Father of the Groom

Draco Malfoy stood in front of the high gilded mirror and observed his reflection.

He was still the tall, blonde-haired man with the pale, pointed face of old - except that, over the years, something about the eyes had changed. In his youth, malice and a slice of cowardice glistened in those grey orbs. Now, a kind of wary peacefulness swam in them.

Scorpius, his son, was getting married today. The young man was sleeping soundly in his old room. He and Rose Weasley had decided to spend the month leading up to their marriage at their parents’ houses. Draco briefly wondered if his soon-to-be daughter-in-law was still being nagged by her father. The Weasel King will never give up, he thought, smirking. I would never do that to my child; I love my son far too much to let old grudges destroy his present and, possibly, his future.

To his surprise, Draco had found the girl quite…tolerable. Ria had adored her ever since Scorpius had announced their friendship on his second day at Hogwarts. For Draco, the news had been nothing less than astounding. The daughter of Weasel King and Know-It-All Granger had stepped forward to befriend the son of their arch enemy? He had almost expected a red-faced Weasley to barge into his office and demand that Draco take his son out of school. Of course, no such thing had happened. He supposed Granger must have kept her husband in check. Granger was a little wiser than the Weasel. And braver, perhaps. He winced as the memory of a thirteen-year-old girl slapping him flashed in his mind.

If there was one thing Draco could be proud of, it was the fact that his son had managed to get the life that he had not lived - a life without the danger of facing imminent death, a life without the curse of inbred prejudices, a life with loyal friends whom he could treat as equals, a life where he did not have to face treacherous choices, a life where the only worry was which career he should pick after Hogwarts or how he could propose to the girl he loved. Lucky, he thought. However, Ria kept insisting it was because Scorpius’ father had had the wisdom to let him pave the course of his life.

Scorpius was happy. Ria was happy. Draco was happy. Even his mother, Narcissa, was happy.

The only blot in the parchment was his father, Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius had returned from his two-year stint in Azkaban, frail and broken. He had returned to a world that was undergoing a metamorphosis which he could not handle. But the Malfoy in him could not stand being left out. He had paid the dues for his crimes and he had wanted to make sure that his fellow wizards knew he was no longer going to fool around with anything dark. He had energetically organized parties which very few had attended at first. With time, it seemed the wizards and witches of London had begun to feel something close to pity for the family which was so desperately trying to stay afloat. And, after all, Harry Potter himself had vouched for the wife and son. Within two years, the Malfoy family had been back into reckoning. Draco had been happy for his father.

Lucius, however, had found that he could not fully embrace the ways of the new wizarding world. Despite all the pain that his fallacies had caused him, he could not get rid of them. His weakness had been what he had drawn his power from. As soon as his son had married Astoria, a pureblood, Lucius had withdrawn from the public life he had struggled to build and started spending his time shut up at Malfoy Manor, taking comfort only in the company of his wife and elf-made wine.

Then, Scorpius had arrived. Lucius had been overjoyed and Draco had been glad that his father had something to cheer him up. Draco had not known that the arrival of his son was going to create a rift between him and Lucius.

Lucius had only played with his grandson at first. He had brought him toys and taken delight in seeing the baby play with them. When Scorpius had turned two, he had begun to read to him. This should have been harmless, but for the fact that Astoria had overheard him telling the child stories of Salazar Slytherin. Draco had been furious when he had heard about this. He had gone to Malfoy Manor the next day instead of going to work, and had engaged in the biggest argument he had ever had with his father. Lucius had begun by berating his son for talking back to him and finished with the pronouncement that it had been a mistake to let him marry Astoria. This had been the final straw for Draco. He had realized the error of his ways long before he met Astoria, and he was lucky that she had chosen to trust him - lucky to find a woman who was willing to spend her life with him in spite of everything. But when he had told his father the same thing, the other man had spat on the ground. Draco had realized for the first time that he could actually feel something other than respect for his father. He had realized that he was capable of feeling hatred for the man for whom he had undergone hell.

