Unsurprisingly, his schoolmates were quite surprised he even thought of buying Christmas gifts for them. Also unsurprisingly, they all embarrassingly voiced out they didn't buy him anything in return.
"I figured," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "It doesn't matter."
Granted, he received numerous gifts from his so-called Slytherin friends and even from Narcissa. They were all wonderfully expensive, but none were actually quite useful for the Malfoy heir. Narcissa gave him a new set of handsome black robes for his ever-growing collection. Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle pitched in and gave him numerous sweets. Pansy, with a hint of her bloody perfume, gave him a new set of expensive ties that could go well with his new robes. Scorpius had a sinking feeling she connived with Narcissa so that she could supplement his grandmother's gift.
Apart from their gifts, he received abundant knick-knacks from his admirers. Despite his bleak mood, Scorpius couldn't help but snort in amusement. He could already picture Al unceasingly teasing him for having his very own fan club that would never happen back in his time.
While the others were busy exchanging gifts and opening them, Scorpius excused himself and went to his room to brood until Christmas ends. He ignored Granger's worried glance and locked himself inside his room.
Scorpius was surprised to see two boxes on his bed. One was gaudy, with sickening glitters and even beads that was undoubtedly Luna. The other was a simple box wrapped in green. Scorpius chose to open the flashy box first and slightly smiled at the unmistakable Spectrespecs nestled inside.
He picked an equally gaudy card and read:
Scorpius,
This will come in handy to dispel the wrackspurts. You have plenty of them most of the time.
Luna
The Slytherin, recognising the make-believe creatures the odd Ravenclaw loved to yammer about, smiled wider and placed his gift on the bedside table. Although weird, he couldn't help but feel touched that at least one of the DA Core remembered to get him a gift on this bloody day.
Scorpius then would grab the other, less flashy gift and inspected it in every corner. A small note fell onto his bed and as he opened it, he instantly recognised the neat handwriting of Astoria.
Scorpius,
To be honest, it is hard to buy a gift for the great Scorpion King. I'm going to guess that you've received gifts more expensive than mine, but this is truly the only gift I could only think of. After all, you seemed fond of these since you never seem to run out of them.
Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a great day.
Astoria
He felt his heart seize at the thought that his mother at least remembered him on this seemingly tiring day. With slightly shaking hands, he tore the gift wrapper and opened the box. Inside were numerous Chocolate Frogs that could last him for a whole year.
The grin on his face stretched far and wide, and Scorpius was afraid his face would hurt soon. His mother never failed to pack him some Chocolate Frogs every time he left for Hogwarts and although Draco always scolded her for indulging his sweet tooth, Astoria never listened and managed to sneak a few boxes in his trunk.
'At least something good happened today,' he thought, feeling his eyes prickle as he grabbed one chocolate inside and tore the wrapper open.
As he popped the mouthwatering sweet inside his mouth, a small tear slid down from his eye.
__________
He was roused from his sleep due to the incessant knocking on his bedroom door. Groaning, Scorpius forced himself to sit up and glance at the small clock on his bedside table. It blared three-thirty in the afternoon, and he was quite disappointed this day wouldn't hurry up and end.
"What?!" he snarled.
The intruder pushed the door open and Scorpius was honestly expecting to see an annoying bushy-haired girl at the other side. Instead, Harry Potter stood outside his threshold, an unreadable expression on his face. For a minute, Scorpius stared back at his best friend's father, waiting for Harry to at least explain his sudden intrusion.
"Well?" Scorpius snapped irately. "What the hell do you want?"
Harry invited himself in and closed the door behind him. There was something in his eyes that unsettled Scorpius immensely, but he refused to squirm under the Gryffindor's weird stare.
"Everybody's participating in a Quidditch game and we need another Seeker," Potter replied.
Scorpius' eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He wasn't expecting that from The-Boy-Who-Lived. "Well, isn't the Weaslette a decent Seeker?" he asked. "Why don't you offer that position to her instead?"
"Ginny insisted on being a Chaser," he grumbled, looking away in annoyance. "And you know how Hermione's irrationally afraid of riding a broom. She actually suggested that we invite you instead, seeing that you've been a Seeker for the Slytherin team before... Err... well, assuming that you were a seeker in your time."
The blond snorted, not surprised that it would be Granger's idea to include him in their little game. "And you're the one inviting me here instead because...?"
