Okay there's no way that's a coincidence, Hermione thought.
She had noticed over the past couple of months how Scorpius Malfoy no longer looked at her. It wasn't a big deal on its own. Except the way he did it—he pointedly didn't look at her. In class, he kept his eyes on the blackboard, even when answering a question. He was absolutely doing it on purpose because every now and then she'd catch him looking at her and he'd swiftly avert his gaze elsewhere—continuing his efforts to not look at her.
Since today's class started, Hermione had caught Scorpius looking at her four times already. Each time he looked away immediately. But instead of the flush that would crawl up his face back when he was besotted with her, his countenance was full of tension. She'd bet anything it had to do with her and Draco.
So he knows.
She tried to fight the smile on her face. Yes, it complicated matters because she was his teacher and Scorpius no doubt felt a tad awkward at being taught by his father's girlfriend. But on the other hand, it meant that Draco told him.
He's serious about me.
She remembered the conversation the two of them had a month ago while laying in bed.
"So...I've been wondering. Are we still 'discreet'? Or will you tell your son about us?"
Draco shifted and pulled her closer to him. "Of course I'll tell him. But not just yet, if that's alright with you."
Hermione worried her bottom lip a bit. "He's your son. You decide when."
He looked at her curiously. "Does it bother you that he doesn't know?"
She shrugged. "It's not really my place to be bothered."
He kissed her shoulder. "That's not fair. It's your relationship as much as mine. Of course you don't want to hide."
She beamed at him. "You're right. I don't like hiding."
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I just would prefer to wait until...you and I are...you know?"
"Serious."
He nodded. "Not that I'm not serious in my intentions. I don't take this lightly, Hermione. But you and I need some time to settle into each other and be a couple."
"I understand."
He kissed her cheek. "When you and I reach that threshold, I won't be able to tell him fast enough. I promise."
She tried to suppress the part of her that wanted to squeal with glee.
Angel-Hermione: No need to get carried away. Better to focus on the task at hand--educating the future of wizarding Britain. Scorpius is obviously uncomfortable. Don't make it worse.
Devil-Hermione: (scoff) Fuck. That. Your boyfriend finally told his son about you. Don't you think this means he lo—
Hermione shut that down quick. She was not "that girl." She was the cool girlfriend who backed off and let Draco handle telling his son about their relationship on his own terms. She trusted him and it paid off. She refused to entertain notions that a certain four letter word wasn't far off now.
Be cool. Everything's going so well.
She smiled. He told Scorpius. That meant something.
____________________________
Ever since Scorpius hit James Potter in the face, he had obtained a level of mild celebrity with many of the Slytherin girls. In the two hours since he sat down in the library to crack into his Arithmancy homework, no less than four girls shot him flirtatious looks or smiles. This sort of thing was new to him. He wasn't interested in any of these girls who suddenly realized he existed, but the attention was working wonders for his ego--which was helpful when dealing with the girl he actually liked. He desperately wanted to owl his dad and tell him about this new development, but he couldn't shake the spite he felt over being slighted when his dad neglected to tell him about his own news in the girl department.
"Hello. Are you even listening to me?"
Scorpius was shaken from his reverie. "Sorry, what did you say?"
Rose frowned. "Nothing." She wasn't exactly thrilled about Scorpius's little fan club over in the corner of the library.
Scorpius was confused. She seemed a little short with him today. What could he have done? "Um...Rose?"
"What?" She all but bit at him.
"Something's bothering you. Did I do something wrong?"
She sighed. "Maybe I'd just prefer if my study partner was a little more focused. If you'd rather join your Slytherin groupies than study with me, then that's what you should do."
Scorpius's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
She huffed. "I get it. You're popular now. Why would you want to spend your extra time studying with a Gryffindor?"
Jesus H. Christ, is she serious? "Rose, are you talking about the Slyther-slags that have been following me around for the past few weeks? Because I sincerely would rather study with you than hang out with them."
Rose fought the smile on her face as she kept her head down to hide her blush. "Okay then."
Scorpius smirked. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous." Their studying had grown steadily more flirtatious over the past couple of months. He felt much more confident around her now. Almost confident enough to invite her to come with him to Hogsmeade the next trip, but he wanted to make sure he wasn't misreading things.
