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In Good Faith by Flourish and Blott

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As Scorpius rushed down the hallway, he almost rammed headlong into his father. –Fortunately, Healer Hazelwood was at St. Mungo’s,” his father informed him, –and she’s on her way.”

–Good,” Scorpius breathed, relieved. –Now I’m going to Floo Rose’s parents, let them know they can come if they want to.”

–Son,” Draco protested, –you cannot invite them here.”

–Father, this is no time for your ridiculous grudge against the Weasleys,” Scorpius bellowed, continuing on to the drawing room. The dark green walls glowed with the light filtering in through the windows.

–It’s not a grudge. You don’t understand.” Draco gestured frantically around the room. –You cannot invite them here!” Galvanized by an audible groan from Rose down the hall, Scorpius grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Before Draco could stop him, Scorpius had dropped to his knees and thrown the powder in the fireplace.

When he pulled his head back out of the fire, he was shocked to see his father sitting on the sofa, head on his knees.

–Father?” he pleaded. –Rose is close to her family. They need to be here.”

–It’s not that. It’s…Hermione Granger was tortured, horribly tortured. In this very room. Aunt Bellatrix used the Cruciatus curse on her,” Draco divulged tonelessly. –That is why I said you couldn’t invite them.”

Scorpius backed up until his knees hit a chair and he fell into it. Tense seconds ticked by as father and son stared at one another.

The fireplace flared suddenly, and Hermione Weasley stepped out, brushing soot from her robes. –Scorpius,” she cried, –how’s Rose?” Ron’s figure sprawled out of the fireplace behind her.

When Draco stood up from his place on the sofa, Hermione suddenly realized where she was. Scorpius could see it on her face, in the way her lips compressed and her hand clenched around her wand. Ron drew in a sharp breath.

Hermione and Ron both glanced up at the ceiling. Draco stepped forward. –We didn’t replace it,” he said, spreading his hands. –Astoria and I didn’t want any reminders here.”

The four were silent a moment, grouped unmoving in front of the hearth.

Suddenly, the quiet was pierced by Rose’s scream from down the hall.

Ron’s face went dead white. –Excuse me,” he said, through clenched teeth, stumbling out the front hallway that was lined with portraits. In his haste, he left the front door open, and Scorpius could hear him retching into the flower bushes.

–Hermione,” Draco whispered. –I’m sorry. I never meant…”

She stepped forward and placed a hand deliberately on his left forearm. Scorpius saw his father flinch and was reminded once again that his father never wore short sleeves. –Draco, you were just a boy.”

He laughed bitterly. –That didn’t stop Potter from being a hero.”

–Harry had no choice in the matter,” Hermione continued softly. –Voldemort was coming for him whether he stood and fought or gave in. You were in a different position.”

Draco’s face twisted into a mask of derision. –I was in the position of watching while she tortured you.”

–But you didn’t like it.”

–I didn’t like it,” his father repeated, –but I didn’t try to stop it.”

–Draco,” Hermione said very deliberately, –I forgive you.”

For the first time he could remember, Scorpius saw tears in his father’s eyes as he turned his face away.

Hermione released his arm and pulled back her wildly wavy hair. –We all have scars, you know.” Scorpius could see a thin, white line trailing down Mrs. Weasley’s neck. She touched his father’s arm again, tapping just above the wrist. –On the outside and the inside. I think yours are worse than mine, but they wouldn’t be so bad if you could forgive yourself. Now go after him,” she ordered, gesturing towards the door.

Draco straightened, looking as if he were gathering his courage, and moved towards the front hall. –Still bossy as ever,” he tossed over his shoulder as he started out. –You’ve always been a know-it-all, Granger…er, Weasley.”

Hermione laughed. –Oh, Malfoy?” she called after him.

He paused, turned back slightly.

–Don’t listen to the first thing he says. He always regrets the first thing he says later. Just stick with him until you’ve finished it.”

Draco’s shoulders squared, and he nodded. Hermione and Scorpius listened to his footsteps recede down the front hall.

–So …” Scorpius began, but he was stopped by another whoosh of flames as Healer Hazelwood shot out of the fireplace. –Thank goodness you’re here!” he exclaimed, as he pointed her down the hall to the bedroom where Rose and Astoria were.

Before Hermione could follow her in, Scorpius cleared his throat. –Mrs. Weasley?”

–Yes?”

