One's True Nature

18

The rest of Christmas was still a bit splintered with so many things happening in a short space. They all came together for Christmas dinner, which Hermione had worked so hard on the day before. Everyone ate in silience, concentrating on the meal, trying to avoid anymore drama, since Ginny had made clear that anymore disruptions would result in children losing presents. James was oddly quiet since Harry had spoken to him. The only time he looked away from his plate was to give a icy glare to his father. No Hogsmeade trips wasn't exactly the last step before more drastic messures, but it was sure the most painful for James. Harry returned the glare just as coldly, he'd had enough of the terrorism of his son. If he didn't make a violent stand and use whatever means he could, he might be one of those who had to testify when James graduated to more impersonal targets. He had never felt more hopless.

Draco ate in solitude despite being surrounded. Pansy had said of him, that he had a knack for finding a way to be completely alone in a room full of people. He prided himself on this, his father had demanded that he find ways to make himself less visible with so many people coming and going through the manor during his childhood. He was alone right now because he had doubts, yes, doubts about how this was moving with Harry. He wasn't ready for it, much as he tried to lie to himself. It felt too good, it was more than he deserved. He fought bitterly with the emotion to no avail. It was as sweeping as his bouts with depression. He felt so cold.

Scorpious was dealing with his own thoughts about things. Even though he had accepted what his dad had said at the hospital about the things the strange man showed him, he worried more about his dad. He always had been aware of his dad's sadness since he was six or seven. He worried that his dad would die without someone to take care of him. He felt the weight of eventually returning to Hogwarts and the fact that his father would be all alone, with his thoughts, all those horrible thoughts and memories. He didn't know how to let go of the fear he felt.

Albus was actually the one who seemed the most alive. He was squished between Rose and Lilly at the long dinner table and they were obviously telling the boy really funny jokes. His small chuckles actually helped Hermione and Ron relax from the trauma of earlier in the day. James shot cold looks his way when he knew Albus wasn't looking. He said something in a whisper in Rose's ear and Rose burst out into a deep fit of shoulder rolling giggles.

"Care to share with the rest of us?" Harry asked smiling slightly as he finished a bite of his meal.

"No," Rose said between chuckles. "Not really." She blushed once she stopped laughing.

"Dad, can we be excused?" Albus asked brightly. "I want to go out and fly before it's too dark, please?"

"Yes Albus, but only if you put on extra clothing." Harry set down his fork. "I don't want you getting sick."

"YAY!" All three children squealed and imeadiately took off for their winter flying clothes.

"You should go Scorpious." Draco said warmly. "Go have fun."

"Shouldn't I stay to help clean up?" Scorpious asked raising his face to look very confused.

"We can handle it." Ron said picking up the plates of the three who had already vacated the table. "Go."

"Ok." And that was the final word uttered before Scorpious got outside to join his friends.


It was cold out, as the four zoomed around. They were all full of energy, even though they had hardly eaten. They were just excited to fly with eachother again. They were all good friends and sometimes hung out, but it was really rare that they were all together. Scorpious was just glad to forget his thoughts for the time being. He was glad to See Albus laughing so much, it meant that things must have blown over, but he knew eventually, he would still have to answer for what he had devulged in front of everyone just hours earlier.

"Scorpious, you don't need any teamates." Albus smiled. "You fly better than any of us, so it's us against you."

Scorpious rolled his eyes. "Fine." Thus began the snowball on a broom fight. The rules were simple, hit them before they hit you. Scorpious was a great flier and had won this contest every year three on one. He smiled. He would not be losing this one either. He picked up snow.

Harry worked in the kitchen in relative silence with everyone as they cleaned. He was still feeling like things had gotten far too complicated for him. Harry watched as his whole life seemed to be changing within a few weeks and he didn't really know if it was really for the better or not. He felt so strange catching glances at Ginny, she was almost a stranger to him and they had been Married for years and had three Children. Draco felt just as strange to him, as if they hadn't spent twenty years apart. It was as if, the puzzle finally fit together, but Harry didn't feel like that was a good thing. Hermione went to bed and it was just he, Ginny and Ron, somehow Draco had slipped from the room without even saying a word.

Harry noticed only after Ginny brought it up. Seamus had decided he would stop by tomorrow since he had some bussiness that was apparently hush hush to do on Christmas. Harry imagined a bottle of scotch and and scantly clad woman. He looked forward to tomorrow and the sense of future it would bring. He finished Drying a plate.

"Listen, I'm going to go find Draco." Harry annouced softly.

"Ok Mate, we can finish up here." Ron said.

"Thanks for being here Ron, it means a lot." Harry said in part appology for being so distracted that he hadn't shared more than a few words with his best friend over the last few days.

"I know Mate." Ron said hugging Harry with one arm. "I always like a good Potter holiday." He smiled and and Harry turned and left. He hoped Ginny understood that he didn't have anything to say and he was afraid that if he tried to force words that they inevitably would be the wrong words and that that would hurt her more than silence. He was such rubbish at feelings anyway.