Though Astoria and Narcissa had tried their level best to get things back to normal, the relationship between Draco and Lucius had remained cool. Draco had thus decided to keep Scorpius’ friendship with the Weasleys and Potters a secret. His wife did not approve of this plan, but he had asked her not to interfere. A part of him, a very bitter part of him, had been resentful at the thought of his father refusing to change.

And so Draco had let his parents find out about the engagement through the Daily Prophet. Narcissa had come to see him the very day the news had broken. While she had obviously been angry about having been kept in the dark for so long, she could not disagree when Draco explained his motives to her. She was the only solace for Lucius, and Draco did not want to take that away by forcing her to deceive him. She sadly told him that his father had asked him to come to Malfoy Manor.

Draco still remembered the row he had had with his father.


“This is how you repay me, son? THIS?� shouted Lucius.

“What are you referring to, father? The fact that I kept it quiet from you, or the fact that your grandson is marrying a girl whose family you call ‘blood-traitors’?� Draco hoped against hope that his father would say it was the former.

“How dare you? How dare you let the Malfoy line get tainted with Muggle blood? Is this what I have raised you to be? Is this how you have brought up your son?�

For a moment, Draco did not answer. He felt very tired and old. But he couldn’t stay silent, either. He had had enough of struggling with his demons. He was fed up of dissecting his errors and faults till they became indecipherable - he needed to move on, and it wouldn’t help if his father kept pulling him back.

“Yes. This is how I have brought up my son. Because I wanted him to be safe. Because I wanted him to be happy. Because I wanted him to have real friends instead of allies and henchmen. Because I don’t believe in the purity of blood anymore. I haven’t for a long time.�

Lucius stood, speechless. The corners of his lips twitched involuntarily.

“It is true, father. And I stopped believing in it not just because it is an invalid belief, but also because keeping faith in it has brought us nothing but shame, misery and pain. A little self-centered of me, but that’s the Slytherin in me speaking, eh? Wouldn’t want to defy all of the Dark Lord’s teachings.�

Lucius recovered. “You little…Do not utter his name!�

“Still upsets you, doesn’t he? The feeling is mutual. I want his memories out of my mind. And I would have thought, after what he put us through, that you would have wanted the same thing. Apparently not. I am curious, father. Why are you still clinging to your demons?�

“You know nothing,� began Lucius angrily, “YOU KNOW NOTHING!�

“DON’T I?� shouted Draco, unable to control himself. “In case you haven’t forgotten, father, your precious master tortured your son and wife! He used the Cruciatus Curse on us! I still have the scars on my back. And if you have chosen to remove that from your memory, I am sure the ones on your chest are not forgo-�

In a second, Lucius had taken out his wand. “Stupe-�

“Protego!� shouted Draco. “Expelliarmus!�

Lucius’ wand flew out of his hand and landed in Draco’s. He sat down on his armchair, defeated in every sense of the word, yet too stubborn to admit it. Draco felt nothing but pity for him. “I am sorry, father. But that’s just how it is.�

With that, he placed the wand on the table and quietly walked out of the room. A minute later, he Apparated back home and locked himself up in his study. He didn’t want anyone else to see the tears.

After that episode, the mandatory Saturday night dinners were held at the younger Malfoys’ home. Only Narcissa came. Scorpius was obviously not happy, but even he could not persuade his grandfather. Draco, for his part, felt an odd sort of grief, but he had already known one could not have everything in life.


He walked away from the mirror and went towards the huge windows that faced the east. He waited for the sun every morning. Anytime now, he told himself...after that, he would go straight to his bedroom and see his wife wake up. That moment when she opened her eyes and smiled at him…it was one of the best comforts of his life.


It was the Malfoys’ New Year Ball. Quite a number of wizarding families had turned up for the occasion. Such huge parties provided great opportunities for match-making. Draco could not honestly say that he liked the whole affair.