Harry glared at him darkly but Scorpius couldn't help but notice the red tinge on his cheeks. "Just because, Malfoy," he snarled. "So are you in or not? Or are you too afraid to lose against me?"
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Really, Potter, I'm actually quite a brilliant Seeker in my time," he snapped back. "Because of me, the Slytherin team had been consistently winning the Quidditch Cup for years. In fact, if people aren't too blinded with the fact that I'm the bloody son of an ex-Death Eater, they'd acknowledge that next to you, I'm the second best. Even your bloody son could vouch for that."
He wasn't quite sure why he'd suddenly said all those things. Perhaps, now that the DA Core knew about his darkest secret, all the mundane things from his past – well, their future – just suddenly poured out from his mouth.
The irritation on the raven-haired boy disappeared, replaced by that unreadable expression on his face again. "So, are you joining or not?" he asked in the end.
Scorpius, actually bored out of his wits, knew it would be pointless to brood inside his room until Christmas Day ends. The least he could do was to distract himself and Quidditch was a brilliant distraction. He wouldn't let this opportunity pass.
"Let me just get my gear," he said, pushing himself off his bed and sauntering closer to his trunk. He half-expected Potter to leave now, but when he turned, all his gear hugged tightly against his chest, he was surprised to see that the Gryffindor was still standing inside his room.
Conflicting emotions raced on Harry Potter's face. They may not be close in this timeline, but Scorpius had been around Albus to know that something was wrong. His best friend always had that same look on his face when he was about to ask something sensitive or announce a piece of bad news. Scorpius wasn't sure which he wanted to hear more.
"What is it, Potter?" he finally snapped. "You look like you ate something really atrocious."
The conflicting emotions continued to run through Potter's face until only exhaustion and clear curiosity remained. He plopped down on the only decent chair in the room and looked at him squarely in his eyes. "When we viewed your memories in the pensieve, there's something that really bothered me."
Scorpius quirked an eyebrow, but did not say anything in reply. Instead, he expectantly looked at Potter and waited for him to finally confess whatever that was bothering him.
"There was a scene, of an older me, talking to... well, your father," Harry slowly started, knitting his eyebrows as he recalled that particular memory. "Your father said something about..." His voice faltered as his emerald eyes grew troubled. "He said something about me being petty because I separated two friends. He didn't particularly say any names, but I hazarded we're speaking about you and my... my son." He made a face, as if he still could not believe that in the future he would be a father.
"Well, the future would be harsh for the Malfoy family," Scorpius started, spreading his arms wide. "Which is why I'm here now, yeah?"
Harry didn't look amused. "But... I don't get it," he insisted. "Why would I do something like that? If someone told me I'd be forbidden to see Ron and Hermione, I'd rebel."
Scorpius snorted. "Al isn't exactly 'Son of the Year'," he explained. "If you'd want a model son in the future, you'll have James, really."
Harry's eyes widened. "I'll have another son?" he gasped.
"Yeah, and your youngest will be a girl," Scorpius nonchalantly shrugged. The astonishment on his face was comical. "Spoilers, I know, but you bloody know I'm from the future already so what the bloody hell?"
The Gryffindor ran a hand through his hair, still clearly in disbelief. "Blimey... I..." He cleared his throat and frowned at Scorpius. "I honestly cannot believe I'll be selfish enough to separate two friends. One thing I've realised in Hogwarts was that friendship could help you get through everything, through thick and thin, life and death. I figured from all of your memories that you have a bloody strong bond with my future son."
"You don't exactly like me, Potter," Scorpius pointed out. "Hell, you don't exactly like my family. I did warn your son our families didn't get along during our first year. But stubborn Al stuck through and through. The bloke wouldn't leave my side, if you ask me."
Harry gave his wide grin a weird glance. "You're really that close?" he asked. When Scorpius nodded his head. "My son... best friends with a Malfoy. What has the world gotten into?"
"A brutal war, that's what," Scorpius said. When Harry looked questioning, he continued, "I've learned everything that happened during this period, Potter. Things weren't exactly fine and dandy. I admit that my ancestors had been atrocious... blimey, Lucius was fucking insane for even thinking of bringing my family into all of this mess. I still believe that my father had just been unfairly dragged into all of this despite how the world treated him in the future. Maybe he made some really bad decisions too, but it's unfair how he's still be treated like a bad guy even after twenty-seven years had passed. Which is why I'm here, sacrificing my own bloody life just so I could give him a life that he deserved."
