A/N: Sort of a companion piece to 'Three Generations', but can be read alone. I was wondering how Draco would react to Scorpius and Albus becoming close friends, and this was born. Lighthearted take on dinner with the ex-Gryffindors :)

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"I suppose it could have been worse," Harry says, not taking his eyes of his youngest son.

Draco turns to look at him in disbelief, the pained expression fading slightly from his face to make space for incredulity. "And how, exactly, could it be any worse?"

The corner of Harry's mouth twitches slightly. "I'm not sure. But things could always be worse. Hermione taught me that."

Draco scoffs. "Well, if precious Granger taught you that –"

"Draco, so nice of you to join us!"

"Bloody witch and her bloody timing," Draco mutters. Ignoring Harry's muffled laugh, he turns a bright smile on the approaching Mother Weasley.

"You'll be staying for dinner, I hope?" Hermione's smile was wide, bright, and utterly evil. "I'm sure the boys would really appreciate it. And boy, do we have a lot of catching up to do!"

"Oh, please dad, can we stay for dinner?" Scorpius yells from across the room.

Draco's eyebrow twitches. "Potter, your son has taught mine the evil art of eavesdropping. He is a bad influence."

"Nah. If memory serves, eavesdropping provided me with quite some interesting information when I was a kid."

"Please, father, can we stay?"

"Malfoy!" comes a booming yell, as Ron joined them in the living room. "Good to see you!" Ron's face said the exact opposite.

"Don't strain yourself Weasley. Saying something nice to me might make you choke." Draco dead-pans.

"You simply must stay for dinner!" Ron declares cheerfully, swinging an arm around him. Draco stares at him in horror.

"Pleeeease, father? Al needs to show me how to make broccoli taste like pumpkin pastries."

Albus quickly shushes him, but it's too late. Hermione turns a heated glare on them. "You've been talking to Uncle George, haven't you?" The boys smile sheepishly.

"Oh, what does it matter, Aunt Hermione? We're still eating the broccoli, it'll just taste better!"

"That doesn't matter, it's the principle of things! I'm going to have to have a talk with that man!"

"Yea, c'mon father," Ron snickers. "Stay for your son."

Draco glares at Harry from under the weight of Ron's arm. "This is all your fault, Potter. Somehow, it is. I haven't yet figured it out. Very well, we'll stay for dinner!"

"There's a good man," Ron roars rubbing his hands together in anticipatory glee. Both Al and Scorpius run over and hug Draco. Draco looks over at Harry for help, but the brunette is too busy laughing.

"Useless Potter," he mutters, prying the boys away gently.

Hermione grabs Ron's arm and whispers in his ear.

"Why are you so eager to have him over?"

Conspiringly, he leans over to his wife's ear. "George gave me this powder that will make boils erupt all over that perfect, pasty face of his! It'll be brilliant!"

Outraged, Hermione grabs him by the ear and drags him to the kitchen, yelling all the way. "I cannot believe you, Ronald Weasley! Over 30 years and you're still a petty kid looking for revenge! I think Draco has proven that he's not the same ferret he was in school, but you, Mr. Weasley, haven't changed a bit!"

Hermione continues ranting away until her voice fades. The boys return to their game, and Harry and Draco are once more left alone, leaning against the wall. Harry is smirking. Draco knows he is.

"I hate you, you know."

"No you don't."

"Maybe not as much as I used to, but I still hate you."

"No, you don't."

Draco sighs in frustration. "At least Granger is keeping a tight leash on that dog of hers."

"Ron's just bitter that our 'childish dispute' didn't end with his victory."

"Whatever."

The lapsed in silence, watching their sons as the laughed hysterically when the cards exploded. Harry chuckles with them.

"You're really okay with this?"

Harry turns to face Draco, and is surprised to see concern in his eyes. Up until now, Harry had thought Draco was just exaggerating a slight annoyance.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. Because my son is a Malfoy. Your son is a Potter."

"Yea, but they're Al and Scorpius. Not Harry and Draco. Not James and Lucius. There's no Voldemort around to twist their minds or turn them on each other. And Scorpius is a lot less stuck up than you were at that age."

Draco glares at Harry. "That's because I'm not my father. I taught him differently."

"Exactly," Harry says with a broad smile. "And that's why it's going to be okay."

Draco's shoulders droop slightly, but just as he opens his mouth to answer, Hermione yells dinner, and they're all walking toward the dining table.

Ginny comes down to the diner with Hugo, Rose, James, and Lily in tow. Draco mutters something about Weasleys and their overly-active procreative genes before yelping slightly as Harry kicks him in the shins under the table with a grin.

Draco is silent throughout dinner, speaking only to politely compliment the chef, and to answer Hermione's question on the whereabouts of his wife.

"Her mother spontaneously decided to visit today. I just barely managed to get away. I sincerely hope we won't find Astoria dead at the dinner table when we get home."

"It is my firm belief that my mother-in-law adds arsenic to her cooking," Draco clarifies at Hermione's puzzled look. "Nothing else could possibly make it taste so revolting."

"Ah," Hermione says. Then a conversation about Quidditch starts and Hermione's shoulders droop as all the supposed adults at the table begin bickering like children.

Several minutes later, amid pointless chatter, Draco comes to notice Hermione glaring hotly at both Al and Scorpius, who seemed to be eating their broccoli with enormous relish. With an evil grin, Draco points his wand at the boys under the table and mutters a brief spell.

A second later, two pairs of eyes widen comically and start watering. They choke down the broccoli, which for some reason no longer tastes like fresh pumpkin pie, and choke down three glasses of water each.

Draco catches Hermione's eye and winks at her. She smiles in return, and pinches Ron viciously as he opens his mouth in outrage.

Harry slaps Draco upside the head. James and Hugo snort into their food.

"What was that for?" Draco demands hotly, rubbing his head.

"For taking an adult's side rather than your own son's. Merlin," Harry rolls his eyes.

After dinner, Draco and Scorpius prepare to leave, saying goodbye in front of the fireplace.

"Dinner was wonderful, Mrs. Granger, thank you," Draco says with a smile and glares at Ron when he snorts.

"Playing the polite ferret now, are you?" he mutters.

"Your wife deserves my politeness, not you too Weasel."

They glare at each other mutinously, but shake hands awkwardly at Hermione's glare.

"Scorpius is welcome any time here," Ginny says. "You should come by more often."

"Thank you for the invitation," Draco says, seeming a bit confused, but pleased nonetheless. "But perhaps next time you'll come over to our place. When Astoria's mother isn't around, of course," he adds hastily.

Al and Scorpius are standing in a corner, heads together. They are laughing, and looking through Chocolate Frog cards, doing some last minute trading off.

Harry stands next to Draco and grins. "Look on the bright side. It could be worse."

Draco raises an eyebrow in amusement. "And how could it possibly be worse?"

Scorpius' hand brushes Al's and they both look up shyly.

"They could be more than just friends," Harry answers, and roars with laughter as Draco pales.

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