes were glued to Scorpius. Fortunately, before he could say something, he noticed Mrs Potter, and it cooled his actions. Finally, he only nodded to Rose and Albus and vanished into the building next to him. However, Scorpius already felt in his guts what would happen after they returned to the school. Does it bother him? Not much; he was prepared for that and already thought about counteractions.
They ate dinner in one of the pubs, then bought a few things for lessons, and after that, went to the King's Cross, where Hogwarts Express waited for students.
"See you on the Potions," Scorpius said and patted Albus on the shoulder.
The Gryffindor nodded.
"Do not mess up until then. You don't want to speak with McGonagall again."
Scorpius only smiled mischievously. Potter knew him too well.
He nodded to Mrs Potter, waved to the others, and walked into the crowd, where he noticed a blond hair of Zachary. He knew that the near future would be hard, but these few days were worth it.
To be continued...
Author's note: That was the last chapter I had ready, but it isn't the end of the story. From now on, updates will be every one or two weeks.
If you like my story, please leave a comment. I will be really grateful. Cheers!