–I’m sorry,” Scorpius burst out, shamefaced. –I’ve thought that the past history you and my parents all talk about was a stupid grudge, them siding differently in the war than you did. I should have known that there was more to it.”

–We instinctively protect our children,” Hermione admitted, –from the bad things that happen to us and the bad things that we have done. Nobody knows what happened that night at the Manor other than those who were there. Though Harry probably told Ginny,” she added.

–Maybe we don’t need to be protected.”

–But look at how it’s turned out! And if you had known, all the good that’s come out of you being with Rose might never have happened.”

Scorpius tried to sort this out in his head. Hiding the past had kept his father in bondage for years, never forgiving himself. But not knowing about the past had freed Scorpius and Rose to move forward. Was it best to tell the truth? Should some things be hidden?

Hermione watched him compassionately. She, Harry, and Ron had spent enough time coming to terms with explosive information that had been concealed by the adults in their lives; she could sympathize with the young man standing in front of her.

–Now you know,” Hermione told him, her voice soft, –and now you have to decide what to do with the knowledge. Do you choose to despise your father and reject your family because of what he did? Or do you choose to admire him for being able to offer you and your mum a wealth of love in spite of what his parents made him do and see?”

–I think I want to do the latter,” Scorpius whispered, –but I don’t know if I can.”

–It’s not easy,” Hermione touched his shoulder. –It’s a matter of working it out, one moment at a time.”

Nodding, Scorpius followed her into the bedroom and set aside his nagging doubts to focus completely on his laboring wife.

Outside the front door, Ron leaned against the wall of the Manor. He hadn’t recognized the drawing room at first; it had been redecorated. But that had only made the realization more distressing. Looking for the huge crystal chandelier overhead had only reminded him more strongly of that night.

Then Rose had screamed.

Ron could feel the stone of the cellar walls against his fists, smell the stench, could hear Hermione’s long, anguished screams from overhead, could hear his own voice begging, –No! You can have me, keep me!”`*

The memory was overwhelming, and his body rebelled, which was how he had ended up here, leaning weakly against Malfoy’s house, with his lunch scattered over Malfoy’s rose hydrangeas.

Malfoy stepped out of the doorway, squinting in the sunlight.

–Malfoy,” Ron snarled, straightening up, –you absolute prick! You brought us into that room. Took pleasure in reminding us about that night, did you?”

–Actually,” Draco responded quietly, –I told Scorpius he couldn’t bring you here.”

Ron latched onto this and continued his rant. –Weren’t good enough to be here, were we? You always looked down on me for being poor. You always looked down on Hermione for being a Muggle.” Ron spat the words as if they tasted foul. –Well guess what? Your own son has turned your world upside down, hasn’t he? He married the poor, blood-traitor Muggle-born in spite of you.”

Draco breathed deeply, counting to twenty in his head and trying to remember what Hermione had told him. Finally, he responded, –Weasley, is it too much to ask for you to just hear me out? I didn’t want Scorpius to marry your daughter because I was afraid of this. I was afraid that we wouldn’t be able to move beyond the past. And it’s not just Rose that Scorpius married, is it? It’s her whole family, too.”

Ron recoiled at his own words being echoed by his childhood enemy.

Draco continued. –I told Scorpius he couldn’t bring you here, but he had already Flooed you. When he finished, I told him that Hermione had been tortured here.” Ron, face red with suppressed emotion, had actually stopped trying to interrupt him and was listening. Hearing Hermione’s name from Draco - rather than –Mudblood” or –Granger” - was such a shock that Ron gave Draco his full attention.

–I would have had Scorpius Floo again and direct you to the kitchen fire, but you arrived before I could. I’m sorry.”

–You’re sorry? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say those words before.”

–Well, Astoria’s heard them from me numerous times, or we would not still be married,” Draco said stiffly.

–So you’re capable of saying them,” Ron pondered, his voice revealing more skepticism than malice, –but not to those you tortured and nearly killed?”

Draco didn’t try to defend himself against the accusation of torture. He had, after all, not been above firing an Unforgivable or two. He said, at last, –I have said them to Harry.”

Ron stared at him.

–It’s why Harry and I have been able to have a courteous relationship all these years. Well,” Draco amended, –that and Harry is more forgiving than pretty much anyone else in the Wizarding World has been, though it is painful to admit it.”

–Why haven’t you apologized to me before?” Ron asked, this time out of curiosity.