“Draco!�

He turned around to find a familiar face hurrying towards him. “Daphne! It’s been such a long time.�

“I know,� replied Daphne Greengrass. She held out her hand. Draco took it and was about to kiss it when she laughed out loud. “Don’t be so boring. I meant to shake your hand.�

Feeling slightly flustered, Draco shook her hands with an embarrassed grin. “How have you been?�

“Excellent! I am still doing my research on the relationship between magic and plants,� she replied excitedly. “You?�

“I got a job at the Ministry,� said Draco, drawling a little. “Department of International Magical Co-Operation.�

“Oh!� said Daphne, looking impressed. “Congratulations!�

Draco smiled. “How are you enjoying the party?�

“I am not,� replied Daphne promptly.

Draco stopped smiling. “Er…�

“No, no, nothing on you. It’s just that the whole match-making business is getting on my nerves. Lady Hitchens was just trying to introduce me to Wendell Yaxley. The fellow recently returned to London; an incredibly boring specimen. I’ll have you know, Draco, I have no intention of marrying a stuck-up, pure-blood dandy.�

Draco felt a little hot around the collar. “So…er…who do you have in mind?�

“Actually, I don’t intend to marry at all, dear friend,� whispered Daphne with a wink. Then, she continued in a louder voice. “I will be setting off for Palermo in a week. There is a village there where people channel their magic from plants and herbs. They are going to be a lot of help for the book I am planning to write.�

“That sounds interesting,� said Draco sincerely. “But…are you parents aware of your decision?� He could not help but feel a little jealous of Daphne.

Daphne chuckled. “No, I haven’t told them as yet. But it’s dear Lady Hitchens who’s going to be devastated, not my parents. They have Ria to fulfill their dream of having grandchildren.�

“Who?� asked Draco.

“Oh, I mean Astoria,� clarified Daphne. “My younger sister.�

Draco was flummoxed. “I never knew you had a sister! Was she at Hogwarts?�

“Yes,� said Daphne, smiling a mysterious smile. “Ravenclaw. Here, I will introduce the two of you. Just give me a second. Stay here, alright?� Still smiling as though she was enjoying a private joke, she walked off.

Draco had just started wondering why Daphne had never mentioned her sister at school when he saw her coming back through the crowd. She was steering a laughing girl who did not resemble her at all. While Daphne had coal black hair, the other girl, whom Draco assumed to be her sister, had hair that was the exact shade of blonde he did. She looked rather pretty in her elegant mauve robes.

They had reached Draco. A smile was just lighting up his face when he saw the new girl’s expression. The smile died immediately. She was no longer laughing; she was frowning. Daphne, who appeared ignorant of this, spoke up. “Draco, meet Astoria Greengrass, my younger sister and former Ravenclaw Prefect.�

Draco held out his hand tentatively. “Miss Greengrass, it’s a pleasure to meet you.�

Astoria took it slowly and smiled tightly. Draco felt strangely warmed by the contact.

“And, Astoria,� continued Daphne genially, “meet Draco Malfoy, school friend of your sister and potential husband of my sister.�

The hands broke away abruptly. Astoria looked furious. “I apologize for my sister’s behavior, Mr. Malfoy,� she said, in a rather forbidding tone. “And I must take your leave now. My parents are waiting for me at the other end of the room. It was nice meeting you.�

She left without waiting for his reply or looking back.

Draco was stunned. What had just happened?

Daphne clicked her tongue. She looked directly into Draco’s eyes and said sweetly, “Definitely not a pansy, do you reckon?�

“No,� said Draco dazedly. “Definitely not.�

Draco smiled at the memory. Of course, he now knew what Daphne’s private joke was. Apparently, she used to tease her sister about him because the latter had loathed him so much during their years at Hogwarts.

