Chronos, Greek God of Time

I've never been in so much pain before. Papa tried to teach me a thing or two about fighting against the Dark Lord and his followers, but he never once allowed me to feel anything like this. He always said that I didn't have to be exposed to any more pain. He said that losing Dad and Lily was enough. He wanted to protect me from any form of pain, and that's why he said he would be there for me.

Now, I am alone, and I'm suffering more pain than I ever could have imagined because he couldn't protect me. He left me just like Daddy left us.

And the physical pain caused by this potion is unlike anything I could have ever imagined.

If Papa and Dad could put up with it when they tried to protect me, I can do it for the future. No one else has to go through this ever again.

Only me.

I'm sorry Papa, but I need a little more pain to make things better. I'm sorry I'm deliberately going against what you wanted and am causing myself this agony.

But I can't let anyone else do it.

So I took the potion you made me promise never to drink.

I'll be able to apologise to you in person. I'll see you and Daddy again.

-

There were many members in the Order of the Phoenix. Last year had resulted in several recruitments. Only, there were a mere handful of trusted members who were allowed to sit in on the meetings. Included in this was Albus Dumbledore, the founder of the Order, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George Weasley, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, Rubeus Hagrid, Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Newly inducted into the largely adult group was the young Harry Potter, who was determined to know every step that was being taken to defeat the Dark Lord.

They were in the middle of a meeting, though only Albus, Minerva, Remus, Severus and Harry attended, when they were horribly disrupted.

A tearing noise interrupted Albus' words about the protection of the castle moments before a space in the office split open before their eyes. Wands were drawn in record time in an attempt to protect themselves from whatever intrusion or danger it might have brought.

What they instead found was a shaking form that dropped from the tear moments before it sealed back up.

The form was draped in a heavy cloak, and was curled up in the foetal position in the middle of the floor, cringing in what appeared to be pain. The only identifiable feature visible was the platinum blonde hair sticking out from under the material.

The wands never once wavered.

Harry's eyes narrowed at the figure when he felt his heart start to beat faster. There was something strange about this person. Some instinct deep inside him screamed out for him to lower his wand, but he stood his ground.

And it stung him to see everyone with curses on their lips.

He felt his body move toward the other, his legs taking the steps without him knowing it. There was a need to protect this person, no matter what. He wanted them to feel safe.

"Potter," Severus hissed from behind him as Harry knelt down, his wand slipping from his hand and onto the floor.

The figure moved, causing everyone to jump slightly. Harry gently helped the coughing and wincing person up onto his knees.

"It's okay," Harry promised, supporting him by his shoulders. "We're not going to hurt you."

The coughing fit stopped, allowing the other to uncover his face. What was staring up at Harry shocked him.

Draco Malfoy's face was on this boy, but his eyes were emerald green and sparkling with tears.

Only, his tears didn't look like they came from his physical pain.

"It's you-you're alive," the boy breathed and the tears spilled over. Before Harry could stop him, he launched himself up and wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders, pulling him in as closely as possible.

Something sparked deep within Harry. Having this boy embrace him was like nothing he had ever experienced before. He felt an undying need to make sure this teen was safe and happy. It was like he had an instant connection with him.

Harry found himself returning the hug.

"I'm so sorry," the smaller teen continued. "I took the potion, even though you told me not to. But it worked and I'm here and I can help you now."

Harry jolted back as he felt someone tear at his robes, pulling him away from the stranger. He was toppled before he could stop Severus from lowering his wand at the boy, right at his neck.

"You're not Draco Malfoy," Severus claimed. His black eyes roamed over the face before him, widening and then narrowing at the eyes staring back at him. "That's impossible." Whatever it was that caught his eye had him standing, bringing the young man with him by his hair and slamming him against the closest wall.

Harry jumped at the sound of the teen's cry of pain. It tore him to his heart.

"Severus," Albus started, moving up next to the potions master. "Surely you shouldn't be treating him like that. He's only young."

The boy's eyes darted to Albus and then back to the man threatening him. "Please. I'll explain everything." The hand in his hair tightened, causing him to stand on his toes and grimace. "I'm not a threat. I swear. I'm not a Death Eater and I'm certainly not here to hurt Harry Potter."

Severus slammed him again before letting him drop. "She had one child. Who the hell are you?"

Confusion crossed the faces of everyone around them. "My name is Scorpius," the teen responded from the floor, not even bothering to try to stand. His body still shook weakly. "I'm from the future."

"You're a Malfoy?"

"Yes."

Severus turned his head away. "Impossible," he repeated. "She only had one child."

"And he's my papa," Scorpius claimed, which had Severus turning back towards him. The Slytherin grabbed him by the front of his robes, forcing him to stand as he shook him violently.

"There is no such thing as a female Malfoy, boy. What lies are you spinning?"

Albus clapped a hand on Severus' shoulder, telling him it was enough. "If you let him talk, we might get an answer, Severus."

Scorpius was dropped again. "Draco Malfoy is my dad..."

"This is bullshit," Severus argued. He stopped at Albus' sigh. He folded his arms over his chest and walked to the back of the room.

"I'm not allowed to say who my papa is, though. Otherwise, it mightn't happen."