Rose snorted. "Don't be ridiculous."
"I don't know, Weasley. You look a bit green. Which is, if my memory serves me right, a pretty good color on you."
Rose bit her lip in a vain effort to hide her grin. "Are you saying you'd like for me to be jealous?"
Scorpius blushed. Say it. Do it for Albus, for Simon, for every bloke who's ever gotten tongue-tied around a girl they like. "Maybe." Score point for Scorpius Malfoy. You are a god amongst men!
Rose smiled. "Is that a Slytherin way of telling me that you like me?"
Scorpius gulped. How could I have been more clear? I said 'maybe' didn't I? He opened his mouth to answer her when a paper airplane came whizzing by his ear and landed smoothly in front of him.
Open Me—it read.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Seriously? I'll bet it's from your fans."
Scorpius chuckled at how cute she was when she was jealous as he opened the airplane. His good mood fell when he saw what it contained.
It was an extremely lewd drawing of Professor Granger doing some very naughty things to his dad.
Scorpius balled the paper in his fist and whipped his head wildly around to find the perpetrator. His eyes fell on James Potter sneering at him and receiving several high fives from some of the more brainless members of his entourage.
"Cock-sucking Gryffindor scum," Scorpius muttered.
"What?" Rose shrieked.
"No, Rose not you! James Potter." His eyes narrowed as he watched James saunter out of the library. "I'll be right back."
"Scorpius, no! You'll get in trouble."
He was already up and walking towards the exit. It didn't take long to catch up to the Gryffindor gang. This wasn't the most prudent thing he had ever done, but he was too angry to care.
"Think you're funny?" He threw the drawing at James.
"You don't like my drawing, Malfoy? I'm hurt."
One of James's cronies leaned in. "Want us to teach him a lesson in art appreciation?"
James chuckled. "Go back to the Common Room. I can handle this toothless little grass snake on my own."
Scorpius fumed. "What's your problem? Why are you always such a dick?"
"Maybe I just don't trust you and your kind, Malfoy. I don't care what people say, people like your dad don't deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us."
Scorpius narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I told you not to talk about my family."
James scoffed. "I thought you had a chubby for Professor Granger. Aren't you at least a little pissed off at your dad for sneaking in and sticking it to her?" He snickered.
Scorpius flushed. Potter sure as fuck knew how to push buttons. Scorpius wasn't sure how he found out about his previous crush on Professor Granger, but he'd bet that if James Potter knew, the whole school had probably heard about it.
"You should see yourself, Malfoy. Pathetic. Your dad might be Death Eater scum, but at least he knows how to get what he wants. But you? You can't even ask my cousin out on a fucking date when she clearly likes you for some stupid reason."
Say what? Scorpius wasn't expecting that. It wasn't just that Potter was taunting him. It was the fact that Scorpius knew he was right. Fuck. He hated that. He preferred to think of James Potter as a beefcake who could barely tie his shoes.
"What's the matter Malfoy? Touched a nerve have I?" He laughed. "You want to hit me again, Sunshine? Go ahead. This time you won't be able to just walk away." He shoved him.
"Don't fucking touch me." Scorpius shoved back.
"What are you going to do about it? Or are you too much of a pussy to hit me without my brother there to back you up?"
Scorpius knew he just wanted to provoke him so he would throw a punch at him and he could claim that he fought back in self-defense. He refused to play into his hands. He turned around to walk back towards the library.
"Hey Malfoy?" He turned back just long enough to see James Potter's fist come pounding towards his eye.
Merlin it hurt, but more than that it awakened something within him. He lunged at the older boy and took them both to the ground.
Scorpius thrashed and threw punches indiscriminately, some of which stuck. The adrenaline was surging through his body and he was only vaguely aware of James getting a few good ones in on him too.
"What is this? Both of you get off the floor this instant!" It was Professor Granger.
James looked up at his godmother, adopting an innocent tone of voice. "Aunt Hermione, thank Merlin you're here. This Slytherin tried to—"
"You can't possibly think I'd believe that Mr. Malfoy would start this, James Sirius Potter. I'm not as naïve as your mother." She glared at the two teenage boys. "I can't even think clearly enough right now to calculate how many points from Slytherin and Gryffindor you both are going to lose for this. Not to mention the extremely imaginative detentions I'm tempted to allow Filch to dream up for the two of you. For now, you both are coming with me to my office while I write to your fathers." She spotted a paper on the floor next to where the two boys were fighting only moments before. "What is this?"