It had taken him sixteen months to persuade Astoria to go out with him and another eight months to earn her trust and love. Two years, three months and fifteen days from the night on which they were introduced to each other, they were married.

Draco knew these statistics because he had kept count - and he had kept count because Astoria was the best thing that had happened to him since the War. She was the only part of his life that he was really proud of.

The sun broke through, finally. Still smiling, Draco went out of his study and headed for his bedroom.

Teddy Lupin, the Best Man


Five minutes before the alarm clock was supposed to ring, Teddy Lupin woke up.

He had just had a dream. It had been about a young woman whose nose kept changing its shape and size. She had hair which was a brilliant shade of pink. Then, the hair had slowly turned grey, and the young woman’s face had become much more lined. The smiling face had become one which had grief, misery, and disappointment written all over it. She had disappeared, and Teddy hadn’t been able to see anything but a wide canopy of deep grey, unmarked sky. And then… golden roses had fallen from the heavens.

Teddy did not need old Professor Trelawney to interpret this particular dream for him. He turned over his pillow and pummeled his fist into it, as though its shape had caused all his discomfort. His eyes traveled towards the window, and he noticed that the sky was getting brighter. He checked his clock. In two minutes, the alarm was going to ring. There was no point trying to go back to sleep again. Sighing heavily, he took his wand and pointed it at the clock. The alarm hand wound thirty minutes forward. He wanted his wife to get some more rest as they all had a busy day ahead. He also needed some time alone with his thoughts.

He got up from bed very quietly. Ten minutes later, he was downstairs in the kitchen. Maybe he could make breakfast. Maybe working would help him cope with his uneasiness. Where are those eggs?

“Accio eggs!�

The eggs zoomed out of a cardboard box inside a cabinet and promptly crashed onto the table.

Holy Merlin’s Hippogriff! “Scourgify!�

The table was clean now. He did not want to think about how Victoire would react when she found out about the eggs; goosebumps were already rising on his skin. Sighing heavily for the second time in fifteen minutes, he walked out of the kitchen into the garden and headed for the white bench on the lawn. He sat down and let his memories wash over him.


Dearest,

Hope you are doing well (and missing me, of course!).

Although I miss you terribly, I can’t deny it feels so good to be back at Hogwarts. Do you know who got chosen as Head Boy? Dorian Thicknesse, of Slytherin! I couldn’t believe it. That guy spends half of his time checking his reflection and the other half trying to hit on me. Besides, “Thicknesse� is definitely not a misnomer in his case. He asked me out as soon as I got into the train. The pick-up line went something like, “Well, your weird boyfriend isn’t here anymore. Fancy having a cuppa with me at Puddifoot’s over the weekend?� I politely said no - and shot him a nonverbal Confundus Charm as soon as he turned his back. It was hilarious!

The highlight of this evening was the Sorting. Albus got sorted into Gryffindor, which was nothing surprising, I suppose. Then Rose got into Ravenclaw! I was so happy. Finally - I have a family member in my house. My fellow Ravenclaws all stood up and clapped for her when the Hat shouted its decision. Isaac Boot was shouting something about telling his dad (who, I think, is Terry Boot, a former DA member). It seems Mr. Boot always felt that Aunt Hermione should have been in our house. I’m sure he would be proud of Rose.

But the really interesting part of the entire event was Scorpius Malfoy’s Sorting. He got into our house as well. Draco Malfoy’s son, Teddy. Just imagine! The poor boy got a rather half-hearted welcome at our table. It was such a sorry sight. He was trying to look invisible, I think. People tend to forget that his mother, Healer Astoria, was a Ravenclaw - and a Prefect, too. He sat alone at the farthest end of the table, and I thought I would join him if no one else did. But then, as I was watching him, Rosie went right up to him - can you believe it? She gave him company throughout the whole evening, and I even saw the two wishing each other good night before going into their dormitories. Wonder what Uncle Ron’s going to say to that!

