One's True Nature

28

It took a while for Harry to fill Lucius in on events including his new youthful appearance, the man was suprisingly reserved about the whole package of news being thrown at him. Harry could tell though, when he had mentioned about Rusputin that the man was wavered just enough to make him appear guilty. Harry wasn't here for the man's explanations however, he was in the firecall because he needed Lucius Malfoy's help to finish this Death Eater mess once and for all. The once snobbish man, broken by fear for himself and his son saw him make overtures to Harry in times he could help following the war. Draco didn't know this however and as Harry finished telling Lucius about Draco's current state there was a distant and deep saddness when faced with the legacy he'd left for his only child.


"I want to talk to you in person, in my home, because I have a plan and I'm going to need both Draco and you to help me." Harry said closing the coversation on his end and waiting for the Blonde man, looking older by the minute to offer a response. Lucius sighed, he wasn't sure he could trust himself. He hadn't seen his son since Scorpius was born. He wasn't able to share the happiness because he could see the lonley eyes Draco wore. It was painful to see his son so isolated, on what should have been the proudest day of his life. Lucius sighed again. He looked to Harry and nodded, it was all he could do, the weight of his thoughts pushed down on him. Draco would probably be upset.


Lucius stood up and paced his study. Harry had been the one to arrange to move to Germany in exchange for some information. Lucius hadn't even made demands but Harry Potter, at the time a skilled investigative Auror, simpily guessed they all needed to leave Brittan. Draco had decided to stay behind but had never sat in on the days of meetings before the deal was struck and finalized. Draco had spent all of his time in a depressed state that had worried his mother to no end and deepily guilted his father. The night came and Lucius found with great frustration that he could not sleep much, tossing and turning and finally being kicked out of bed by his wife for his restlesness. He cursed bitterly but found a message had come through the night. The letter gave information on the meeting and even left a portkey. Lucius' patientce was giving way to anxiety, seeing his grandson, his son, Harry Potter, he only hoped the tightness he felt in his chest would subside to a managable level before he arrived.

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Draco hadn't expected Harry to be so insensitive. As he sat on the sofa in the Potter living-room he eyed Harry with a furious gaze, but Harry was unmoved. How could Harry so blindside him like this? Harry had put some major plan in motion without ever telling him a thing and he had included an invatation to Draco's father, of all people. Not a word, not a 'Hey Malfoy, this is what I happen to be thinking.' Harry explained the plan in detail, but Draco wasn't paying attention to a single word because he'd not been consulted. Draco leaned forward, elbows to his knees, how complicated and fucked up had his life become after that single knock on his door. He exhaled fury and looked up to Harry his hands clasped just under his chin trying to hold in the words he was wanting to throw out at the green-eyed perfect Man-who-did-things-without-considering-others.


"Potter, did it ever occur to you to include me in your strange scheme?" Draco's face was wrought with irritation and Harry balked at it. Draco didn't have to be so bitter. Harry thought to himself forcing his own irritation away. Harry didn't really blame Draco for his reaction to Harry's plan. Harry, his reasoning being what it was, this had to be done the way Harry decided because it was fragile and Harry needed the plan to work for all of their sakes. Harry's future hinged on Lucius Malfoy cooperating and Draco's understanding without questioning. Harry would do this one last thing alone and then never again. He was so tired of carrying a world upon his shoulders, he had never asked for all that he got in his life. He never had any choices, after this, he hoped he might change that.


Draco's anger started to carry, his words were sharp but Harry only needed to stall. Lucius would be here within the next half-hour or so. Harry did not want a full blown argument where both men were emotionally spent by the time Lucius arrived making the interaction that much harder. Harry breathed calmly as Draco's anger justified as it was built to a soft roar and crackle, like a small camp fire. Draco's voice started to carry and soon they found themselves visted by a pair of boys.

"Dad, what's going on?" Harry cursed himself for not puting up a barrier to stop the community from interupting them. It was one of the poorer choices of having a modest living space instead of the glory of a manor, there were few places to hold a meeting in private without charms of some kind. Scorpius looked at both men, Albus was in toe, but didn't seem too terribly interested in his sorroundings. He had shoes, rather large, shoes on his feet and he was remarking them with the strangest of grins as he awkwardly moved in them.

"This is a private matter, Scorpius, please go play somewhere else." Draco was unable to control the anger and irritation he'd built up. He regetted it when Scorpius eyes went down in shame. Draco breathed a frustrated sigh, but before he could react a sound could be heard, a crack of appiration and Draco's body went rigid and his heart clenched up.