The potions master let out a derogative snort but didn't say anything.

"I'm born five years from now..."

"No spell or potion can take anyone this far back," Remus instantly objected. "Nothing is that powerful."

"In my time, my dad created a potion strong enough to take me back twenty years," Scorpius explained. "It was patented two years before my birth, just in case it would be needed. I had to complete it in secrecy when we realised we had no chance at winning the war."

Albus crouched down next to him.

Harry nearly bristled with jealousy. His spot was supposed to be next to this Scorpius. The old man had stolen it.

"Twenty years is a long time, Mister Malfoy. I can't imagine how much has changed in your time compared to now."

Scorpius let out a shaky cough. "I'm not exactly a Mister Malfoy. Dad took my papa's name. It was hyphenated. And this is the first time I've seen you, Professor. You're dead in my time. You died long before I was born."

"That's impossible," Minerva demurred. "Surely the Death Eaters can't have improved that much."

"They stop trying to kill us. They capture instead," Scorpius told them. "I was the only one in the Resistance who hadn't been caught. Uncle Severus and Tonks managed to escape them a few times after being tortured, but everyone else died. First Professor Dumbledore, then Mister Moody, Minerva McGonagall...everyone in the Order will die. It starts a year from now when they realise they aren't strong enough to beat us in battle; they set up traps to capture us one by one. Professor Dumbledore is the first to go, but the only one to end his own life."

"I am captured?" Albus asked.

Scorpius nodded his head, but turned to Harry. His eyes returned to Albus though. "It happened because you don't want to reveal anything about the Order through torture. Voldemort linked it all to Harry Potter. He saw the whole thing mentally."

Harry raised an eyebrow. There weren't very many people who knew about the connection between the two.

It was also rare to find someone using Voldemort's name.

"You can't be a Malfoy," Harry muttered, looking at the Malfoy-look-a-like. "They're too chicken-shit to do anything against their Lord."

The blonde cringed as he laughed weakly. "Yeah, you used to say that all the time. I guess it's my papa who really stands out in me personality-wise."

"You can't have her eyes if you're Draco's son," Severus hissed from his corner. "Surrogate parenthood doesn't involve the DNA of both fathers."

Scorpius eyed the older man. "That's correct in this time. In four years, my dad will create a potion that strips the DNA of the surrogate mother from the embryo she's carrying and replaces it with the DNA of the second father. Works with two mothers, too. He'd become incredibly famous for the creation if the selling of potions wasn't monitored by the Death Eaters. They've completely taken over in my time."

"Why hasn't anyone stopped them?" Harry asked, not even realising how stupid the idea was. He wanted the boy to talk to him.

"Everyone strong enough has been killed," Scorpius breathed. "Including you. That was when Uncle Severus and I decided to send me back."

"I was killed?"

"Yes. Voldemort caught you somehow on the battlefield. He stood over you and stomped you to your death."

Harry swallowed thickly. "How long before that happens?"

"It was three months ago in my time. The moment it happened, I suggested to Uncle Severus that we send me to this time so I can warn you. I can even help with the fighting. I haven't had as much training as I would have liked, but I know a few things..."

"No."

It was so loudly objected that Minerva jumped a little in shock. Harry didn't even know where it came from, but he definitely did not want this boy to get hurt. He wanted him to have nothing to do with a battle like that.

Severus rolled his eyes before he walked out of the room. Only Remus watched him.

"Harry?" Albus asked, eyeing the Gryffindor.

"I-I don't know what just happened," Harry admitted softly, looking only at Scorpius, "but he's not allowed to join in on this fight."

Albus raised an eyebrow before his attention returned to Scorpius. After a moment of observing him, his eyes turned back to Harry, who instantly recognised the knowing-glint in them.

"How do we know any of this is true?" Remus asked, showing the responsibility he was so well-known for.

"Uncle Severus said that you had to perform a DNA test on me," Scorpius said to the werewolf. "He knew that you'd have nothing against me when you found out who my papa is. No one else is allowed to know, though. But...I think Uncle Severus already does...he seems really angry about it."

Harry knelt on the other side of Scorpius. "I guess he doesn't approve of your papa then. He would only want the best for his arse-kissing little Malfoy."

Minerva verbally disapproved of the words that came from Harry's mouth

The younger teen smiled at that. "My dad doesn't have to kiss arse to get what he wants from Uncle Sev. He's damn good at making potions. Some say he's better than my Uncle Sev. Even to the day I left, people were praising his talents, even though it was ten years after his death."

Harry felt his mouth go dry. "Malfoy dies in ten years?"

Scorpius nodded his head once. "That's why I can't wait to see him again. He promised me he would read me the final chapter of our book. The night he was killed was supposed to be the last chapter."

"Oh. Maybe you can make him finish it when you see him."

The blonde smiled sadly. "I lost it a long time ago. I can't even remember what it was called. I get the feeling my papa hid it, though. He hid a lot of things that randomly made him burst out into tears..."

Harry noticed how Scorpius trailed off. "Your papa must have loved your dad very much," he commented, making Scorpius' smile turn happy.

"Yes, he did. He never moved on. My dad was the only one for my papa. He told me all the time."