Anyway, this is where I end this letter. Be good, keep me in your thoughts, and don’t let those female trainees get any nearer than five meters, okay?

Love you!
Victoire.�


Teddy had been pleasantly surprised by the news about Draco Malfoy’s son. In fact, he had told his grandmother the next time he had met her. Her only comment had been, “I suppose they blundered their way to a decent young woman.�

Teddy could not exactly remember when it had started, but he had developed a strange longing. He had been quite excited by the idea of meeting Scorpius, although he could never fully understand why. Sure, they were cousins, but only in name. Their relationship had been severed before they were born. And, no, he had not planned on a full-fledged family reunion. He had certainly not harbored a similar desire to meet Draco Malfoy. The only thing that he had cared about was meeting Scorpius. Therefore, he had finally made a plan…



Teddy was pushing through the crowd at the station. He cursed out loud as he tried to shove the men, and then did the same thing silently as he tried to avoid shoving the women as well. He had three things to do:

(a) Locate Victoire as soon as possible
(b) Introduce himself to his cousin, Scorpius
(c) Get out of the station quickly, before he had to face Scorpius’ father.

He had told Victoire to keep the boy by her side until he got there. But where was she?
A minute later, he caught a glimpse of silvery blond hair, and he headed for that direction. It certainly turned out to be Victoire - a nervous, guilty-looking Victoire.

“Victoire, I have been looking all over for you! What’s wrong? Where is Sco-�

Teddy broke off as he fully registered the scene before him.

Victoire was standing with Albus and Rosie on each side. While the two kids looked simply bewildered, she looked embarrassed and defiant at the same time. She was staring at the man standing opposite her:

Draco Malfoy.

He had a protective arm draped around his son’s shoulder. His face was impassive; but, when he spoke, it was quite clear that he was nothing short of furious. “May I ask why you were holding my son back at the station?�

Victoire said nothing. She merely clenched her jaw.

Scorpius spoke up, “Dad, it was nothing. She only…�

Draco tightened his grip on his son’s shoulder, as though he was warning him not to speak any further. It was pointless. Scorpius could not continue the explanation, anyway; he had no idea what was going on.

“It’s alright, Mr. Malfoy,� said Teddy firmly, drawing the attention to himself. There was no need for Victoire to earn anyone’s displeasure. “I asked her to keep Scorpius with her.�

“And who are you?�

“Lupin. I am Teddy Lupin.�

Something like comprehension dawned on Draco Malfoy’s face. “I see…and why would you do that, Mr. Lupin?� Curiosity had crept into the voice, though it was no less angry.

“I wanted to meet him. He is my cousin, after all.�

Teddy said it so confidently that Draco looked taken aback for a moment. However, he recovered quickly. “Of course, he is your cousin. But our…elders haven’t acknowledged the family ties for quite a long time.�

“I am aware of that,� said Teddy pleasantly. “But can we not let bygones be bygones? If Scorpius can be friends with Al, Rosie and Victoire, why can’t he be my friend?� He looked down at Teddy and addressed the question to him directly. “What do you think? Do you want to be my cousin officially and functionally?�

Scorpius was silent for a moment. Then, taking his father’s hand, he replied brightly, “Sure!�

Draco looked stricken. Teddy could understand the man’s predicament. On the one hand, he obviously did not trust Teddy – they were from families that happened to be old enemies, after all. On the other hand, there was Scorpius’ choice to be considered as well. Teddy saw Draco squeezing his son’s hand before replying, “Well, then, if we’re going to socialize, I suggest we do it properly. Come to our place for lunch on Sunday.�

Now, it was Teddy’s turn to be taken aback; he had not expected Malfoy to give in so soon. But, before he could reply, the man had taken his son’s hand and walked away.


Teddy considered the memory with a smirk. Draco had actually caught Victoire running away with the kids as soon as she had seen him at the station. Of course, Scorpius had had no idea what was going on; for fear that he might tell his parents, Teddy had warned Albus and Rose not to tell Scorpius that he was about to meet his cousin. Every now and then, Draco would joke around him, saying that he had tried to kidnap Scorpius once upon a time.

