Taming

“Welcome home, Sweetheart,” Ginny Potter greeted her husband. He came into the kitchen where she was chopping vegetables for supper. He wrapped his arms around her waist from the back and nuzzled aside her long hair to kiss her neck. “You’re in a good mood.”

“It was a good day at work. Ron and I finally caught the bastard who tortured those Muggles at the cricket match back in September. Teddy was with us as part of the team, and he was key in the apprehension. He’s a hell of an Auror, just like I knew he would be.”

“Well, he learned from the best.”

“Me? Nah, it’s in his blood. Remus and Tonks would be so proud of him.”

“Yes, they would. But you’re proud enough for all of us.”

Harry smiled. “I told him I was today, and I could tell he considered himself much too old to be told so by his godfather. But I know he appreciated it.”

“Oh, I nearly forgot, you got an owl earlier. The note’s on the table.”

“Thanks, Babe.” Harry broke the seal and read the note, his brow furrowed.

“What is it?” Ginny asked.

“It’s from Scorpius. He wants to know if he can stop by and talk to us this evening, if we’re free. But he doesn’t say why.”

“Oh, dear. I hope he and Alby didn’t have a fight!”

“If they did, they’ll work it out. They’re mad for each other. Remember some of the fights that we used to have? Before the kids were born and we got all staid and stodgy?”

She grinned. “Remember the time we went to the Aurors’ holiday party and that dreadful girl was flirting with you all night? I finally threw a glass at your head.”

“Yes! Lucky I have a Seeker’s reflexes or you would’ve brained me. But I guess I deserved it for marrying such a hot-tempered redhead.”

She pitched a piece of carrot at him, which he caught handily and popped in his mouth. “Seeker’s reflexes, see?”

She threw another piece with such speed and accuracy that he missed and it bounced off his forehead. “Yes, but you’re trying to mess with a Chaser. If I’d honestly wanted to brain you, I could’ve done it that night. I was more interested in snatching that little trollop bald. How I hated her… What was her name again?”

“Megan Blakely.”

“Oooh, I just knew you’d remember! You’ve probably been thinking of her all these years, you bastard!”

Harry looked confused. “Why are you trying to pick a fight?”

Her eyes twinkled. “Because you called us staid and stodgy. Don’t you also remember what happened when we got home from that party?”

Harry grabbed her hand and began dragging her towards the bedroom. “Wait. I’ll meet you there in a second.” She continued ahead and he jotted a brief reply to his son’s boyfriend and called the family owl to deliver it. If the boys had had a spat, Harry had no doubt they’d make up. That was the best part.

**************

With the note from Harry Potter safely tucked in the pocket of his school robes, Scorpius had his plan firmly together. Albus, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, yet still managing to look scrumptious, was sitting on his lap and prettily pleading with him.

“At least take me with you.”

“I’m not making a social call, for pity’s sake. I told you a hundred times. Last weekend when we had brunch with my parents, I left my notes from Lyle’s class there by mistake. I’m just going to pick them up. I’m not even having supper.”

“I could still go with you.”

“Rose is the one who planned this little shindig tonight, and she wants you here.”

“She wants you here, too,” Albus pouted.

“Yes, but if I take you with me, you’re going to spend all night chatting with my mother like you always do, and we’ll miss the whole party. Rose won’t appreciate that.”

“What won’t I appreciate? And stifle the whining Albus. People are starting to arrive,” Rose chided.

“I have to run to my parents house to get some Charms notes I left there. Albus wants to come with me.”

“Oh no you don’t! We haven’t had a party here in weeks. Everyone’s been teasing me about how hard I’ve been studying for N.E.W.T.’s so I finally decided to throw one and you want to leave?”

“Well, we’re going to be at the Manor in four days for Christmas hols. I don’t see why he doesn’t just wait,” Albus complained.

“Because he has Charms on Friday before you leave for his house, same as you do, by the way. If you bothered to take good notes rather than stare at Scorpius for the entire lesson, he could just copy yours.” Rose scolded. Scorpius smiled to himself. He’d made sure that his story was carefully concocted so that Rose would back him up without him having to enlist her help.