He was looking at him as if he was someone different... someone he didn't know. But then again, Harry Potter didn't know him one bit. He only remembered him as the bully, an echo of what his father had been to them during his younger years.
"And you are best friends with my son..." He paused, a devastated look on his face. "Had I really been unfair?"
"You thought I was a dark cloud to your son," Scorpius said with a nonchalant shrug. "No hard feelings, Potter, really. There have been rumours going around that I'm the son of the Dark Lord and I'd assume his position once I'm older. I couldn't fault the tired Boy-Who-Lived for being cautious."
Harry still looked distressed, much to Scorpius surprise. "My son... Al?" The blond nodded his head. "How was my - err - you know... relationship with him?"
Scorpius' quirked an eyebrow, surprised. "You want the brutal truth, Potter?" Harry paled, already guessing what he would answer. "Abysmal. Atrocious. Horrendous, Potter. You both don't exactly get along."
The Gryffindor ran a tired hand through his face. "And here I am, promising myself I'd be a good father to my children after having a particularly difficult childhood. That I will build a great family I never experienced at all," he sighed, his face crumpling as he looked down at his hands.
Scorpius sadly smiled. "You want to know a secret though, Potter?" He waited for Harry to look at him once again before continuing. "You both are so bloody alike. It's stupidly uncanny."
Harry looked dubious, but Scorpius continued. "Remember, I've been best friends with the bloke for six years," he reminded. "I know Al like the back of my palm. You are alike more than you both cared to admit."
Somehow, this made Potter smile, although a little sadly, too. "Would you tell me more about my son?" he softly asked, his voice sounding more vulnerable than he had ever heard before. The way Potter's eyes were shining made Scorpius' heart squeeze a tad bit, realising that all the great hero of the Wizarding World really wanted was for a family to love and to cherish.
"I've spoiled too much about your future already, Potter," Scorpius said with an apologetic smile. "I think you've been itching to confirm who your wife would be in the future, but you and I both know that you already hazarded a guess. You have to experience handling Albus Potter firsthand to understand him, really. The bloke's quite a bloody handful if you ask me."
Harry sighed, clearly disappointed.
"But... can I give an advice?" Harry frowned and waited for him to continue. "Your hero status is, well, it will be particularly hard for Albus. Your eldest will bask under the glory of it all but not Al. I may or may not be exaggerating if I say that he'd hate it immensely. So, you know, be patient with him, all right? He can be difficult at times, but he's a really decent bloke. He keeps to himself most of the time, so I think if you'd nudge him in the right direction, you'd be able to let him open up to you."
Once he was done with his small speech, Harry was looking at him incredulously. "You really do know a lot about him, don't you?" he asked.
Scorpius snorted. "Potter, he's my best mate. I love him to bits and pieces and he knows it, no matter how much he tells me I'm a super sap about it most of the time. But he knows I'll do anything for him. People used to speculate that, you know, we might be more than friends" – Harry's emerald eyes widened in shock – "but blimey, Al knew I have a massive crush on R... err... his cousin. Besides, he likes to make googly eyes at Jane MacMillan. He has no time for a handsome lad like me, really."
To his surprise, Potter guffawed. Scorpius found himself grinning back, realising that this might actually be the first time Harry Potter was relaxed in his presence.
"You know what, Malfoy? I should have known that you're not exactly the guy we know in the past because you most definitely do not act like the Scorpion King," Harry pointed out. "I knew that you'd been acting strange, but I thought it was just because of what happened to your family and... you know." He gestured at his covered Dark Mark.
"I'm actually an aberrance in a long line of coldhearted bastards," Scorpius said with a grin. "Lucius' portrait used to lament I have too much of my mother in me, which my father never forgot to gladly thank Merlin every day."
Harry was about to reply something in return, when Scorpius' bedroom door banged open. A disgruntled Hermione came inside and scowled.
"What's taking you both so long?" she snapped, crossing her arms across her chest. Both he and Potter exchanged an amused glance. "The others wouldn't stop pestering me until I retrieved you both out of this bloody room."
"We just had a deep heart-to-heart talk, Granger," Scorpius said, prompting Harry to snort in amusement.
"Yeah, okay, can you please continue that some other time so that I can go back to my reading? Thank you." She snarled, turned on her heels, and stomped out of the room.
Once she was gone, Harry said, "Please tell me Hermione will never change."
Scorpius grinned widely. "Oh, she never will," he said. "Trust me."