Albus looked at Harry. "Perhaps Remus should perform that test?" he suggested, almost as if he was getting permission.

Harry nodded his head nonetheless and stood up, supporting Scorpius. The boy still shook slightly, but the effects were steadily wearing off.

He had taken a few observations of the boy. Scorpius hadn't once reached for his wand, wherever it was hidden, and he didn't look like he had even wanted to draw it out. Even as Severus had him against the wall, he was completely complacent. That left Harry to wonder what type of person the blonde teen was. He was either strongly against violence, or compliant to achieve his goals.

Neither were properties the Malfoy family appeared to appreciate.

-

Remus Lupin had been reinstated to the place of the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at the start of Harry's seventh year. It was a welcome return supported by most.

Severus had opposed it as much as he possibly could, claiming that the last thing the students needed in a time of war was to be taught by a werewolf, especially when the werewolves were siding with the Dark Lord.

The war got harder and harder every day. The Death Eaters were on the move, threatening the lives of so many innocent Muggle and Muggleborn families.

The dead bodies were mounting. However, no important political figure or Order member had suffered just yet. Similarly, the Death Eaters were just as strong with every leader being safe and sound.

The Ministry had started to become desperate. They were searching as hard as they possibly could to find a way to cover the deaths. The first step was to remove Fudge from his position. He was replaced by Rufus Scrimgeour. The old lion-like man was just as useless in the eyes of the Order. Over a year, he had tried to both cover up what he could and had Moody train a bunch of new Aurors in secret. Those Aurors were killed within a week of their conscription, revealing the Ministry had a spy. It wasn't long before fingers were being pointed to some of the more infamous Ministry members, such as Lucius Malfoy.

It shocked Harry to his core that the blonde man hadn't been put into custody already. It was a fact everyone knew. He was a Death Eater and was destined to pass that title down to his son.

Harry cringed as he helped walk Scorpius to Remus' office. The boy he was holding up was the grandson of Lucius Malfoy and he was already attached to him somehow.

Draco Malfoy hadn't been that much of a burden as of late. Once they hit their seventh year, he seemed to die down. He quit the Quidditch team since Slytherin hadn't enough skill to fill a team (most had left because of Death Eater rumours or had been pulled out of school because of Death Eater parents wanting them to take their rightful place in the cause) and focused on his studies. Despite this, still had the appearance of being as arrogant and as discriminative as ever, even without one of his usual cronies. Crabbe had been one of the students who didn't return to complete their seventh year of education.

Instead, he spent most of his time in the library or out by the lake with Goyle and Theodore Nott, rather than being the school bully. He had apparently passed that crown to Pansy Parkinson, who took it up with delight.

As Harry thought back at it, he realised that although it was November already, he hadn't had much of an exchange with his usual nemesis. He had a few classes with the blonde, but they hadn't had a physical or magical fight with each other all term. Harry couldn't remember the last time he had even communicated with the Slytherin. It probably dated at least a month ago. The last fight would have been February, when Malfoy taunted Hermione and Ron over their Valentine's Day date in Hogsmeade. Harry had pointed out that Malfoy was completely dateless, only to have Blaise Zabini show up and prove him wrong.

That was when Harry discovered Malfoy's sexuality. It was also the reason why he wasn't shocked to find out that Scorpius was the product of Malfoy and his husband.

He looked down at the blonde teen who walked with a slight limp. He was the spitting image of Malfoy with one or two differences.

The first was that Malfoy was much shorter than this boy. Even thought there was a two year gap, Malfoy was still shorter. It pleased Harry to no end when he finally shot up past the Slytherin's height. He figured that out in their last punch-on. He had slammed him against a wall only to discover that he was capable of looking down at the teen. It seemed that although Lucius was tall, Malfoy had gotten absolutely none of his height.

The second difference was the sparkling green eyes that looked back at him. They were so unlike the cold grey glare belonging to his dad and his grandfather. Harry was almost glad the boy wasn't completely facially identical to Malfoy. It gave him a warmer appearance. It also meant that he could have a decent conversation with the boy without those eyes giving him hell.

There was something about Malfoy, Harry had realised somewhere along the years, that really bugged him. It was no secret, that was for sure, but there was something about him that stood out past the fact that he was destined to become a Death Eater. There was much more to it.

Harry had been questioning his sexuality for a while now. He had dated Ginny for a while before things fell out. No matter how much she tried, she wasn't what he wanted physically. And the more he looked at Malfoy, the more he realised how much more appealing the blonde was.

Harry's shudder startled Scorpius.

"Are you alright? Am I too heavy?" he asked quickly, staring up at him with those eyes.

The Gryffindor shook his head at the latter question. "I'm just thinking, that's all. How are you coping?"

"I'll be alright. I'll get to see Dad soon."

Just the thought of seeing Malfoy again had the hairs at the back of his neck standing up on end. That teen was the physical evidence that Harry was going insane. Only a person deserving to be in a psych-ward could possibly find Malfoy attractive at a time like this.

Now was the time for war; not to discover that you're actually gay and it was the enemy who proved it to you.

This time, Harry groaned. The more he thought about it, the worse it got. He just resolved to not think about him.