"Grandpa?" Scorpius was very confused, though he'd never really seen his grandfather in person he'd seen pictures. What was his Grandfather doing here? Scorpius didn't know what to make of it, but then he seemed to connect his grandfather's appearance and his father's attitude. He looked between them and then suddenly felt the distance close between himself and Lucius Malfoy as the man lightly absorbed him into a hug. It was something that shocked Draco and then Draco noticed the agonized expression of his father as he hugged his grandson.

"Hello Grandson." It was a simple greeting, but it was the fragile nature in which the words were spoken that killed Draco's anger all together. He felt pity rise up in his chest as his father looked over Scorpius' features. Lucius smiled down at him. "How old are you now?" The man spoke softly moving his hands to either shoulder and stablizing Scorpius who still looked confused.

"I'm twelve." Scorpius said uncertain, but seeming to relax he took more kind features and allowed himself to be surveyed. Draco felt he should interupt before things got too distracted, but found that he could not. However, Harry being an insensitive Griffyndor had it's advantages because Harry coughed audibly and Lucius seemed to come back to his senses and remember why he was here.


"If you boys would excuse us for now." Harry looked stern. Scorpius took Albus by the arm, the boy still facinated by his large foot-wear seemed stunned by the sudden physical contact. Scorpius started to lead the younger potter out of the room and then, as if he thought better of it, turned around and spoke, his face tense, but quite serious and something else Harry couldn't quite put his finger on.

"You're going to talk about the guys who killed my mother aren't you?" It was only half a question and the three adults looked on in shock with the demanding tone this boy had taken. "I want to know, whatever this is, I want to know about it." Draco turned his face on his son, listening to him hadn't quite convinced Draco that this was indeed his own son. "I deserve to be here for that don't I?"

"Son, maybe later we can-" Draco started.

"That's alright, he can stay." Harry cut Draco off. "Trust me Draco, this way is better ok?" Harry pleaded with a tone that Draco recognized as pained, like he understood Scorpius' postion. Draco nodded his understanding now, but Harry would have to hear of this later.

After a breif moment where Scorpius took Albus out of the room and told him to wait for him, the three men and a boy sat down for Harry's meeting. Chaotic as it was and disjointed and uncontroled as it felt, Harry took command of the room with his speech.

"We know the facts are that the death-eaters are making their moves in some fashion because they feel this is the time to strike. For whatever reason they chose now to step out of the remains of the shadows and launch several offensive moves. Kidnapping Scorpius, releasing Rusputin to attack me and trying to move pieces within the ministry while I would find myself unable to act." Harry's face turned stone cold and he felt the bite of the next words before they hit his tounge. "I think it's time we played my game and this time I need you two to help me pull it off."

Scorpius looked on as the three men talked about catching the men who had so coldly erased his mother from this world. Scorpius was fascinated by the matter-of-fact way they spoke about trapping these men and how easily his father seemed to move in this conversation, they all looked, well if Scorpius admitted it, they all looked a little evil. Scorpius wasn't stupid though, brave Griffyndor, sure, but not stupid. He spoke when the conversation allowed him an opening and again was met with looks of shock.


"If you plan all that, shouldn't you also plan for our return to Hogwarts?" The boy said simply. Scorpius hadn't missed any details of Harry's plan, but he thought it flawed to consider themselves safe at Hogwarts. Harry looked down toward the floor in thought for a second. Scorpius was right and he'd almost failed to consider that even if he added some security the likely hood his children and Scorpius were attacked weren't something to go unconsidered. Harry looked up and asked a question he never thought an adult could ask a child.

"What do you think?" Harry's words were not coddling or coaxing they were direct. Scorpius stood up.

"Listen Chances are they try to get us again." Scorpius tried to control his fear as he spoke and force his thoughts about not knowing as much as the adults to the side. He had to have faith in himself. "This time it will be as a ransom instead of just a way to get you to come find us." Scorpius breathed out a frustrated sigh as his anxiety built up. "Let me contact my seventh year friends in slytherin. If this is a death-eater plot than history says that will be where the spies are for us. Let me connect the dots to who is truly involved."

Draco was truly stunned. Scorpius was quite intelligent and had probably just found a way to gather the identies of those invovled with the least amount of leg work. He smiled. Although Scorpius was taking a dangerous road though. It was the Griffyndor in him, Draco gussed and shook his head. Over the next two hours the three hammered at the basic plan of Scorpius Malfoy and fit it into Harry's more direct plan. Questions were posed and answered. Scorpius stood his ground fiercely, trying to convince everyone that he could handle this. After a little further brief exchanges Harry and Scorpius left the room at the request of Lucius Malfoy.