Scorpius groaned as Professor Granger opened the paper to find the drawing.
Her eyes widened as a blush spread across her face. She cleared her throat and looked Scorpius in the eye. "Did you draw this?"
He shook his head. "No, Professor. I swear I didn't."
James interjected. "He's lying of course. He's sick, Aunt Hermione. And he threw a punch at me when I told him he shouldn't—"
"So you drew this then?" Of course he did. This picture was rude and uncouth and obviously she was going to try that one thing later with Draco, but still the nerve of him. "Why? What possessed you to draw this crude rendering of me and Mr. Malfoy's father?"
James was silent. He stared at a spot on the floor as he replied in a diminished voice. "I was just teasing him, Aunt Hermione. I didn't mean anything by it."
She turned to Scorpius who was, once again, pointedly not making eye contact with her. "Both of you come with me."
James turned to sneer at Scorpius while they walked behind her. He made a kissy face. "Don't worry, Malfoy. I'm sure Daddy can find a way to earn those points back for you."
Scorpius glared. Just fucking great.
______________________________
The door to Hermione's office swung open and in bounded a livid Draco Malfoy. "Where is he?"
Scorpius turned around to find his father wearing an expression he had never seen before. Had he really never seen his father's anger directed at him before? Add that to the list of firsts between them.
"So you're getting into fights now? What is wrong with you? This isn't you!"
Scorpius wouldn't look at him. "Yeah. I'm getting into fights and you're keeping secrets."
Draco raised an eyebrow and glanced at Hermione for a split second. It was enough.
"I knew it," Scorpius muttered under his breath.
The door opened again and Harry Potter entered, decked out in his full Auror uniform. He looked quite intimidating as he rounded on his eldest son. "What the fuck were you thinking?" He smacked him on the back of the head. "You started this didn't you?"
James gaped incredulously. "Why does everyone assume it was me who started it? He's a bloody Slytherin!"
Harry rolled his eyes and smacked his son on the back of the head again.
"Ow!"
"You're not an idiot so stop acting like one. And if I hear about you bullying Scorpius anymore I swear to all that is holy I will disinherit you."
"I don't—"
Another smack.
"Ow!"
"Why do you assume I'm an idiot? You really shouldn't. It'd make your life a lot easier." He turned to Hermione. "Did my kid start this?"
She nodded.
Harry sneered at his son and deposited another smack to the back of his head.
"Ow, Dad stop."
"You first. You stop acting like you were raised by wolves and I'll stop trying to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours."
Draco shook his head. "Potter, you don't need to pretend that my son participated against his will in this. He is just as responsible."
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You only say that because when you were my age, you were the one bullying people about their dead parents and starting fights."
Draco was taken aback. "Scorp, I was an idiot when I was your age. You're not. This isn't you."
"Maybe it is now! I don't know. Maybe you only thought you knew me. Since that's apparently how this works now." He grabbed the drawing from Hermione's desk and shoved it in his father's hands. "Everyone knows, Dad. I know you think you're clever but you've done a shit job covering up the fact that you're shagging my teacher."
The three adults in the room blushed and averted their gazes. Harry's eye caught James's smirk and he took the opportunity to hit him on the back of the head again.
"Ow!"
"Did you draw that?"
James nodded.
Harry shook his head. "I swear to God, if there was a military-school version of Hogwarts, James, I'd send you there in a heartbeat."
Draco crumpled the drawing in his hands and sighed deeply. "I never lied to you, Scorp. Professor Granger and I had only just started seeing each other when you asked, so technically—"
"Don't do that! That Slytherin fuckery you use on everyone else won't work on me! You lied, Dad. You should have told me." Scorpius stormed out of the room.
Harry stood there, holding James by the scruff of his shirt. He squinted and backed the two of them to the exit. "I'm just going to..." his voice trailed off "reprimand my son over here." The two disappeared, leaving Draco and Hermione alone.