"So," he started off, helping Scorpius around a corner. "What happened to Remus?"

The professor in front of him nearly snorted at him.

"It's Professor Lupin while we're out in the castle like this," he chided lightly. Harry grinned and winked at Scorpius.

"Actually, he died when I was nine. I don't know who did it, but it was all relayed back to you," Scorpius answered, looking up at Harry. "It was the second time I've ever seen you so completely destroyed inside. You lost your spouse a few years before it."

"I marry?" Harry asked in complete shock. "That's impossible..."

"Nope. You marry someone you love dearly. You even had two children together." Scorpius looked back at Remus. "You're not married yet, are you?"

That time, Remus let out a sigh. "I'm never getting married, Mister Malfoy."

"Your death was the only time I've ever seen your husband break down. He's been around me all my life, but your death was the only thing that seemed to emotionally hurt him."

Remus stopped walking. "I'm not about to marry a man," he replied, turning back to the teens. "I'm currently in a relationship with a woman."

"Tonks, you mean?"

"Yes."

Scorpius waved his hand dismissively. "You're pretty much cheating on her already." That had the werewolf's cheeks darkening. "I know you're already in love with him..." He stopped himself by slapping a hand over his mouth.

Remus had gone from as red as Harry had ever seen him to as pale as the skin the Malfoys were so proud of.

"I-I marry him...?"

That gained Harry's attention. "You're in love with a man? What happened to Tonks?"

"I wasn't meant to say anything about those things." Scorpius' words were muffled by his hand. "I really didn't mean to say that..." He looked up at Harry with his eyes wide. "I'm so sorry."

"You're in love with a man?" Harry repeated, ignoring Scorpius. "When did this happen...? Are you already with him?"

Remus continued to stare at Scorpius, ignoring Harry. "I can't possibly marry him; he hates me..."

Scorpius uncovered his mouth but started to walk. "I'm not saying anymore. Uncle Sev will kill me. He made me promise not to say anything about the future if it could stop what's meant to happen. That's why my papa isn't allowed to find out that he's my papa, otherwise it mightn't happen. And no one's meant to know who they marry, either, so forget that I said anything."

"I can't believe that," Remus trailed off, turning around and following Scorpius, even though the blonde was looking around, trying to find his direction. As they both turned another corner, Harry could have sworn he saw a broad smile on the older man's lips.

Accepting that he was being ignored, Harry continued to follow, catching Scorpius just in time as he slipped down the closest wall.

"You're a bit of a handful, you know that?" Harry grumbled, helping to lift him back up.

"Yeah, sorry. We didn't know what side-effects the potion would have, but we had to use it anyway."

Remus helped out. "So...that means that he loves me, right?"

Scorpius groaned and tried to wiggle away from the werewolf. "I'm not telling you anymore than I already have. I wasn't meant to say that much to begin with"

Remus just smiled.

Harry sent him a mock glare. "You have to break up with Tonks, you know that, right?"

The glare was returned. "I'll get around to it."

Scorpius shook his head. "No! You have to continue on as if you don't know any of this. You don't break up with her because of him...she finds out and breaks up with you. You have to keep it going that way, otherwise it could turn out wrong."

Brown eyes rolled as Remus took in what the teen was saying.

"You're as bad as a child, you know that?" Scorpius nearly hissed out. "You weren't like this in my time."

"Maybe you were just too young." Harry offered. He paused as they arrived at Remus' rooms. The professor opened up his door with a series of charms and a key to finish it off.

"Or it could be that you're the son of a Malfoy," Remus suggested. "Last I checked, I wasn't on the best grounds with them."

The blonde teen frowned at that. "My grandfather was very wrong for everything he's ever done," he claimed. "The only thing he did right was sire my dad. His actions cause my papa to kill him months before I'm born. My grandmother followed him through a suicide. She couldn't take life without her husband."

"And your dad?"

"She hadn't spoken to him for years before that. It became public knowledge that my dad had changed sides for my papa. That's my job, though. I have to convince him sooner so he can help. Voldemort had him cooking up all sorts of horrible potions before he switched sides. One of them assists the Death Eaters to trap us. If they can't get their hands on that, then surely we'll be off to a better start."

"So it's only you, Snape and Tonks in your world?" Harry asked. Remus let out a small cough as if he was choking on air.

Scorpius grinned at that before he turned back to Harry. "Yeah, but they're both useless. They've both been tortured beyond helping. I'm the only one who can walk on some days, and I can barely cast a Patronus. I'm just as useless as they are in battle." He tugged on a pouch at his hip. "That's why I keep to dad's profession. I make all the potions you could ever imagine. Since Uncle Sev can't stand long enough to brew them, the reins were handed over to me a long time ago."

Harry guided Scorpius into a chair in Remus' office. "I can't imagine your papa would be too happy about you looking just like your dad and doing the same thing he did."

"He hated it," Scorpius admitted with a wide smile. "Absolutely hated it. There were some times I reminded him so much of Dad he just cried when he looked at me. That was a little strange, though."

Remus disappeared into a back room.

"Could have been worse...he could have hit on you or something," Harry suggested.