Draco tensed, he didn't want to talk to his father, he didn't want to face him. He survived on the anger disliking his father had provided him. Lucius didn't deserve his presence, but, he didn't want to seem like the helpless child he once felt he was under the thumb of his father. Draco would stay just to prove that Lucius couldn't make him surrender his space. Draco would not leave just because by staying he was making his point.

"Draco you don't need to say anything to me, but I want to let you know that I think you have become a good man of good standing in Brittan. You have succeeded despite the shortcomings of your surname and have done many things to make me very proud. I wanted to tell you this for a few reasons, but mostly, because I won't be in your life from this time on. You need a chance to succeed and make the Malfoy name yours and make your legacy a foundation for it's future. Draco, as my only son, I failed to teach you and present you with a name worthy of carrying, for whatever it's worth, I didn't understand the cosequences of a stained name. I say this, because you should not surrender your chance to become minister so quickily." Lucius allowed his words to settle and gauge his son's reaction before he spoke again.

"Your name, for what it's worth is important to the history of this scarred land. It has great value in healing those scars should the people choose you to lead them. Please think on this." Without a chance to speak Draco took in his father's words. He seemed geniune and at least, not distant as he'd seemed when he'd seen him twelve years ago when Scorpius was born.

Harry came back into the room and before Draco could say anything other than 'I will' to his father. Lucius seemed in a hurry, probably to avoid the awkward emotional fallout from talking with his son. He never handled saddness well and Draco looked more irritated than thoughtful. Lucius forced a nod in his son's direction as Harry lead him to the floo that would take him home. However, as Harry approached the kitchen he collapsed suddenly and violently against the wall and the last thing he heard before his vision went black was the panicked voice of Lucius Malfoy.
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When Harry awoke he could only sense a hand gripping his left hand. He couldn't for whatever reason open his eyes. He gripped the hand in an attempt to identify it. No luck, although he hadn't really expected it to work. The hand responded and he heard a voice. One he felt he should know but couldn't place it.

"Easy Harry, it's alright. Are you waking up?" The voice was so familiar but he had to take a stab, the sense of deja-vu hitting him like a brick.

"Draco is that you?" Harry figured he was in a room at St. Mungos as he smelled familiar medicinal smells.

"No, I can get him if you like Harry. Just relax, you're all right." And suddenly Harry could open his eyes. He fought his vision and then glasses were gently placed on his face. He turned to face the voice. To his pure shock and almost terror he looked on someone he hadn't seen in twenty years. He looked on the form, it wasn't the body he recognized because that was vastly different. It was the face and fair hair his hand which was still holding this man's hand now recognized it having fought it for so many years.

"Dudley?" Harry's voice said truly shocked and very confused. The man looked down on Harry and smiled a gentle smile. Harry started to try and find his voice so he could speak more than a name. The next moment however held more shock and confusion as a little boy no older than 5 years old ran into the room and was closely followed by Hugo and Rose weasley.

"Harry, what did I tell you about running?" Dudley spooke to the small child. The boy crumpled a bit, but didn't seem shamed.

"But I was just-" Dudley picked up the small boy to a delightful squeal and the man Harry Potter knew for his entire early childhood smiled

"No buts, I told you these floors are slippery. You'll bang your head." Dudley spoke in a soft, but stern tone. "Harry, I'd like you to meet someone." And Harry Potter tensed, embarassed by the fact that this boy shared the same name. The boy dutifully looked over still up in his father's arms at the strange man who had been sleeping as far as he'd been told. The boy was shy slightly and just scrunched his hand in a wave and Harry Potter laughed inaudibly to himself.

"Hello." The man said, his response almost soft as a breeze. "Dudley, I never thought you'd do the family thing." Harry wished he hadn't said it as the words left his mouth, but Dudley took them in stride and grinned slightly.

"It's David now cousin. I guess to be fair we have a lot to fill eachother in on." David as he finished speaking was met with the kind but tired eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"Yes, that we do." Draco said drawing both Harrys' eyes.

"How long have I been out?" Harry said sudden fear in his chest.

"Six weeks." Draco's words hung unanswered as Harry did the math. There was lots to find out and Harry was eager to hear it all.

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End Chapter 28

A/N: Don't worry all will be explained in the next chapter. We see the kids return to Hogwarts and the election results after a speech that could tip the election away from a former death-eaters son or to him. Ron will finally find himself and his confidence. And James will learn why Scorpius chose his brother as a friend. And just what has Dudley been doing these last 20 years?

It's all next time on Harry Potter fanfic theatre.