Chapter Text
When Scorpius Malfoy-Potter asked his Papa about his conception, he would always answer, “You were born out of a moment of weakness.”
Compared to his Dad, who’s answer was always, “You were the best thing that ever happened to me!” Which would usually result in him getting pulled into a massive hug. Not that Scorpius minded, he was well loved and spoilt. Spending most of his summers bouncing back and forth between his Dads separate homes and his two bedrooms.
It was important to note that Scorpius' Dad's weren’t divorced, or that he was a product of a relationship gone wrong. If anything he was the product of a relationship that never happened at all. His Papa seemed to tolerate his Dad but would still happily take every opportunity to complain. Although his Dad never took it personally, Scorpius was sure they just enjoyed arguing with each other.
On this particular morning on January 4th. Scorpius woke up in his bedroom at his Papa’s. It was a large room, bigger than his other room. At his Dad’s there was a large window that was being covered by heavy draped curtains. All the furniture was antique, the double bed and wardrobe and chest of drawers were older than his Papa. Stacks of books were often scattered across the floor along with piles of clothes. Being neat wasn’t exactly his strong point.
“Scorpius, breakfast. Your Dad owl’ed he’ll be here in an hour,” Papa insisted, walking across to the curtains and opening them, warm light from what reminded of the summer sun streamed in. Scorpius groaned and pulled the duvet over his head. “Up!” His Papa repeated as he tugged hard on the duvet, causing it to be pulled roughly off him.
“Papa! I just want to sleep for a little longer” Scorpius protested. “My trunk is packed.” He had very diligently packed it the night before.
Papa rolled his eyes unimpressed. “And yet your bedroom remains unclean? I shouldn’t have gotten you so many presents. Is the one at your Dad’s just as messy?”
“Maybe. But as long as the door can shut he doesn’t care what my room looks like” Scorpius added sitting up, and reaching for his wand on the bedside table.
“Hmm. Go shower, i’ll get your breakfast ready” Papa commented.
Scorpius nodded and climbed off the bed. Grabbing his Hogwarts uniform off the chair, and carrying it awkwardly into the en-suite bathroom, and sliding on the damp towel he hadn’t hung up the previous morning. His foot squeaking on the polished tile.
“Scorpius Potter. That had better not have been your bath towel,” Papa said firmly. Papa often dropped the ‘Malfoy’ part of his hyphenated surname when he was in trouble.
“Errr. No?” Scorpius answered, his voice audibly going up at the end. He was an atrocious liar.
“Your room. And the bathroom had better be tidy when you leave, or I will be sending you howlers all the way till summer” Papa said firmly.
Scorpius rolled his eyes, he knew if even one Howler landed on the Slytherin table. His Dad would send half a dozen back, asking why it was necessary to humiliate their son. It had happened once in his first year after Christmas break and never again. It was mostly an empty threat his Papa continued to use.
After tidying his room. Which mostly involved shoving as much mess as he could under his bed, and into his wardrobe. And dumping his dirty clothes into the laundry. He came down to the dining room, with its high walls, and portraits of various stern faced ancestors. Two settings, one with a bowl of porridge for his Papa and a bowl of corn flakes for himself. Surprisingly his Dad was sitting in a chair at the end of the table with a McDonalds bag. “What is that?” Papa said leaning forward.
“Egg McMuffin” Dad said unwrapping it.
“Looks like it’s been sat on,” Draco grimaced. Leaning back in his seat and focusing on his porridge.
“It hasn’t. It’s fine” Dad said, sucking orange juice from a straw.
“Hello, Dad” Scorpius grinned as he hugged his Dad affectionately.
“Morning Scorp. Oh I got your favourite” Dad said with a grin as he pulled out a trio of hash browns out.
“Yes! Thanks, Dad”
Papa hummed quietly, “No wonder Scorpius still has puppy fat.”
“Draco. He’s as thin as you. There’s no fat on him” Dad replied, rolling his eyes. “Just because you're allergic to anything deep fried.”