–I’ve wondered that myself,” Draco replied honestly, surprised at himself for being willing to let down his guard with Ron. Then again, Draco had just heard Ron losing his lunch in the bushes and thought Ron was more vulnerable than he let on. –I can identify two reasons. First, I wasn’t sure you wanted to hear them. I thought you might want to go on hating me undisturbed.”

Ron laughed in surprise at Draco’s honesty. –That is actually true, Malfoy. I’ll admit it. Go on.”

–And the second is that I was here that night. I watched Aunt Bellatrix…” Draco paused, swallowing.

–You watched her torture Hermione,” Ron prompted.

–Yes. And I didn’t try to stop it. And I knew, even then, that you loved her, not that I understood,” Draco added with a familiar sneer.

This time, though, Ron could see the look had double meaning. Draco was sneering at himself not understanding love as much as he was sneering at Ron or Hermione. Ron could understand his look not as one of disdain but as an expression of Draco’s bizarre sense of humor.

–But how would that keep you from apologizing?”

Draco threw up his hands in exasperation. –Weasley, if you were to be standing idly by while there were people torturing Astoria, I can guarantee that I would never want to see or speak to you again.”

–Ah,” said Ron, understanding dawning.

The two men stood in the sunlight, looking out at the brilliantly coloured fall leaves.

Finally, Ron sighed. –It’s a bit different, though,” he offered. –I’m an Auror, an adult, sworn to protect others. You were seventeen, Malfoy, forced by your family. I’m not excusing what you did,” Ron held up a hand to still Draco’s protest. –You were still an arrogant, slimy, git. For that matter, I think you still are. But I’m just saying that the situation isn’t really the same.”

–In that case,” Draco, returned, proffering his hand and speaking simply, –I’m sorry. I wish I had acted differently.”

Ron stared at Draco’s hand for a moment before accepting the handshake. They let go quickly, avoiding each other’s gaze.

–So,” Draco drawled, –Rose almost certainly doesn’t want us in her room right now, and we have some waiting to do. I suppose, Weasley, that you would be too intimidated to join me for a game of chess?”

Ron’s eyebrows rose –Malfoy, if you were the one who taught your son to play, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t stand a chance against me. He hasn’t won one yet, and we play every time he visits us.”

–Amateur!” Draco denigrated his son’s abilities. –He is, I will grant you, a fair hand at potions, but he lacks strategic thinking. He is all logic, no finesse, no subtlety.”

–Well, in that case, I accept your offer. But I’m going to go ahead and apologize now for kicking your arse.”

It was in the middle of the third chess match, each of them having won once, that they were both startled by several especially loud, drawn out cries from down the hall. They both stood up at the same time, and were rewarded by the sound of infant squalls.

–Congratulations, Grandpa,” Ron said grinning widely.

–You can be Grandpa,” Draco remarked disdainfully. –I would prefer Grandfather.”

Ron laughed. –I was going to encourage the twins to call you Gramps.”

–Over my dead body,” Draco returned.

–That can be arranged.”

–Idiot.”

–Git.”

Inside the bedroom, Scorpius was looking down at his tiny son in awe while Rose sleepily cuddled her daughter against her chest.

–They’re small,” Healer Hazelwood was saying as she finished examining Rose, –but they’ll be just fine. Those extra weeks really helped, even though I know they weren’t easy on Mum.”

–I’m glad that’s done,” remarked Rose wearily, drawing laughter from everyone in the room.

–What are their names?” asked Hermione when everyone had quieted.

Scorpius looked anxiously at Rose. They hadn’t ever returned to the volatile topic of names since their fight a few months before.

Rose said, –Scorpius and I haven’t had a chance to talk about this really, but I was thinking that Cassiopeia Rowena and Gryffin Eltanin might be the perfect names for Weasley-Malfoy babies.”

Scorpius gaped at her, recognizing –Eltanin” as one of the stars in the Dragon constellation and a word meaning –snake.” His wife was brilliant. With those two names, she had managed to reconcile both their differing family histories and their unique Ravenclaw identity…and both names fulfilled Scorpius’s one other requirement.

–Hello, Gryff. Hello, Cassi. Welcome to our family,” he beamed before handing Gryffin to Astoria and leaning down to fervently kiss his wife.
Chapter Endnotes:

* Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Simon and Schuster, New York: 463. Print.

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