Albus pouted, but didn’t complain further. “Just hurry back. I’m going to miss you.”

“Like I wouldn’t hurry back to you,” Scorpius murmured against Albus’s lips. Rose smiled indulgently as she watched the boys kiss.

“Hugo, mate, I don’t know how you hang out with these shirtlifters. It’s downright disgusting.”

Hugo, who’d been sitting in a nearby chair, rounded on the speaker. It was a sixth-year boy named Jack Huggins who was Hugo’s fellow Beater on the Gryffindor Quiddich team. “Fuck you, Huggins. That’s my cousin you’re talking about. Now be a good boy and say you’re sorry, or I’ll make you sorry.”

“No, fuck you Weasley. The least they can do is keep it to themselves.” The common room was quite crowded now with people who’d been having fun only moments before. Now everyone was staring with unease at the uncomfortable scene.

Scorpius looked at Albus and saw the hurt in his eyes. Nudging Albus off his lap, Scorpius stood up. “You got a problem with us, you can take it up with me, not Hugo.”

Jack took a step forward, drawing attention to the fact that he was quite a bit bigger than Scorpius. “Well, I do have a problem with it, Malfoy. What do you say to that?”

Scorpius considered himself to be reformed, most of the time, but this was too much. He knew what Jack’s real problem was and he wasn’t going to let him get away with it. He summoned every ounce of his bitchy, catty past and said loudly, “What I say to that is apparently you’re still holding a grudge from that time back in my fifth year that you offered to suck my dick and I turned you down.”

There were several bursts of startled titters, but mostly stunned silence. Jack’s face began to purple and he clenched his hands into fists.

“Remember the occasion? We were partying in Slytherin and you kept trying to talk to me and I kept brushing you off? See, I don’t know how good you are at giving blowjobs, but even then I was discriminating enough to not let guys blow me who weren’t smart enough to carry on a conversation with me before or after. And remember how after I said no, you told me that I’d change my mind in the future, and you’d be waiting? Well, I hope you’re not still waiting because I’m not going to change my mind.”

Jack cocked his big fist back, but Hugo caught his arm before he could hit Scorpius. Hugo twisted Jack’s arm high behind his back and Jack’s purple face contorted with pain. Hugo marched him to the common room door.

“Stay the fuck out, Huggins. And keep away from me in the showers after the next game. Some arsehole warned me that I should stay away from shirtlifters recently.” With that, he pushed Jack out the door and pulled it closed.

The party guests all burst into laughter and applause. Hugo walked back over to them with a grin on his face. “Was that really true?”

“I swear by Merlin’s beard. It happened just like that. Sorry, Albus, I know you don’t like me talking about my past in front of you, but he so had it coming.”

Albus threw his arms around Scorpius. “I don’t care at all! That was brilliant!”

Rose was laughing hard now. “’I hope you’re not still waiting,’” She quoted. “Oh, Scorpius, that was magnificent!”

“Thanks for the save, Hugo,” Scorpius said gratefully. “I wasn’t looking forward to taking that punch.”

“I’ve seen you take a punch. Huggins would’ve barely slowed you down. But it was nothing. You’re one of us now, and no one messes with us when I’m around. Besides I’ve always hated that little arse and the look on his face was priceless!” Scorpius and Hugo grinned at each other.

Scorpius had been a little leery of Hugo when he’d first started dating Albus, but he’d realized that the big, gruff boy was actually very caring. And once he knew that Scorpius and Albus were serious about each other, he’d transferred his loyalty to Scorpius unquestioningly, which Scorpius found quite touching.

Lily ran over to them and pounced on Scorpius, “Darling, that was absolutely the most perfect set-down I’ve ever seen! You’re so sweet when you’re with Albus that it’s easy to forget you can be a complete bitch when you need to be.”

“Only when someone threatens what’s mine, Gorgeous.” She grinned at the compliment. “Oh, bloody hell,” Scorpius muttered, seeing the clock on the wall. “I have to go. I’m going to be late.”

“I’m sure your parents won’t care,” Albus said.

“Normally not, but they’re going to a party tonight, so I want to get there before they leave.” He shook Hugo’s huge paw, kissed Rose and Lily’s cheeks, and gave Albus a lingering hug and a kiss that got out of control enough that Rose had to clear her throat and point at the clock.