Draco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hermione, I'm so sorry you had to see that."
Hermione, who had been quiet this whole time, found her voice. It came out shaky. "Why didn't you tell him?"
He looked at her quizzically. "We've talked about this. Scorpius couldn't handle—"
"I am so sick of everybody underestimating that kid. He's the most mature thirteen-year-old I've ever met in my life, barring myself at that age. He could have handled it. You should have told him."
Draco gaped. "Are you seriously upset about this?"
"Yes, I'm upset because you tell your son everything but you neglected to mention the fact that you have a girlfriend. And he apparently knew the entire time."
Draco scoffed. "James Potter really is a little shithead. And he's a terrible artist. This picture doesn't capture my beauty at all."
Hermione shot him a scathing look. "Don't be cute. I'm mad at you."
He couldn't fight the indignation in his voice. "Why?"
"Honestly, Draco? I assumed you would have told him about us a while ago—at least once you and I were official. He's been treating me oddly for a while now. I figured it was because he knew. And you know what? I was right! I just thought maybe you would have thought that this relationship was significant enough to mention it to your son."
"Of course it's significant."
"Obviously it's not."
"Hermione, how can you say that? I brought you to my home. I have never done that with any witch except Astoria. Of course I'm serious about you."
Hermione scoffed and began walking towards the entrance of her office.
"What are you doing? This conversation isn't over."
"Isn't it?"
He followed her into the corridor. "Hermione do not walk away from me."
"Leave me alone, Draco."
"Hermione—", he touched her shoulder.
"Don't. We've been together nearly two months. This is the point where people make a choice. Are they just having fun, or do they see it going somewhere?"
"I agree, Hermione. And this is real. I'm serious about you."
She softened. "Look at it from my perspective. I know, going into this, that Scorpius is the most important thing in your life. I'm not a shrew, so of course I think that's great. But two months in, the most important thing in my boyfriend's life, doesn't know about me. How am I supposed to take that?"
Draco sighed. She was right. He had royally fucked up. Now, not only was his son angry with him, but so was the woman he—
"Draco," she looked pained. "I'm not sure you've really thought...this through."
His heart stopped beating momentarily. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just saying, that obviously you're not as ready as you thought you were for a real relationship."
Draco gaped. "Are you actually trying to break up with me over this? No. I won't let you."
She sighed. "If I were, I'm not sure you'd get a say in the matter."
"Yes, I absolutely do. And I say that you and I are far from over. I'm fighting for you, Hermione."
"If you want to fight for me, then why hide me? I trusted that you would tell him in your own time and way. But you just didn't."
"Why is this bothering you so much?"
She sighed, remembering his promise. When you and I reach that threshold, I won't be able to tell him fast enough. I promise.
There it was. He wasn't serious about her. She assured herself she wouldn't be that pushy girlfriend, but she'd like to think that after two months, Draco had an idea of where they stood. "You once told me you would tell Scorpius when you and I were serious about each other. I assumed when Scorpius started acting strange around me in class that it meant you told him. And I guess I just...I'm disappointed."
Draco felt about three inches tall right then. How could he explain it to her? "Hermione, our relationship is so young. I didn't want to complicate it before we were ready."
"So you daddied our relationship the same way you daddied your son. You tried to 'protect us' until we were ready? Newsflash, Draco. I'm a grown-ass woman. I'm not going to get skittish and run away at the first sign of a complication because I actually know where you stand with me. I care about you."
"I fucked up, okay? I know that. But doesn't the fact that I was worried about ruining our relationship demonstrate to you that I care? Granted, it was misguided—"
"Draco...I'm going to stop you right there. Just...take a few days. Think about what you really want."
"I don't need a few days. I know right now that I want you."
"Draco. Take the damn days. I'm being generous here." She turned away to walk towards her dorm. Her Auror senses were finely tuned and when he made to follow her she barked. "Take. The damn. Days, Draco."
He was left standing in the middle of the corridor gaping after her. Luckily there were no children about. Only Madam Pomfrey on her way to the Potions Supply Closet for more valerian root.
"FUCK!" Draco threw the first punch of his life at the wall.
"FUCK!" he cried as he cradled the fractured bones in his hand in pain.
Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes. "That's it. I'm retiring."