"He never tried that. But..."The door to the office opened and Severus stepped through. Scorpius continued with his story. "But Papa hit me once. It was horrible. He wouldn't talk to me for the longest of times and I thought it was because I reminded him too much of my dad. So I dyed my hair black for a change. He hit me so hard I got dizzy." Scorpius saw the way Severus' eyes narrowed into a glare at Harry, though Harry was also angry with the blonde's words. "He told me, though, that I was never to be ashamed of what I got from Dad. He made me change it back as soon as I possibly could."

Just then, Remus returned to the room holding a dagger and looking thoroughly puzzled. He paused, though, when he saw Severus.

"I was just about to send Harry to get you," he said, moving up towards his desk.

Severus pulled a piece of parchment from his robes. "Albus firecalled me and said you might need this. It's been soaked in the potion for five minutes. It should work right," he claimed before turning around and leaving.

It left Harry slightly confused.

"I thought I had some of this stuff in the back there, but it appears to be gone," Remus explained almost absently. "Looks as if Severus was a step ahead of me."

"You have to leave the room," Scorpius told Harry. "You're not allowed to find out who my papa is."

Harry looked at the dagger in Remus' hands. "What are you going to do with that?" he demanded to know.

The werewolf followed his gaze. "I need some of blood in order to perform the test."

"I've been through it before," Scorpius claimed. "He just needs a few drops, nothing big."

Harry gave the boy a sceptic look before he made his exit.

-

The headmaster couldn't stop grinning. "This is an interesting change in our journey," he told Minerva. "That teen is an intriguing creature. His parents-he's destined to be as every bit as fascinating as the pair."

"You know who his other father is?" she asked almost dryly.

"As does Severus. That boy clicks so much quicker when it concerns a certain woman."

"Severus isn't the little boy you regard him as...surely he can't be."

"Those eyes aren't on the face of every young man we meet."

Minerva slipped into a chair, holding a hand up to cover her eyes. "That isn't possible. Those two boys can't get along in a class, let alone as a married couple."

"It's incredibly interesting, isn't it?"

-

Scorpius jumped out of his dream when Remus started talking to him again. "Are you okay?" the werewolf asked, placing the dagger down on the desk before him.

The blonde nodded his head, looking down at the few droplets of blood spreading on the piece of parchment where they had landed.

Remus watched the blood mix in with the potion lacing the parchment. Before long, the crimson liquid began to move, flowing as if it was ink from a pen.

The first word it made was 'Scorpius'. That was followed by 'James'. The common name had Remus raising an eyebrow. The Malfoys weren't very famous for their commonness. 'Malfoy-' was next. Scorpius was blushing by this, and he didn't even know why. 'Potter'.

-

Harry returned to the Gryffindor dormitory. It was something past eleven, after all. The meeting took much longer than usual, and then the incident with Scorpius just built on the time he could have used studying. Or sleeping. The latter was much more likely, either way.

He knew he'd be attacked by Ron and Hermione, who'd want nothing more than to figure out what had been so interesting that he was kept there for so long. Harry considered not telling them about Scorpius. His want to keep him safe hit had at that point, screaming at him that the best way to protect him was to not let anyone know of his existence.

But, if Harry knew anything about his friends, they'd get it out of him eventually.

And he was right.

The moment the Fat Lady let him through, he was bombarded by a moving ball of frizzy hair. Hermione was in his face within seconds, demanding to know what had taken him so long and if he was alright.

"It's okay," Harry told her, trying to shush her. "Nothing bad happened, I suppose you could say. We just had something different happen in the meeting."

Ron eyed him suspiciously. "Such as?" he questioned, causing Harry's eyes to dart around the common room. They were the only three there.

"You are never going to believe this."

And so they all settled down for his explanation.

-

"This is impossible," Remus claimed, looking at the family tree drawn by Scorpius' blood. On the parchment were to names of Scorpius' parents, grandparents and great grandparents on all sides.

"I wish people would stop saying that," Scorpius groaned. "If it's written down there, clear as day, then it's right."

"Your papa can't possibly be Harry. Him and Draco Malfoy are sworn enemies-possibly more so than Harry and Voldemort. This is insane."

Scorpius smiled, fondly running his finger over the word 'Lily', which had appeared next to his own name. "My papa always told me about some rivalry between the two of them, but it's really good to hear it from someone else."

"And they were happy together?"

The smile disappeared. "Mostly. They had their fights, but all couples fight, right? There was only ever one that was overly bad. Other than that, they were close and loving."

"Malfoy's the next in line to get his arm tattooed."

"He never received it in my time. He might have worked for Voldemort for a little while, but he was never a Death Eater."

"This is really..."

"Uncle Sev said that you'd be the hardest to convince," Scorpius said. "He told me that you'd want to protect my papa with everything you had. But trust me, and the proof. I'm their child, and I want to protect them just as much as you and Uncle Sev do. I don't care if they end up together or not. Just as long as they're safe and don't have to go through that pain, I would have done what I came here for."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "If they don't end up together, then you'll never be born."

"I'm aware of that. I'm also aware of the suffering Papa went through when Daddy died. It was like he had lost more than his soul. It's not fair that he goes through all of that just because he fell in love."

