AN: So I intended to upload this on Sunday or Monday, but seeing as I am currently waiting for some chocolate lollies to cool while the next chapter of my drabble fic slowly comes together in my mind. I hope you like it.

He was pacing up and down his bedroom when an owl swooped in the window. He took the note from its talon and read nervously.

Scorpius,

I believe this is an odd request, but we want to understand better. Meet us outside the three broom sticks tomorrow at noon.

The Weasleys

Noon. Tomorrow. Mr. Weasley! I am so getting punched. Oh bloody hell I deserve it. I deserve worse…

[Scene Break]

It was noon. Scorpius had been outside the three broom sticks for an hour now, going over what he wanted to say, praying to Merlin he didn't get hexed until after he was done explaining himself. Five minutes later he heard Rose's laugh, well it wasn't really her laugh, but it came ridiculously close. His heart sunk at the thought of her. He turned to see where it came from when he saw them, her parents, walking over hand in hand. He went paler, if that was humanly capable. As the Weasleys reached him he was on the brink of collapsing.

"H-hello" he said weakly, dry mouthed.
"Scorpius" Hermione said nodding. Ron just stood there eying the boy. He made Scorpius feel like a little child, it wasn't that Scorpius wasn't tall, but Ron was taller and well built. Plus the look he was wearing wasn't the most welcoming one, not that he could blame him.

"Shall we?" said Hermione as she saw the boy wide-eyed frozen in place.

"Um, y-yeah." he said awkwardly. They walked to one of the booths in the back of the shop. Hermione ordered two butter beers and a glass of water for herself. When the beverages arrived Hermione turned to Scorpius who was still quiet.

"So," Ron finally spoke, "what is this about?"

Scorpius took a deep breath. "First I-I want to apologise for making Rose mad. It wasn't my intention. I know this is strange, me talking to you, but I couldn't tell her about it. What if she didn't know? Then she would hate me and you would kill me and then everything would be a thousand times worse." he said far too quickly.

"Scorpius, darling, slow down. What on earth are you talking about?" Hermione said, sensing he was on a brink of a panic attack.

"Um, I found out the day before yesterday."

"What did you 'find out'?"

Scorpius eyes started to glisten. "What really happened."

"What really happened?" Inquired Hermione "What do you mean what really happened?"

"During the war, I mean."

Ron and Hermione were still bemused. A lot had happened in that war.

"I'm sorry Scorpius, you are going to have to be a little more specific."

"It's no wonder you hate me." he said looking at Ron.

"I don't hate you Scorpius. I'll admit you are not my favourite person, but I don't hate you."

"It's okay Mr. Weasley, I don't blame you if you do. I reckon I'd hate me too."

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, I am giving you exactly three seconds to explain yourself." Hermione said in a scolding voice. She wasn't perfectly happy with the boy right now, but she couldn't listen to him talk like that about himself.

Scorpius looked down at the table, he couldn't bear to look them in the face. "I, um, I was home, the day before yesterday, talking with father about nothing particular, when the subject of us came on. So I asked dad why he told me before the first day of school to be extra, extracareful, because I couldn't afford to mess up, especially around so many Weasleys." He looked slightly up to see Ron staring back at him, eyebrow arched.

"I told him that they were all nice to me, that Rose and Al came to talk to me when I was alone in the library surrounded by books, because no one really wanted to be friends with a Malfoy. You know what he did? He said 'Of course'. He said that you were keen on forgiving, even when one didn't really deserve it. I didn't really understand so I asked him what he meant.

He told me that during the war you were on one side and the Malfoys were on the other. I told him I knew what happened on the final battle, how you saved him from the Fiendfyre and how you had forgiven him for being a rude arse during your school years. And how you made it possible for him to be free and not go to Azkaban, where he says he belonged.

He told me that compared to what happened to you Mrs. Weasley, what he witnessed, what he didn't stop, everything else he did seemed... not nice, but less harsh."

Ron and Hermione stiffened. Tears were forming in her eyes, while some cascaded from the boy's. He looked up at the pair.

"I am so sorry!" He said as his tears became sobs. "I didn't know. I-I asked him why he didn't stop it, why he let something like that happen, and he said he doesn't know and that he is going to regret it for the rest of his life. That he was messed up, that he was confused. He was raised to believe one thing and one thing only... I am so sorry Mrs Weasley!" He broke off.

After a couple of seconds he spoke again. "Now I understand why you don't like that Rose is, was, with me, Mr. Weasley, why you hate me. I-I-I am the spawn of the man that let that happen to your wife. If something like that ever happened to..." he broke off again.

"Scorpius I told you once already, I don't hate you." Ron spoke because he knew how difficult the topic still was for Hermione. "Yes, I admit I don't like that you are dating Rose, but that is more due to the fact that my little girl is dating, not who she's dating. Yes, it was awful, hell awful doesn't cover it, there are no words to describe how it felt to witness what happened to her, and yes I must admit that when I first saw you all I saw was your father, the one I knew, not the one you know. But now, when I see you I see Scorpius. Do you understand me?" Scorpius nodded. "I must ask though, why did you break up with Rose?"

"Because I can't be with her knowing what I meant to you. Knowing that I bring so many awful memories. I reckon Rose doesn't really know what happened that night, does she? Of course not, she wouldn't be with me if sure did. Who would?"

"Rose does know." Ron said. "Not all the details, but she does know what happened." Scorpius looked up surprised. "We told her that time you invited her to your family's estate, to meet your grandmother. We didn't want her to go. When she asked why, I told her I felt uncomfortable knowing she'd be there alone. Of course she wanted to know why, so we explained what happened there."

"So, that's why she didn't go." He said to himself. "She told me Hugo got sick and she had been exposed to dragon pox."

"She just needed time to wrap her mind around everything. We told her, like we are telling you, it's not your burden to bear; it is not your fault." Ron finished

"Scorpius" Hermione said softly, he didn't respond. She took one of his hands away from his face. "Look at me Scorpius." He looked up at her. "What happened to me was appalling, everything that happened was terrible, but it's not your fault. Your father did not do the right thing, that is for certain, but I reckon he had his reasons, that at the time made sense. But Scorpius, that was as much your fault as it was Rosie's."

His eyes widened. "But how could it be Rose's fault?" he said quietly

"Exactly." She smiled softly at him. "Now, if that was your reason for breaking up with her, I urge you to re-evaluate your decision."

He smiled at her, tear tracks still moist. "Certainly."

AN 2: I hope you liked it. As I said on the first chapter, I think Scorpius would've been raised correctly, so in my mind he is a kind, gentle boy.

PS. I loathe white chocolate.