__________
"Fina-fucking-ly!" Ron yelled as Harry and Scorpius arrived in the vast snow-covered field at the back of Grimmauld Place. "What the bloody hell did you both do that took you so long to get your arses here?"
"Ronald Bilius Weasley, if I hear another swear word from that mouth of yours, I will personally drag you into the kitchen and 'Scourgify' your mouth until they bled clean!" Molly Weasley exclaimed as she trailed behind the newcomers, balancing a tray of refreshments with her wand.
Ron paled at Molly's threats. "Right, Mum, sorry about that," he mumbled, immediately grabbing a glass of pumpkin juice and downing it with one gulp.
"Now boys and girls, I trust that you'll both be good. No breaking of bones or any shenanigans. You hear me?!"
"Aye aye, Mum, we're all adults here," Fred – or George? – claimed. "We promise to all be really good."
Molly narrowed her eyes. "I'm most nervous with you both," she said, pertaining to her twins. Then, to Hermione, who was lounging on a seat and busy reading a book, she said, "Hermione, could you be a dear and prevent any injuries or any fights?"
Hermione sighed. "Of course, Mrs. Weasley," she said, although Scorpius could detect that she'd be helpless in case any of those really happened. Grinning, Scorpius couldn't wait for the game to start, his adrenaline already coursing through his veins.
The Weasley matriarch soon left and they were all divided into groups. Harry was teammates with Ron and Fred, while Scorpius was teamed up with Ginny and George.
"We're short of members, so there'll be no Keepers in this game," Harry explained. "So, you know, improvise. Do whatever it takes to make sure the Quaffle doesn't get to the other team."
Scorpius quirked an eyebrow at the excited grins on their faces. He had a real feeling this game would be nowhere near clean and injury-free.
"So, Malfoy, we heard you don't belong here," Fred – or George? – piped in, sidling beside him.
Eyes widening, Scorpius threw a panicked glance at the other DA Core members. Ron was unable to meet his gaze while Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Ronald dearest wasn't able to keep his mouth shut," Ginny explained. "Don't worry; they're the only ones who know. So far, if Ron gallivanted around and started sprouting secrets that wasn't his to reveal."
"I wasn't planning to, anyway," Ron said in defence.
Scorpius sighed, but warily gazed at the other twin. He wasn't quite sure who Fred or George was, but what he was most likely sure was that only George would survive the impending war. It unsettled him, seeing the twins together, and Scorpius didn't have the heart to converse with them, no matter how much he really wanted to. He was afraid he'd slip and reveal that there would be no Fred in the future.
Instead, he busied himself in staring at Harry Potter's broom and realized that he was staring at the one and only Firebolt.
"Blimey," he gasped, sauntering closer to admire the broomstick. "These things are ancient." He grinned and gestured wildly at the broom. "They're unbelievably rare in the future, but from what I've read, they're one of the bests."
"Only the best for our 'Boy-Who-Lived'," Ron proudly announced, prompting Harry's cheeks to redden.
"Nimbuses are also quite rare in the future too," Scorpius said, gesturing at his own Nimbus 2001. "I can't believe they stopped manufacturing them when it's actually a decent brand."
"Please tell me the broomsticks of the future would be wicked," Ginny begged, making a face at her second-hand Cleansweep.
Scorpius grinned, remembering his own Starsweeper XXIII. It was the love of his life, and he vowed to never part from it. However, of course, circumstances have changed and he missed it immensely. "Oh, they would be wicked, all right," he finally replied.
Harry then called for them to mount their brooms and get ready to play. With a flick of his wand, the harnesses were removed from the balls used in the game and Scorpius finally kicked off the snow-covered ground.
In the air, at least for a moment, he forgot all his present problems. For now, there was no Voldemort, no impending war, no saving of fathers and sacrificing of oneself.
For now, there was only Quidditch, and Scorpius was temporarily happy.
__________
The ruckus from the living room was still loud and delightful. Scorpius found himself surprisingly engaging in conversation with the other occupants of Grimmauld Place for at least an hour when he thought he'd spend the remaining hours of this stupid day in his room. Perhaps the adrenaline from the Quidditch game a while ago lifted up his spirits, prompting him to interact with the others for a bit.
But then, the happiness fizzled, and Scorpius excused himself quietly, thankful that no one seemed to mind when he slipped out of the room. They were all decent company, really, but Christmas held too much meaning and memory for him; it didn't surprise him that he started missing his family once more.