Grinning at her sheepishly, Scorpius rushed out of the common room. He hustled to Professor McGonagall’s office, unfastening his school robes as he ran. Underneath he was wearing slacks and a shirt and tie. He knocked on her door and she let him in. “Right on time, Mr. Malfoy,” she said, this time with affection. She took his robe and handed him the suit jacket that matched his trousers which he had stashed in her office earlier. She was the only person he’d confided in, out of necessity, but he knew he could trust her.

He frantically smoothed his hair and brushed at imaginary wrinkles in his clothing. The professor smiled at him indulgently. “You look impeccable, Mr. Malfoy.”

He smiled gratefully at her. “Thank you, Professor.”

“Just don’t be out too late. You have my class in the morning, you know.”

“I know. I wouldn’t miss it.”

“I had no fear of that. And Scorpius… Good luck, dear.”

He impulsively squeezed her hand, and then reached into the little pot on her mantle. He threw the powder in the fire and said clearly, “Harry and Ginny Potter’s house”

********************

Scorpius stepped out of the fireplace into the Potters’ parlor, stomach clenching in knots.

“Good evening, Darling,” Ginny greeted him warmly, kissing his cheek. “You look nice. To what do we owe the formality?” Scorpius shrugged nervously.

Harry shook his hand and offered him a seat on the sofa. Ginny asked if he wanted a snack or a cup of tea, but Scorpius declined. He twisted his hands in his lap, uncharacteristically fidgety.

“I can see that something is bothering you, Scorpius. Did you and Albus have a quarrel?” Harry asked gently.

“Oh, no! Albus and I never fight.”

“Never? Maybe that’s your problem. Not enough making up.”

“Harry!” Ginny scolded. “Let him talk.”

Scorpius cleared his throat. “As you know, our holiday break begins in a few days and Albus is spending it with me at the Manor. The thing is, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, I know it’s old fashioned, but Malfoys have always placed importance on tradition. I know I’ve only been dating Albus a short time, but I… I wanted to ask your permission… Well, not permission, but I mean… for your blessing as I plan to… erm… Ask Albus to marry me.”

Ginny promptly burst into tears and Harry burst out laughing.

“Harry!” Ginny exclaimed again, sounding exasperated with her husband.

“Sorry, but you had us scared half to death, Scorpius. I was afraid you were going to tell us something terribly tragic.” He seemed to notice that Scorpius was still sitting rather rigidly, his hands still twisting around each other. “Of course you have our blessing! Nothing would make us happier!” Scorpius felt the grin spread over his face.

Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him off the sofa and into a huge hug. Pretty soon, all three of them were laughing and hugging like excited children.

Finally, when he settled down, Scorpius glanced at the clock. “I had better get back to school. I told Albus that I was just picking something up at my parents’ house. He might worry if I’m gone too long.”

“Yes, of course,” Ginny said with a grin. “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to keep your secret for a whole week!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll tie her up if I have to,” Harry reassured Scorpius.

He grinned. “Oh, and I know you usually spend Christmas with Ginny’s family, but if you’d like to come to the Manor, Lily and James, too, if they’d like, to be there when… Well, if you want.”

Ginny squealed just like Lily sometimes did when she got over-excited. “She means that we’d be thrilled to be there,” Harry translated wryly. “Thank you for thinking of it… Son.”

Scorpius didn’t miss the significance of that remark and he shook his future father-in-law’s hand with gravity. “I’m going to take good care of him.”

“We know.”

Ginny hugged him a few more times, but finally he managed to extricate himself and return to Professor McGonagall’s office. She was waiting to hear what he had to say.

“They said yes!”

“Well of course they did. I never had any doubt.”

“I was still nervous, though.”

“Well, it is a momentous occasion,” she said seriously, as he headed for the door. “And Mr. Malfoy? May I be among the first to congratulate you on your impending nuptials?”

“Thank you, Professor. But he has to say yes first,” Scorpius muttered as he closed her office door.

Minerva McGonagall smiled to herself. She didn’t have any doubts.