Right after the unplanned meeting with Draco, Teddy had gone to look for his godfather.


He found Harry surrounded by his family and the rest of the Weasleys. He waved his arms twice – a sign that he wanted to speak to Harry alone. The latter detached himself from the people around him.

“Well, hello! Come to pick someone up?�

Harry was grinning. Teddy could not help but smile. “Yes. But that’s not why I gave you The Wave.�

“I see,� said Harry. “What’s the matter, then?�

“I need to talk to you about something.� Teddy was pretty sure he did not want to discuss the matter while surrounded by a crowd of Weasleys.

Harry seemed to guess his discomfort. “All right. Come to Grimmauld Place after you drop Victoire at Shell Cottage. We could talk in The Room.�

Teddy nodded with a grateful smile.

An hour later, he was knocking on the front door of Grimmauld Place. It was opened by James. “TEDDY!� he shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

Teddy returned the grin and hugged James, his “number one fan,� as the latter called himself.

“What about a game of Auror and Wizard Baddie, eh?� whispered James as they entered the hall. Ginny had banned the game ever since James and Teddy had covered an entire floor of the ancient house with soot two years before. Teddy was privately thankful for the ban; the kids got too enthusiastic over it.

“I wish we could, James,� said Teddy, feigning regret. “But I’m more scared of Ginny than the worst wizard baddie on this planet.�

“Did somebody mention my name?� asked Ginny, poking her head out of the nearest door. “Teddy! When did you come in? I didn’t hear the bell ring.�

“That’s because I didn’t ring the bell,� replied Teddy. “I knocked.�

Ginny scowled. “Of course! No one ever rings the bell at this house. They would rather knock a million times.�

“Well, who would want to ring the bell?� joined in Harry, entering the room as well. “I mean, who wants to listen to Walburga Black’s shrieks and curses?�

It was true. Ever since Harry had formally taken possession of the house, the bell no longer gave a tinkle when rung. The thunderous voice of Walburga Black answered instead, in the form of a deranged rant. It usually lasted ten minutes, insulting everyone who lived in the house or dared to enter it.

“You are not really missing dear Walby, are you, Ginny?� asked Teddy, with mock concern.

“Nope!� said Ginny, laughing. “Anyway, I was looking for James.�

“What did I do?� asked James, in a falsely innocent voice.

“Honestly, you are so like Fred,� said Ginny, shaking her head at the memory of her brother. “You set off a dungbomb in Al’s room, didn’t you?�

“No, I didn’t!�

“We will see about that. Follow me.� Ginny beckoned her son to her with an imperious wave of her hand; the young boy had no option but to follow. They went upstairs, leaving Teddy and Harry alone.

“Well?� asked Harry. “Shall we go to The Room?�

“Yes, I think so.�

‘The Room’ was a name given to the room which had previously belonged to Sirius Black - the best friend of Harry’s father as well as Teddy’s. For that reason alone, everyone seemed to think that this room belonged to the two of them. This understanding had never been spoken of or written down anywhere – those who had known Sirius always made it a point to visit this room whenever they came to Grimmauld Place, however. Still, the room had become a personal space for Harry and Teddy, as well.

Harry had preserved the essence of Sirius in this room. The scantily clad Muggle women’s posters were still there, as were the Gryffindor banners and bedspreads. However, other things had been added over the years. Teddy’s father’s wand, for one, was also there in a glass case. Another glass case held nothing but rubble from Harry’s parents’ burnt-down house at Godric’s Hollow. The twigs of Harry’s old Nimbus Two Thousand were also there, along with a shard of broken mirror. The last addition had been the Marauder’s Map of Hogwarts. Teddy had handed it back to Harry as soon as he had graduated; it had been framed and hung high on the wall.

