In Good Faith by Flourish and Blott
Chapter Notes: What a lovely experience this has been! Thank you all for reading and reviewing, and, again, thank you to Wren Winter Song for beta'ing. Happy 2014, everyone!
–Scorpius! Gryff’s escaped the bathroom. He’s probably headed towards the study!†Rose cried out as she struggled to dry Cassi with a large bath towel. Cassi giggled and squirmed. Rose picked her up, cooing, –Mummy’s got you now! Let’s find your brother, okay?â€
Before leaving the bathroom, Rose swished her wand towards the bathtub to drain the water. The two-storey house she and Scorpius had purchased nearly a year ago was not enormous, but it was more than enough room for a family of four. It was a few miles beyond the Muggle village of High Wycombe outside of London.
Scorpius and Rose had talked extensively about their living situation after the babies were born. They knew the flat, though convenient for both of their jobs, was not exactly conducive to raising two rambunctious children. They could, of course, have purchased a property almost anywhere they wanted: Scorpius had inherited a small fortune of Galleons when he had come of age at 17, and both had saved out of the paychecks they had been earning.
They could also have lived with family. In accordance with Malfoy family tradition, Draco and Astoria had offered space at Malfoy Manor, but Scorpius had turned them down. –We can’t do that to Grandfather and Grandmother,†he had pointed out. –Where would they stay when they came to visit?†His father had grudgingly conceded, and Scorpius pretended not to hear Draco’s muttered assertion that he would far prefer to live with his son than be visited by his father.
The real reason for Scorpius’s refusal, though, was that he and Rose had agreed to start their family out in a place that had no associations from the war, one that both sets of grandparents could visit comfortably.
Rose and Scorpius were aware that the tenuous peace between their parents would hold only with a lot of work and carefully-enforced neutrality. Being fairly close to London was both a practical and unarguable choice—they were not choosing to live nearer to one family than the other; they were choosing a house with some land that was nevertheless close to their jobs. Of course, wizards and witches were always only a Floo-call or an Apparition away from loved ones, so the location was more important metaphorically than it was in actuality.
Today, as Rose emerged from the bathroom with her squealing daughter, she was struck by a sense of absolute contentment. She had finished a complex translation for Gringotts that morning before the twins had woken up; the bank had agreed to retain her for contract work. The mid-morning sun was slanting through the front windows, warmly lighting the hardwood floors of their new home. The bread that she had set to baking before wrangling the twins into the tub was sending smells of yeasty goodness throughout the house, and she could hear Gryff’s sputters of indignation as Scorpius scolded him from the study for the thirtieth time or so, –Gryff, no eating Daddy’s beetles!†Rose giggled in amusement, realizing that Gryff must have, once again, climbed partway up the bookcase to pull down Scorpius’s potions ingredients.
When the front knocker sounded, Rose started, realizing that her children weren’t dressed yet for their own birthday party. –Hi, everyone!†she heard her mum call as the front door opened a crack.
–Hi, Mum! Hi, Dad!†she responded cheerfully, hauling a towel-wrapped baby with her into the front hallway.
–The birthday girl in her birthday suit?†her grinning father inquired, gesturing at Cassi.
–Can we help out?†her mum asked, elbowing Ron in the ribs.
–If you could dress her, I’ll see to finishing in the kitchen,†Rose responded gratefully. –And Dad? Perhaps you could see if Scorpius and Gryff are all right. There was an incident with dung beetles a few moments ago…†She trailed off as Ron’s grin lit his face.
–In the potion stocks again?†he asked, fondly, heading down the hallway to find his son-in-law.
–My mum tells me I was at least this much trouble,†Scorpius replied, emerging from the study, still brushing dried plant bits out of his son’s hair.
–I’m sure you were. And you’re still trouble today,†Ron laughed as he plucked his grandson from Scorpius’s arms to toss the baby in the air.
–At least I don’t require nappy changes,†Scorpius retorted with an ease that would have been unimaginable a year before. Cassi and Gryff had improved his relationship with his father-in-law immeasurably. Rose left them to it and went to check on lunch.
She was just putting the last of the icing on the cake when her mum called her out into the hallway. –Astoria and Draco want to see you and Scorpius outside,†Hermione said, nudging Gryff away from the fireplace with her foot. –Your father and I can watch these two hooligans.â€
Draco and Astoria were standing on the front porch in the sunlight, Astoria’s deep red robes matching the colourful fall foliage of the trees on the lawn. Draco held two identical packages that looked suspiciously long and thin. –Father,†Scorpius protested warningly, –you know we’re trying to raise the twins without a lot of expensive toys.â€
–I know, son. These are toy broomsticks, as you noticed. Your grandmother and grandfather sent them. But,†he held up a hand to stifle their protests, –you don’t have to give them to Cassi and Gryff yet.â€
When Scorpius’s frown didn’t disappear, his father added, –Look, I know you worry about my parents buying the twins’ affection. Merlin knows that your mother and I worried about the same thing when you were little. But sometimes you can’t reject a gift without hurting the giver, so either put these away until you’re ready to let them have the toys or use them as a reward for good behavior or something.â€
Rose stepped forward. –Please thank Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy for us. It was very thoughtful of them to remember the twins’ birthday. And it was very thoughtful of you to bring them to us first instead of giving them to the kids,†she acknowledged.
Rose took the gifts, adding to Scorpius, –We can discuss this later, love. For now, this is a celebration!â€
–Thank you for inviting us,†Astoria said, and Draco nodded agreement.
–Well, we can’t very well have a birthday celebration without those who were there on the actual day of birth!†Rose exclaimed, leading them inside.
Inside the door, they were met by Hermione, who passed Gryff off to his other eager grandmother. Then Ron appeared from the living room, leaning over to hold the hands of Cassi, who was toddling towards them. –Gwamt, Gwamt,†Cassi squealed loudly when she saw Draco. Draco looked torn between delight at his granddaughter and a desire to murder the man holding her up.
–Gramps?†he asked drily at last. –You had to teach her that now?â€
–Well, look on the bright side,†Ron said cheerfully. –This way, she’ll never mix your title up with Lucius’s.â€
Rose laughed with everyone else. It was a strange family that she had, but it was hers and Scorpius’s, and they were making it work, minute-by-minute, tantrum-by-tantrum, family gathering-by-family gathering. It would never be perfect, but, then again, it was better than anything she could have imagined.