Remus let out a sigh. "What are we going to do with you?"

Green eyes sparkled. "Can I see my dad?"

-

Ron's mouth couldn't have dropped any further.

"Malfoy's kid?" he hissed, moving forward in his chair. "Malfoy's kid?!"

"Yes, Ron. The kid is a Malfoy."

"And Malfoy has him with another guy?"

"Yes."

"That's insane. I can't believe you're actually thinking any of this is true," Ron muttered, settling back in his seat. "I mean, how is it even possible for any of it to be true? Malfoy's a Death Eater and he's nowhere near good enough to make all of these potions. This is all a trick."

"The wards wouldn't have let him through, Ron," Hermione argued, fully believing the tale. "He'd have to be transported from another time in order to get past them."

"Then he's here to hurt Harry, Hermione! It isn't possible for a Malfoy to not want to kill him..."

"There's something about him," Harry claimed, efficiently halting the redhead's words. "He's different from the Malfoys of this time. When he hugged me, it was like...it was different from any other hug I've ever had. I've...it touched me right to somewhere inside me..."

That piqued Hermione's interest. "Maybe he has done something to you, Harry. That sounds a little too strange for it to be normal."

Harry shook his head vehemently. "No. He would never hurt me, Hermione. He's not a true Malfoy. His papa raised him. Scorpius is here to help. And I think we should trust him."

Ron stood in a fit of rage. "You can't be serious, Harry. He's a Malfoy, regardless to who raised him. For all we know, some other Slytherin's his papa. This Scorpius kid isn't to be trusted. He's clearly done something to you already."

Harry fell back against his chair. "You're acting as if he's some sort of threat. His papa never let him learn any real fighting skills..."

"At least that's what he's telling you. For all we know, he's just waiting to strike. He'll let you believe he's weak and then he'll get you when you're least expecting it."

"Scorpius isn't going to do anything like that, Ron."

"And how do you know that?"

Hermione had to suggest Ron lowered his voice at that. He was getting louder and louder with every sentence, and the last thing they really needed was to wake up the whole Gryffindor house over their squabbles.

"I know it. I'd trust him with my life."

Ron rolled his eyes. "You're a fool. I can't believe you'd willingly trust a Malfoy so quickly. They're the main followers of the enemy, or did you forget that? We may as well get the Dementors on him as soon as we possibly..."

Harry couldn't remember drawing his wand so quickly before, but he had it up against Ron's throat before he could finish his sentence.

Retaliating in her own record time, Hermione whipped out her wand and had it to Harry's chest.

"Harry, what's going on, mate?" Ron asked, his voice a little weak.

It took Harry a while, but within moments, he was mentally retracing his steps to figure out what was happening.

His hand shook as he realised. The wand dropped as he slipped back onto the couch, holding his head in his hands.

"I don't know what's going on, Ron. I'm so sorry," he apologised softly. "I-that's the second time I've stood up for him like that...I don't want him to be hurt, that's the closest thing I can get to understanding what's going on."

Hermione sat next to him, handing him his wand. "Did he have a chance to put a spell on you or anything?"

He shook his head, knowing that Scorpius hadn't even moved for his wand once. His eyes had sought out his every movement and he hadn't reached for it at all.

"And I highly doubt it was a potion." He looked at Hermione. "I honestly just want to protect him. He mentioned fighting in the war and that just tore me apart."

The young woman observed him closely. "Maybe you two were close in his time."

Ron immediately disagreed with that. "What could Harry possibly want with a Malfoy, no matter the year?"

"Scorpius doesn't seem that bad. Remus would have tested him by now to see who his papa is, and if he's the son of a reliable man, it should be alright. Malfoy changed sides in his time. It could just be a matter of time..."

"Malfoy's a rotten ferret and you know it."

"He's been alright this year, actually," Harry admitted, almost flinching at the look Ron gave him. Even Hermione raised her eyebrows at that. "I mean, he hasn't been on our backs all term. It's like he's gone into seclusion."

"I've noticed that as well, but I wouldn't say he's doing that because he's had a change of heart, Harry. I think you're hoping a little too much. Maybe things are different in different times..."

"Was it like that with the Time Turners?"

That had Hermione pausing. "Well, no..."

"Then it shouldn't happen in this instance."

Hermione ran a hand through her bushy hair and let out a loud sigh. "There's a lot more time involved in this. And there are so many theories around time travel, Harry. When you think about it, he's risking his own existence in this time to try to restore good to his own. But that mightn't even work. Rather than alternate timelines, some people believe there are alternate realities..."

Ron groaned, showing that he couldn't keep up with her.

"You're hurting my head, Hermione. Simply...?"

The brunette rolled her eyes, but simplified for him. "Basically, the things this Scorpius does here mightn't change what's happening when he gets back to his own time. What happened there mightn't even happen here. I'm just saying that we can't expect too much of his predictions."

Standing, Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. There's something about him that seems honest to me. I don't think he'd lie to me, especially when it comes up to Voldemort. I trust him."

"Then don't come running to us when he sets you up in a trap. He's a Malfoy," Ron continued, obviously having a problem with the family. "I don't care who raised him; any Malfoy is a bad person in my books."