Teddy flopped down on Sirius’ bed as soon as he entered the room. Harry, however, went to the spot where he occasionally wandered - in a corner of the room, detached from all the Gryffindor stuff, was an enclosed area where a Slytherin banner hung. Harry, for reasons no one had ever asked him to give, often sat there.

“So,� began Harry. “What’s wrong?�

Teddy sat up. “I’ve been invited by Draco Malfoy to his house for lunch this Sunday.�

Harry looked stunned. “What?�

Teddy realized he would have to start at the beginning. He started by telling Harry why he thought Scorpius was a decent kid. He told him whatever Victoire had written to him about the young boy and how he thought that, if Rose and Albus were ready to be his best friends, he should also be ready to accept his cousin.

“I know he is different from his father,� said Harry, “Al has told us enough in his letters for me to realize that. But how in Merlin’s name did you get Malfoy to invite you to his house?�

Teddy studied Harry’s tone – there was nothing accusing about it. Feeling reassured, he told his godfather about how he had planned to introduce himself to Scorpius and how Draco Malfoy had managed to corner Victoire and the kids. Here, he stopped, in order to let Harry comment on what he no doubt saw as a stupid plan. But the latter did not speak, so he proceeded to tell him about the conversation he had had with Draco and how Scorpius had caused his father to invite an “enemy� to lunch.

Harry still did not say anything; he simply stared at Teddy, as though mulling over something he could not quite comprehend. Teddy did not know what to say next, so he too stayed silent, waiting for a reply.

After a while, Harry spoke. “Teddy, I hope you’re not telling me all this to ask for my permission or something like that; it is entirely your choice, and I hope you know that.�

Teddy was a little shocked by the reply. “Harry, it isn’t that. I was not asking for your permission, although I wouldn’t go without telling you first. I wouldn’t want anyone to get involved that way, either. It’s just that – it’s just that now I’m not sure why I’m doing this. I’ve been meaning to talk to you for some time, but I had never thought I would actually act on my desire to meet Scorpius. Two nights ago, I found myself writing a letter to Victoire…and now, I am invited to lunch with the Malfoys.�

Harry’s expression cleared a little. “So, you mean you don’t know why you want to be friends with Scorpius?�

“Yes,� replied Teddy quickly, glad to see that Harry had caught on so readily. “I have a great parent in my grandma, I have you and Ginny and the kids, and I have the entire Weasley clan. And yet…and yet, when I heard about Scorpius being different from the other Malfoys, I couldn’t help but want to know him. For some strange reason, I felt this strong desire to let him know he had a cousin who was willing to – you know, rebuild the family ties…or something like that.�

Harry sighed. Then, he smiled at Teddy. “In case you’re wondering whether it’s a normal reaction to feel that way, let me tell you it is.�

“Okay,� replied Teddy, grinning a little.

“I don’t know how far we can compare your situation with the one I had or the ones I have seen, but I hope this will help you understand why you wanted to get close to Scorpius. As you know, Hogwarts will always be my first home. It’s only because of that school that I have this life; it gave me Ron and Hermione, it gave me Professor Dumbledore, and it gave me your father. Then, there were the Weasleys; they, on the other hand, were the first family I ever had. But still, when Sirius came into my life, when I found out the truth about him – everything became smaller, less significant, compared to what he meant to me. It was because of the tie he had with my parents - I began to yearn for a new home, a new family, a new beginning.�

“Well, you had the Dursleys to go back to, and so it was perfectly legitimate for you to yearn for something like that,� said Teddy, looking thoughtful. “But, Harry, when have you and grandma ever let anything lack in my life? What excuse do I have?�

“It is not something that can be easily explained, Teddy. You don’t have to be so harsh on yourself. You know my Aunt Petunia, don’t you? Even she…no one can ignore an order from Dumbledore, but she could have abandoned me if she really hadn’t cared. Then, there’s Percy and Fred. Fred was always the worst brother as far as Percy was concerned, and Percy, for his part, turned his back on his family for a long time. But he came back and apologized, something no one thought he would ever stoop to doing - and it was Fred who was the first to welcome him back.�

Teddy was now frowning slightly, thinking hard over whatever he had just heard.