Instead of going straight to his bedroom, Scorpius found himself wandering into a room Al and him used to venture back home. He made a face, noticing that the room was unkempt and bare; Astoria made this place lovelier and brighter, with quaint furniture stylishly positioned. But all that was left in the Family Tapestry Room was a mouldy chair and dust-filled floorboards. The family tapestry though was impeccably clean. Scorpius figured Kreacher might have only religiously cleaned this tapestry that bore the Black Family he so loved.
Brandishing out his wand, he magicked a particular spot on the floor clean and sat down on it. For a moment, he let his eyes aimlessly wander throughout the tapestry, his eyes finally lingering on his name that connected immediately to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Although he expected this, he half-wished that Draco's name would pop up somehow.
"What are you doing here?"
Scorpius blinked and gazed at the curious brown eyes of Hermione Granger. Her bushy hair was haphazardly held back into a high ponytail and there was this stubborn curl which she kept on absentmindedly brushing away. She looked positively tired, maybe a little intoxicated after drinking one too many eggnogs, since her face was flushed red.
"What are you doing here?" he shot back. He frowned when Hermione merely shrugged, brandished out her wand, and cleaned the spot beside him.
He watched as her eyes gazed around, clear surprise on her face.
"I didn't know this room existed," she said. Slowly then, she lifted her hands and brushed her fingers against his embroidered name. She traced the branches from his name back until her fingers hovered over Lucius' name. "Draco Malfoy's name isn't here."
"I did tell you I somehow inadvertently replaced him in this timeline," he pointed out.
The sadness in her eyes made his heart squeeze a tiny bit. "What's he like?" she whispered. "Your father?"
"He's... not exactly a great person," Scorpius started with a soft chuckle. "He did tell me that you punched him in the nose back in your third year for being a foul, loathsome cockroach. Those were your exact words, I believe."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "But..." She pointed her finger at his pointy nose. "I punched you back in our third year for being a foul, loathsome cockroach!" Hermione groaned and clutched her head. "Merlin, are you telling me every interaction we had in the past were actually with your bloody father?"
"Yes, Granger, magic is weird," he said with a wide grin. "All the Scorpion King memories you had were actually false." Shaking his head, he continued, "You know what? I was called 'Scorpion King' back in my time, but not exactly as reverently as how people in this timeline calls me." Sighing, Scorpius shook his head and smiled. "It's strange, really, for everybody to have memories of my father, only with my face replacing him."
"Magic is weird," she echoed, prompting his smile to widen. Hermione tiredly rubbed her eye and then hugged her knees closer to her chest. Placing her chin on top, she continued, "So... your father. You said he's not a great man. Then, why sacrifice your life back home and return to this time? Why return to a time when war is apparent and not merely a short chapter in your schoolbooks?"
"Because, despite not being great, my father is a good man," Scorpius replied with utmost conviction. He noticed the small smile that appeared on Hermione's face. "That despite his past misgivings, my father is actually good and he loves his family very much. I grew up witnessing how he tried to desperately right all the wrongs he had done, and not merely just to save face and continue to uphold the prestige our family name used to have. No, he tried desperately hard because he knew it was the right thing to do, but the stupid Wizarding World wouldn't just give the man a break and appreciate his efforts."
He yanked his left sleeve up to reveal the faint Dark Mark against his pale skin. Hermione frowned at the sight, maybe even flinched a little, but Scorpius didn't mind it.
"You know, in the future, this mark is almost faded," he continued. "My father can even wear short sleeves out; his mark can only be noticed if people looked really hard. But every time people looked at my father, all they could see was this Mark, faded, covered, or not."
Scorpius darkly glared at the tattoo and was half-tempted to claw it away until his skin bled red. "This mark caused unending misery and no matter how much love my mother showered to my father, he was still haunted by his past and I..." His voice cracked with emotion, and he paused to clear his throat. Hermione's hand instinctively rested on his arm. "I can't just stand aside and watch the world destroy my father. I knew I had to do something to help him."
"But in exchange, you have to leave your world," she whispered in reply.
Pain stabbed through his heart, but he managed to crack a shaky smile. "Who said I can't go back?" he lamely cajoled, but Hermione merely pointedly stared at him.
"I've done some research, Malfoy," she said. "About time travelling and any strange phenomena involving it. It's— Everything is still so bloody complicated, but one thing I understood is that if you tried to go back to your time, everything may reset back to however it was before you even time travelled in this timeline. Hence, if you tried to go back, your father might not be—"
"—saved," he finished, his shaky smile turning wry. "Blimey, Granger, five points to Gryffindor. How did you even find the time to research such things?"