"And I understand why you say that, but you haven't met him yet."

"I don't have to meet him. Look at the ones before him. Have you forgotten what Lucius Malfoy did to Ginny? And everything else Malfoy's done to us?"

"Last I checked, Ron, I'm not my father, and you're not yours." With a yawn, he turned. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

-

Remus walked Scorpius back up to Albus' office, listening to him talk about the future.

"My papa didn't want me being in the spotlight of the wizarding world, so he sent me to a Muggle school. I hated it there, but he wouldn't have it any other way. I don't think Voldemort even knew that I was alive. He knew about my sister, though. He killed her before she was born. Papa told me that our mother was forced into giving birth, even though she was only seven months along. She had been captured with Dad..."

"This was all when you were five?"

Scorpius nodded his head. "My papa saw the whole thing, too. He couldn't stop it. He had to witness his husband and his baby daughter being murdered. I could hear him screaming that night. Uncle Sev had to use a potion to put me to sleep; they wouldn't tell me what was happening. I had to find out in the morning."

Remus watched how Scorpius' facial expression suddenly lit up.

"But, I get to see my dad again soon. And I'm going to stop my papa's suffering at all costs. Even if it means that they were never together."

"This would explain why Harry's so protective of you already. He must know somehow."

"I wouldn't put it past him; he is pretty awesome, you know?"

Remus couldn't stop the smile on his face. This boy really admired Harry for being his father.

"So you've never been to Hogwarts before?" Remus asked, changing the subject.

"I've been to a few rooms. And that was only because Uncle Sev decided it would be safer for us to stay at Hogwarts for the past few months rather than stay at home. I've never attended a single class before, though. By the time Uncle Sev and I arrived here, it was already abandoned. And...wait...will I be able to attend here?"

He stopped walking and turned to Remus. The werewolf froze at the face looking up at him. The beauty of a Malfoy mixed in with the innocence of Lily's eyes. He took in a deep breath before he looked away. There was something completely illegal with that look and it should never be used against anyone.

"I'm guessing you learnt that from your papa."

"Learnt what, Uncle Moony?"

Remus just slung his arm over Scorpius' shoulders and steered over into the proper corridor.

-

The werewolf nearly cringed as he saw the twinkle in Albus' eyes as he and Scorpius returned to his office.

"So, Mister Malfoy, what are we going to do with you?" Albus asked, offering a lemon drop to the teen. He declined but accepted the suggested chair. Remus sat down also, sitting next to Severus, who was also present.

Scorpius almost felt like shuddering. There was something about the older man that bothered him. "I don't know. I just want to help people out. I want to make sure my parents aren't hurt anymore."

"And where do you suppose you'll be staying? Rather, how do you intend on returning?"

The question had him looking back at Severus briefly. "We kinda planned on winging it, actually."

The potions master let out a groan. That was not a good sign. 'Winging it' wasn't an option when dealing with time and he couldn't believe he would let a child go through with something so dangerous. "And how do you plan to do that?" he questioned.

"Well, with all the theories out there, we figured I have a few options. Our best bet, though, was to pretty much reverse the potion. I have with me something we conjured about five minutes before I drank the potion, which can be added as a guide to take me to where I want to go. We had to do that with the original potion; only it was using something created at the point of my arrival. If that doesn't work, then I guess I'll have to wait it out. Surely I can't be in the same timeline with myself."

Albus and Severus exchanged similar looks between each other, silently asking for the other's opinion.

"If the original potion got you this far, it should work to return you," Severus theorised.

"I suppose. I mean, you are one of the greatest potion masters of all time; who am I to argue? The fact that this potion has been worked on by two of the best really gives me hope that it'll work in the end."

Albus shifted in his seat. "So, where are you planning on staying?"

A red tinged coloured Scorpius' cheeks. "We didn't plan that far ahead. We thought we'd be happy just getting the message across."

"Ah." The blue eyes twinkled at Severus. "Since you're the closest professor to the Slytherin dorms, perhaps he can stay in one of your guest wings in the dungeons," he suggested, causing Scorpius to sit up quickly.

"I'll be in the same area as Dad?" he asked hopefully.

"Indeed."

The blonde turned to Severus, giving him the same look he had given Remus not too long ago.

The look on Severus' face had Remus laughing. "He certainly learnt that off his papa. I can't imagine Draco Malfoy looking up at anyone with such big eyes."

Severus' lips thinned into an unhappy frown. "Yes, it would seem so. Never in my years as Draco's godfather have I seen such an expression." His eyes met with Remus', despite Scorpius. "I'm assuming his papa happens to be your golden child?"

A questioning glance was sent Scorpius' way, asking for permission. He was too busy trying to facially convince Severus to notice.

"Fine then, boy. You can stay there. Give Lupin his answer."

Scorpius ignored the second part of his statement as he rushed out of his chair, leaping at Severus' torso. The tall man was thankful for his seating, but still felt the crushing blow of a young man's body against his as it landed against him. Scorpius embraced him tightly until he felt his body being lifted into the air without any hands being used.

