XII. New Beginning

Three years later, it still appeared to be more of a chaotic family. "James Potter!" screeched Lily violently, shaking a red hairbrush at her brother. She stood in the upstairs bathroom, the back of her shining hair now a mat of tangles. "It is not funny! Sneaking up behind me in that… that thing while I'm getting ready is not funny!" Her brother stood only a few feet away, laughing meanly, holding an Invisibility Cloak in his hands. It was immediately snatched away from him.

"Dad!"

"I did not give you this so that you could sneak around playing dumb tricks! You will not abuse its power, young man!"

James looked at him incredulously, dumbstruck. "I'm not a young man. I'm fifteen. And like you never abused it."

"We are not talking about me. I used it to listen in on important conversations, not bully my siblings." He thought he had won, but…

"You had no siblings!"

"Ahem." After clearing her throat, Ginny stepped into the hall. She looked every bit the overworked mother in jeans and a faded t-shirt. "You owe your sister an apology. I took you to Diagon Alley yesterday for your things. It is her turn. She is a teenager, she needs her privacy, and I am confiscating that." She held out her hand expectantly, and with a dramatic sigh of defeat he gave it to her. "Now apologize."

Lily stood behind them, hand on her hips. "I'm sorry."

"Good. Not let's get you fixed up." Ginny disappeared into the bathroom with her daughter, and so it was Harry who answered the door a second later. He was stunned to see standing there none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Hello, Potter. I know you weren't expecting us, but… Well, could we come in?" It was just then that he saw a child poking out from behind Draco's leg. A mini-Malfoy. He was instantly curious as to what they could want, and Draco had not been discourteous.

"Um… sure." He made room for them to step inside, suddenly embarrassed at how messy the house was. He kicked a stray soccer ball under the chair, grateful this went unnoticed as the door clicked shut.

"Pardon the intrusion. I know you didn't want to see us or anything," Malfoy began breathlessly, as if trying to get it all out at once, "but I just thought that since our sons are the same age and going to Hogwarts together in a few days, it might be helpful if we… made peace." Junior Malfoy was shyly poking out now. He was the spitting image of his father, the blonde hair, blue eyes. Harry was reminded of meeting Draco for the very first time when they were that age. Eleven. "This is my son, Scorpio. Scorpio, this is Harry Potter."

They shook hands, the boy obviously quite timid, and Harry smiled to put him at ease. "Nice to meet you. I know someone else you might be interested in meeting." With that Harry walked to the foot of the stairs and shouted, "Albus!" And only a second later a little green eyed boy shook hands with a blue-eyed boy. "This is my son, Albus Severus Potter." He could not miss Draco gasp at the name.

"You didn't!"

"I did," said Harry decidedly, meeting Draco's gaze but then turning to pat his son on the shoulder. "Why don't you go show Scorpio your book collection? You like books, don't you, Scorpio?"

The child did not say anything. He didn't have to. "Scorpio is very academic-" But apparently the boy was not going to let his father speak for him. He spoke up.

"Yes, yes I do." You couldn't miss the way Albus' smile lit up his face at that.

"Let's go then!" And they were off.

"I'm sorry," said Draco right away.

"I shouldn't have come. It's just that… since Astoria died… he's been so lonely, shut off-" Harry had recalled hearing something about Malfoy's wife dying at the Ministry and felt instant pity. Scorpio was the only family he had, and Harry knew what that was like. Sirius had been like that. He gestured to a spot on the couch. Draco took it without hesitation.

"I'm sure they'll be great friends." That was the first time a Malfoy had ever smiled at him. He sniffled and gave a raspy sigh.

"I also came to apologize for everything-" Harry knew what to say right away.

"I am the one who should apologize."

This obviously took Draco aback. "What are you talking about? That night at the Battle of Hogwarts, you came back to pull me from that fire…"

"I remember it vividly, Draco," cut in Harry sharply. "But it only makes us even. Don't you remember that time in our sixth year you nearly bled to death because of me?" That had scarred him for a long time, though he would scarcely admit it. That reply came fast, as if it were loaded on the tongue.