He walked the whole of the house, not really searching for Draco, but perhaps for a path through his confusion. He probably walked for ten minutes or so before he stopped and located a light in the ballroom. He was expected as the hero of the wizarding world and Head Auror to host fancy parties and that's why he had the room built. He hated it, it was too high-class and Harry wasn't high-class. It was fitting that this is where Draco was...dancing all by himself. A soft Violin orchastra played as he seemed to float, despite his limp, with the rythm of the music. He didn't even lose his motion when Harry approached him. Draco's eyes were closed and his mouth was in a smirk.

"Potter," He whispered and his smile deepened. "Dance with me."

Harry was more than glad to oblidge, his reservation forgotten. He felt Draco wrap his arms around him and they made no sound as they danced, it was a moment to just absorb and not disrupt with words.

Eventually, they had to part because Ginny had called for Harry to go round up the children from playing outside. Draco followed because he wanted to see Scorpious off to bed. Harry and Draco didn't say much execpt for the awkward chuckle as they walked to the back door to the huge yard fit for a king, or so Draco had called it earlier in the afternoon. It was dark, but with so much snow on the ground, the light was reflecting making it feel like day.

"Shall I?" Harry asked smirking.

"You always did like yelling." Draco smirked as well.

"Children, it's time to come in!" Harry bellowed and almost in a flash, four brooms zipped up to them with their riders looking tired, but still disappointed with the call to end the fun. Albus moaned especially loud which made Harry roll his eyes.

"You're to get cleaned up and ready for bed, there is some dessert, but only the one's who do this without grumbling will get any." Draco said sharply.

"Harsh." Whispered Harry.

The kids put their brooms at the side of the house and zoomed inside, which was met with protests of wipe your feet by an angry Ginny. Both men laughed and then Draco stopped suddenly when he felt a small bundle of warmth around his middle.

"Goodnight Mister Malfoy." Albus spoke softly against him.

"Goodnight Albus." Draco said. He gave the boy's messy head a affectionate rub. "Now, go inside."

Harry looked shocked and asked after a brief silence, "What was that about?"

"I'll tell you later, it's a bit complicated." Harry nodded. "Alright."

Albus and Scorpious had decided they were too tired to have dessert after they both had hot showers and got ready for bed. Albus had had too much fun from what Scorpious could see, the small boy barely could keep his eyes open as his friend helped him with his bed clothes.

"Albus, careful!" Scorpious snapped as his friend nearly fell against him. "Come on, let's get you tucked in before you hurt the floor." Scorpious smiled at his bad joke. Albus barely made it before he slumped onto the bed and let Scorpious pull the covers over him. After he was sure Albus was comfortable, he began to dress himself in his night clothes.

"Scor?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you sleep in the bed with me tonight?"

"I told you no."

"Why?"

"Because normal kids don't do that."

"Okay." Albus yawned.

Scorpious felt more and more awkward since he started dealing with the birds and the bees stuff. He always would care about Albus, but everything from casual arms across the shoulder to a protective hug was a reason to feel really strange and overwhelmed. He didn't know why he felt weird, but he did. He was just glad that his friend hadn't objected.


Harry and Draco walked to their room to turn in for the night. The conversation they were having about Albus' troubles was keeping things from any awkward considerations about where their relationship was at the moment.

"So you think that cou-" But for some reason Harry could not finish his thought. His head burst forth in firey pain and he dropped to his knees and slammed his hands into his forhead, the most painful area. He grunted and tried to fight, he couldn't hear Draco's panicked voice as he tried in vain to hold the man. Harry cursed himself for forgetting as the images slammed into him now. He'd forgotten them, Blaise's memories that he had taken before escaping with Draco clutched to him. When the waves of forced memory release stopped he fainted.

"My God What happened Harry? Are you alright?" He was in bed and Draco was sitting on the side of the bed looking worried. "Are you hurt?"

"Draco, I know who did this." Harry said bitterly and grinded his teeth. He stared at his hand.

"Who did this?" Draco looked into Harry's face with deep worry, as if the man might be crazy.

"It Was Umbridge, She controlled Blaise. He had no idea what he was really do-" And Harry coughed. He didn't see the pure rage on Malfoy's face. Draco knew it wasn't Umbridge at all, this was far worse than he could have possibly imagined. She was invovled, which meant it all lead back to him. He didn't want to enlighten Harry to his knowledge unless he had to. In the end, vengance would be his, oh how it would be his. It was him all along.

Scorpious woke after what he felt was a couple of hours of restless sleep. He tried to just shut his eyes, but he kept hearing some kind of air rush. He sat up from the floor and realized it wasn't air at all. It was Albus, who looked like he was shivering. Scorpious was cold himself and he could sypathize.

"Albus, wake up." He shook his friend gently.

"I'm c-cold." Albus complained softly.

"I know, scoot over." Scorpious climbed into the bed, bringing his blankets from the floor with him.

Like a small puppy, Albus curled up to his friend and Scorpious felt more awkward than ever, but atleast he was warm.

"I love you." Albus whispered.

Scorpious just wanted to be anywhere but here, but didn't get up to leave. Conflict of ideas drove him mad until his brain finally shut off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~
End Chapter 18

A/N: Reviews please. This story heats up as Draco battles a past he'd much like to forget.