“I hope you can see what I am getting at, Teddy. I’m bad at explaining things.�

“I think I do, Harry…but there’s still the fact that your aunt and your mom were at least close during their childhood. And Fred and Percy grew up in the same house. But the Malfoys and my family have never even acknowledged the tie they have.�

“The point is,� continued Harry earnestly, “does that matter, as long as you know the other person is going to accept you?�

Teddy stopped frowning – that did make sense. “No...� he replied gratefully. “No, I don’t think so.�


Teddy still felt relieved that he had gone to Harry first. His godfather had not only helped with his confused thoughts, he had also encouraged him. In fact, if it had not been for Harry’s encouragement, Teddy might not have gone to the Malfoys’. Not after his confrontation with his grandmother, anyway.

Teddy had gone to see his grandmother the next day, fully aware that he was going to disappoint her with the news. However, he had not expected her to fly into a rage the way she had.


“Why, Teddy?� asked Andromeda, frowning heavily.

“Because I – because they are…they are family, aren’t they?�

“Family?� asked Andromeda coldly. “What gives you the impression that we still have such ties?�

“Gran, we’ve got to try.� Teddy could not keep the urgency out of his voice. “We have got to give each other a chance.�

“But why? Teddy, haven’t I given you enough love? Haven’t I been enough as your family?�

“Gran!� exclaimed Teddy. “How could you think that? You are the best person in my life, and you know that. It’s just…it’s hard to explain, really.�

“Is it…the money, then?� asked Andromeda cruelly.

Teddy was appalled. “WHAT? What do you mean, Gran?�

“I am just wondering, Teddy…that’s the one thing I will be unable to leave you in abundance.�

“Gran! It is not that!� Teddy was painfully aware of the anger and hurt of his voice, but he could not help himself. “How could you even think that? How could you? It’s just that…they are not as bad as people make them out to be. They deserve a chance, too. Scorpius is – he is your sister’s grandchild-�

“Enough!� cried Andromeda. She looked angrier than Teddy had ever seen her.“Sister? I don’t have any sister. I never had a sister. I had monsters for a family! Monsters who killed my daughter! Monsters who kicked me out of their lives without a second thought! Monsters who spat on the ground if they saw me. And you! You want me to welcome them into my life?�

“Gran, please…things are not the same any more. I am sure that they are sorry-�

“Teddy, if you want to mingle with those snakes, I will not stop you. Merlin knows I want to try, but I won’t. But don’t ever think that you can keep me happy with your assumptions about them. I don’t need assumptions. Most importantly, I don’t need their apology. No amount of remorse is going to bring the dead back.�

Andromeda turned away from Teddy.

“Gran…I-�

“Leave me alone, Teddy. Please…just leave me alone.�

Teddy had been devastated with his grandmother’s reception of his plans to befriend the Malfoys. Yet he had also known that her sisters had done her more harm than was possible for anyone to forgive.

Teddy had never stopped trying, though. He had gone to see his grandmother the week after the altercation, and she had received him quite warmly. Their relationship had not been affected even a bit, so he had started giving her updates on how things were working out with the Malfoys.

Andromeda Tonks, however, had never given in. In fact, she had initially refused to come to the wedding. She was attending only because Rose had gone to her place and persuaded her somehow.

Teddy had been equally stubborn for his part. He still had hope that his grandmother would find the peace that she did not know she needed. Maybe, just maybe, he could talk to Draco about this. Draco could talk to Narcissa and maybe-

“TEDDY LUPIN! What did you do to the eggs?!�

Victoire was standing at the kitchen door with a furious look on her face.

Teddy gulped.