She shrugged, a weak smile on her face. "I did tell you you make my brain itch," she reminded. "When you told me about your predicament, I knew that the only solution to answer almost all of my questions is to start researching."
Despite his heavy heart, he guffawed. "Gods, you need to get a life," he said, shaking his head.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with research," she said. She jutted her chin at his Dark Mark and grimaced. "I also tried to research about removing any cursed marks on a person's skin, and until now, the results are nil."
Scorpius' eyes widened. "You're researching about the removal of the Dark Mark?" he asked, surprised. Her cheeks reddened a little, but she nodded nonetheless. "What? Why?"
She shrugged once more and looked away from his searching gaze. "Well... I figured that after the War has ended and presumably we won, sooner if your assistance proves really helpful, you'd try to do everything that you could just to remove any signs of Voldemort on your skin. I thought - well - you know..."
"As a matter of fact, I was really planning on researching on how to remove the Dark Mark," he said with a disbelieving grin. "Before I made this stupid self-sacrificing act, I wanted to become a Master Potioneer so that I could invent a potion to permanently remove the mark for my father."
"Well, after we graduate, you can still do that for your own mark," she pointed out.
Scorpius made a face. "So I am stuck here forever," he said. He gave her a sidelong glance and sighed. "That is, if anyone is willing to take me under their wing just so I can become a Master Potioneer in the future, Granger."
"Well, there's always Professor Snape," she offered. "He might be dour and cranky, but I think he likes you enough to take you under his wing."
He merely smiled, not wanting to reveal that their current DADA professor was destined to live a short life.
"You know what, Granger," he said instead. "I wasn't really sure why I started confiding those things to you."
The smile she gave him was wide and brilliant. "Perhaps, because we're already close?" she suggested.
Scorpius snorted. "You wish," he replied. "If you get too close enough, Granger, you might not be ready to handle that the Scorpion King you loved to hate all your life is actually a clumsy, dorky bloke that loves his Chocolate Frogs too much. Al always pointed out that it was preposterous for me to be accused as the Dark Lord's bloody son because I'm throwing dandiness in my wake. It disgusts his brooding self most of the time."
To his surprise, she giggled, her eyes lighting up in amusement. "Merlin, Malfoy, you are bloody weird," she said. "Maybe if your past self – or your father? – acted a bit like you before, we might have been friends."
"Right, yes, befriending you was topmost priority ever since I went back in time," he joked. "Blimey, imagine being friends with the brilliant future Mi—" He abruptly stopped, grinning widely when he realised he almost revealed Hermione's future position in the Wizarding World.
"What?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Future what?"
"That's a secret, Granger," he said. "Maybe if we are close enough, I'd be able to tell you already."
She scowled, obviously annoyed that he was once again keeping secrets. "You're insufferable," she snapped.
"That's undeniable, yes."
Hermione rolled her eyes, but he noticed that she was trying her hardest not to smile in return. Briefly glancing at his wristwatch, he noticed that it was already past midnight. Eyes widening a little, he was surprised that he managed to talk to Granger for an hour in this dank room without noticing the time.
"I think it's best if we both retire for the night," he said. "It has been a really long day."
As if on cue, she released a wide yawn before sleepily smiling. "I think you're right," she said, already standing up from the floor. "Goodnight, Malfoy."
Scorpius also climbed up onto his feet as Hermione started to stride towards the door. Before she left, though, she craned her neck and called out his name.
"You know, for what it's worth, I think what you did was really brave."
The Slytherin scowled. "Why is everyone telling me that?" he snarled. "You make me sound like a bloody Gryffindor."
"You're going to be a decent Gryffindor, that's for sure," she said with a teasing grin.
"Please take that back, bloody hell."
Hermione's grin widened as she shook her head. "No scratch that. I think you're going to be a wonderful Gryffindor."
Scorpius made a disgusted sound at the back of his throat. "I'm going to pretend you never said those words ever, Granger. Good-bloody-night," he dismissed.
She chuckled under breath, bid him another soft good night, and retired for the night.
Once he was alone, Scorpius chanced another quick glance at his name on the family tapestry.
As he climbed back to his bedroom that night, Scorpius wondered if, wherever his father was right now, Draco might also think that what Scorpius really did for his family was brave and good.