“He’s allergic?” Scorpius sniggered, as he took a bite of hash brown.
“No. I just think it’s too...” Papa paused, as if deciding which word to use.
“Muggle?” Dad said with a smirk.
“I would have said common. But, it’s your words,” Papa replied with a smirk.
Dad sighed and shook his head and took a bite of his McMuffin. “How do you live with him?”
“Choose your next words carefully” Papa commented putting his spoon down in his bowl.
Scorpius ignored them both, and continued to eat his breakfast. Watching his Dad’s playfully bicker. It began to make Scorpius wonder, why hadn’t they ever dated. When they were all together like this, they seemed like a married couple.
“Well, we better get a move on. Everything is hectic. Slughorn apparently had an issue over Christmas so is unable to return to teach Potions, Minerva tried to get Penny Copper but apparently she’s pregnant,” Dad commented, as he stuffed the wrapper from his breakfast into the paper bag.
“Why don’t you do it?” Scorpius asked, turning to his Papa.
“Draco? Teach?” Dad laughed, Papa frowned at him. “Could you imagine.”
“I have a job already,” Papa answered dismissively. Although the hesitation that flickered in his voice suggesting he was considering it. “Perhaps. I could look into it, temporarily.”
Dad stared a little surprised, “Well. I’ll mention you to Minerva. You know you can’t just be Snape 2.0”
“I am aware, Harry. I said I would look into it. I am quite a successful potioneer in my own right, thank you,” Papa said sternly, his face softening as he turned to Scorpius. “Come here, I want a hug,” he insisted. “Your room is tidy?”
“Yes Papa,” Scorpius said as he hugged him affectionately.
“You're all packed, haven't forgotten anything?” Papa questioned as they walked towards the front door where Scorpius' trunk sat waiting. “Harry. Do be careful with that Motor Bike. The roads can still be icy,” Papa said, a protective nerve being hinted at.
“The bike is in top condition. Scorpius has been riding it since he was a baby. Nothing will happen,” Harry commented, as he pushed open the manor door. Parked on the gravel was his Dad’s motorbike with its matching side car. “Alright. Scorp, give me a hand with your trunk.” They each grabbed one end and carried towards the bike. The side carriage was enchanted to be bigger than it was and lowered the trunk so it sat just under where Scorpius would put his feet. “Helmet. Don’t need your Papa hexing me,” Harry said, throwing a helmet at Scorpius. Scorpius missed the catch and it landed on the gravel with a thump. Scorpius blushed as he picked it up.
“Make sure you write,” Papa called out.
“Yes Papa! I love you,” Scorpius nodded doing up his leather motorcycle jacket over his robes, before he did up the seatbelt. Dad straddled the bike and revved the engine. Scorpius braced himself, as they headed off to London.
“Sir! Sir. Motorbikes have to park on the street!” A station porter said hurrying over, as Dad casually pushed the Motorbike through the large curved atrium as they headed towards the location of Nine and Three Quarters. Harry ignored the Porter and carried on. The Platform had been moved several times as the Muggles had done a big renovation a few years back, and pinning down a location was proving difficult. Currently it was a wall near the forecourt next to a shop that sold merchandise for the Simon Snow series.
“Do you want anything from WH Smith? Crossword? Magazine?” Dad commented.
“No. I’m fine. I have a couple of books to read,” Scorpius shrugged.
“Not going to hang out with Rose?” Dad asked, frowning.
“Dad. We’re not friends. I know we used to be but we’re not now, she thinks I’m too Malfoy anyway,” Scorpius shrugged. “And it’s fine.” He brushed it off. It was little lie, mostly he knew it was better to avoid everyone. The train ride up provided the most opportunities for his bullies to get him away from the Professors knowing eyes. It probably helped that his Dad was a professor so they couldn’t get too physical.
“Here’s the barrier. You go first,” Dad said patting him on the shoulder.