"That doesn't count. Snape saved me." And the ammunition had hit its target.

"He saved our asses lots of times. Did you know that was one of the many reasons Dumbledore had him do it? To save you. To save your soul. " He could still replay the conversation in his head, every word. Draco looked stricken.

"But-what about- his soul-" And he sounded as if he were drowning.

"Listen to me. It was planned between them. Nothing happened."

"That Unbreakable Vow, then-"

"He was always more than met the eye," said Harry mysteriously.

Draco's face seemed to go ash white. "How are you going to tell him? That I nearly killed the man you named him after?" It was not said, but it was there. How are you going to tell him what an awful person I was?

"By telling him that he was killed by the other man I named him after." Yep, it did sound crazy. Completely. He had been afraid of that.

"But I almost did it!"

"Don't you pay attention, Draco? Dumbledore was not going to let you do it! He was not going to let you kill him." The words rang in his head. That boy's soul is not yet so damaged.

"If Severus Snape taught me anything it's that it's never too late to change, ever. I know what side you are on. You are not your parents." Draco needed to hear that. It was evident as the gratitude washed over his features. "I suppose I should thank you, Draco. If you hadn't zoomed up into the air with Neville's Remembrall I would never have gone up after you, and McGonagall would not have put me on the Quidditch team."

Draco gave a cold, hard laugh. "Is that what happened?"

"it is. And another thing you need to know, too. Your mother loved you. Loved you so much that she lied to the Dark Lord for you." The gasp was not sharp and fast like expected, it was long and held out like a breath, a realization. Slowly Draco leaned across the table between them, elbows perched. When he spoke he stammered.

"W-what?" He had no idea what Harry was talking about.

"Oh yes. When he tried to kill me. It didn't work, but you know all about that. Anyway Voldemort was knocked over and he hissed at Narcissa- your mother- to go and see if I was dead." He was loving the affect this was having. He had never seen a Malfoy speechless before. "She only asked me one question: Is Draco okay? And Voldemort was so far away that he did not see me nod." Draco nodded, he knew now, what happened, how it ended. "I will never forget the sound of her voice as she rose up and shouted, 'DEAD!' " It was true. He could still hear it echo through the clearing. "She loved you a lot, Draco. It takes a very brave person to lie to the Dark Lord."

But he was certainly not speaking of Narcissa Malfoy anymore, and he did not care if Draco knew it or not. "Thank you," came the whisper, and Harry saw a small tear escape with it. And a chuckle. "This was a waste of time, though," Draco went on. "After all our children will probably be in different Houses…"

"I don't know about that. He has a lot of his Slytherin namesake in him." It was a full blown laugh this time. Harry had never heard it before. "What do you think he would say if he knew?" His breaths were shortening; it felt like he was elastic. Some days Draco knew Snape a lot better than he did.

"Potter, you sentimental fool," tried Draco, but it simply was not right.

"No," said Harry, shaking his head. "I think he'd be proud." This was the second time a smile escaped.

"You know what? You're probably right." They stood now, the both of them, any ties to the past severed. Friends. "I'm sorry for being such a jealous creep. You had Ron and Hermione, real friends, and I had Crabbe and Goyle, useless oafs. What you had was real, and I envied it." Deep down Harry had always known this, but it was still shocking to hear it said. Draco was taking a good look at the house, and how well lived in and used it was. There was a glimmer of a tear in his eyes. "I still do."

Before Harry could reply, however, two eleven year olds snuck up on them. "Did you guys have fun?"

"Yes!" they shouted in unison, looking on top of the world.

"I have a new best friend, Dad," said Scorpio, and this time he was not mistaken when he saw a tear fall from Draco's eye.

"We'll come back tomorrow. Take Albus to Diagon Alley." He glanced at Harry hastily. "I mean, if that's okay with you…"

Harry put up his hands in surrender. "Hey, I won't fight it." He was grinning.

"Thank you." He had never known that Draco could be as sincere as he was now. It was the beginning of something.

"See you tomorrow," he said, walking to the door. "And Draco? Come anytime."

The End