Scorpius nodded and kicked off with his trolley, running as fast as he could at the wall. The hair on the back of his neck pricked up as he passed through, on the other side Scorpius shivered from the sensation. He inhaled a lungful of charcoal and smoke, mixed with a hint of oil. Behind him seconds later his Dad came through, straightening and cracking his back as he stretched. “I feel like even waking onto this platform gives me asthma,” Scorpius commented.
“Come on. Let’s go say Hello to your Uncle Ron,” Harry encouraged, pushing his bike. Occasionally pressing the horn, to get parents who just seemed to enjoy being in the way to move.
“Harry. We’re over here” Uncle Ron waved. Scorpius forced a smile, as he followed his Dad over to the tall aging Redhead. Beside him were two children that he looked unrelated to, His children Rose and Hugo, were fourteen and twelve respectively, had dark skin and unruly black curly hair. Even Uncle Ron’s hair looked a little shaggy, which made Scorpius wonder if haircuts were banned at their house. “Hello Young Scorpius,'' Ron said with a chuckle.
Scorpius rolled his eyes. “Hi Uncle Ron,” he said with a distinctly unimpressed lilt in his voice.
“I don’t know why you don’t just shrink the bike and carry it in your pocket,” Uncle Ron commented as he ogled Dad’s motor bike.
“Screws with the engine,” Dad said simply, as he handed me my satchel. “I’ll be right back,” he promised as he joined the que for the luggage carriage.
“Hello Scorpius,” Rose said with a forced smile.
“Hello Scorp,” Hugo offered with a warm grin.
“Hello.” Scorpius gave a polite smile to both.
“So. Ummm how New Years?” Scorpius offered simply. They hadn’t seen each other this Christmas at the Weasleys, as the Granger-Weasley gone overseas with their Mum’s family.
“Fine.” Rose shrugged.
“Dad took us to Paris. Did a heap of sightseeing.” Hugo explained in more detail. “Have you ever been?”
Scorpius nodded, “My grandparents still live there. Papa takes me every second year during summer, they own a chateau on the Riviera.”
“Snob,” Rose muttered quietly.
Scorpius felt his face flush. His Dad walked back over. “My bike and your trunk are all loaded up,” Dad said patting Scorpius on the shoulder. “I’ll see you at Hogwarts,” Harry said hugging Scorpius tightly.
“Dad. Stop! It’s embarrassing,” Scorpius said, pulling out of his grip.
“The curse of the teenager,” Ron said with a smirk. “Soon they’ll be drinking, moving out. Dating,” Uncle Ron commented.
“Not dating. He’d be too grown up, I don’t think i could handle that,” Dad commented, “you were the cutest Child.”
Scorpius rolled his eyes. “Draco. Still the one that got away. eh?” Uncle Ron grinned, elbowing Harry.
“He is not. It was never like that.” Harry sighed.
“You had to make Scorpius somehow,” Uncle Ron commented grinning. “And you might have forgotten the pining. But I haven’t.”
Dad frowned, “Merlin, it’s never been like that. Draco and I, it wouldn’t work.”
“He just never gave it a chance. You're both too bloody stubborn if you ask me,” Uncle Ron said with a wry smirk.
“I didn’t ask you,” Dad said glaring. “Or I’ll push you into the train line.”
“Alright kids. You better get onto the train,” Uncle Ron suggested. Rose and Hugo hugged their Dad.
Scorpius smiled at his Dad. “I’ll see you at Hogwarts.”
“See you there Scorp!” Dad grinned, Scorpius smiled and climbed onto the train, he was followed moments later by Hugo and Rose. They all lingered in the doorway until the train started off with a jolt, waving to their respective parents until they pulled away.
Rose didn’t even say anything, just rolled her eyes and walked off.
Hugo winced. “Sorry. I don’t know what her problem is. I think it’s a girl thing,” he shrugged.
“It’s a people thing,” Scorpius murmured. “See you Hugo.” Scorpius commented walking down the train corridors, peering into each compartment trying to find an empty one.