Albus gently lowered him back into his chair and put his wand aside again. "Mister Malfoy, if you'd be so kind as to explain your parentage...?"

"Oh! Umm, Uncle Sev told me to give him a letter explaining things. There's also one for you, Professor Dumbledore."

With that, he began to rummage through the satchel at his hip, pulling out two letters enclosed in envelopes. He handed them to their respectful owners before giving Remus an apologetic smile. "Sorry, we didn't know what to give you."

He received a small smile while the other two read their letters. "That doesn't matter. You've already given me a lot to think about."

That had the youngest present turning red again. "I really didn't mean to tell you that. You should forget all about it. I'm not allowed to give out that kind of information. I guess I should be glad that Papa didn't catch on."

Remus laughed openly. "I don't think your papa would ever catch on to that one."

Scorpius turned a wary eye to Albus just as he felt the old professor looking up at him. The moment their eyes made contact, though, Albus looked back at the piece of parchment before him.

"I don't know what's written in them. Uncle Sev did all the writing," Scorpius admitted.

Albus put down the letter. "Well, this confirms my thoughts of who your papa could possibly be."

Severus' letter was folded back up and tucked away into his robes. "Yes indeed."

"It gave me a shock to see it written through the spell. But then again, look at his eyes," Remus suggested, looking at Severus. The way he was looking back at him almost had him blush. "Wha-what was written in your letter?"

Green eyes narrowed as Scorpius' face turned into a pout. "I'm not allowed to say certain things about the future...don't tell me your older self actually wrote what's going to happen in a letter to you."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "It was written that I need to rethink certain alliances and that your father is, indeed, Potter."

Looking at the childish face, Albus' own expression changed. "You weren't brought up as a wizard, were you?" he asked, eyeing the teen.

Scorpius shook his head. "No. Papa didn't want me to draw any attention to myself. I look too much like a Malfoy to go unnoticed in the streets. I've never been to Diagon Alley in all honesty. I attended a Muggle school, shopped in London, but with a disguise and never once met the Order until I was fourteen. I don't know many spells since the Death Eaters would use Ministry technology to track underage wizardry, so I'm only really good for potions. I've never even flown a broom before."

"Your papa protected you the best he could," Remus observed. Scorpius groaned at that, folding his arms over his chest.

"Rose keeps telling me I'm so immature. She doesn't get it; I haven't had a chance to develop any maturity. I've always had Papa or Uncle Sev there to hold my hand, no matter what I went through. Had I gone to Hogwarts, I would have learnt what life away from protection was like, but no, my papa insisted I go to a Muggle school instead. That's why I'm so childish and obsessed with getting my way." There was obvious resentment in his voice. "But, now that I'm here, I'm hoping to learn some new things to help my parents out."

A small smile crept over Remus' face again. "I can't believe you're the son of those two," he admitted again.

"You can't believe it?" Severus stressed, propping his elbow up on the arm of the chair and resting his brow on his palm. "I can't even begin to imagine what this would do to Lucius and Narcissa. A Malfoy with a Potter? It's unheard of and will send either, if not both, of them into cardiac arrest."

Scorpius turned to Severus again. "Will I get to meet them?"

"No," Remus answered for the Slytherin. "It's much too dangerous. They'll panic when they see someone looking so alike their own son."

"I could explain that I'm their grandchild."

"That wouldn't work," Albus objected. "The Malfoys are a proud family; they'd never look at you and see grandchild. They'd see a squib and that'd warrant your death."

That caused the teen to pale considerably. "They'd kill me because I didn't attend Hogwarts?"

"They'd kill you because your lack of magical knowledge would be an embarrassment to them," Severus told him. "Draco has received that threat many times from Lucius. It's obvious that he'll never go through with it unless Draco embarrassed him in front of the Dark Lord, but he still gets those threats whenever his grades fall."

Scorpius looked down at his hands. "That's the kind of man my grandfather is?" he asked weakly.

"Yes."

"Has he...has he killed before?"

Severus raised his head to look at the boy, not sure if he was being completely serious or not. "There are certain tasks you need to perform before becoming a Death Eater, boy. Murder is one of them."

"So you've killed as well?"

Remus clasped a hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "How could you not have known this?"

"My papa refused to talk about anything relating to my dad. He didn't tell me that my grandfather was such a bad guy, and he must have conveniently forgotten to tell me that sort of stuff about Death Eaters."

"Did he conveniently forget a lot of things?"

Scorpius hesitated slightly before he nodded his head once. "Papa liked to keep me protected from everything. I guess it's alright, seeing as he only wanted the best for me. And it must have been hard for him to watch as his husband and his daughter were killed because of him. He just didn't want me to be taken away from him as well." Out of nowhere, Scorpius let out a huge yawn, suddenly feeling how late it was. "I guess time travel can take its toll on the body."

"Or it could be that it's quarter to one in the morning," Remus suggested kindly.

"I'll have the house elves prepare the bed for you," Albus told him before turning to Severus. "Perhaps you should lead him to his new rooms?"

Severus agreed with a nod of his head and stood. "Come on, demon child."

Scorpius pouted at the name, but followed the potion master's steps.

"I'll also tell the house elves to bring you breakfast tomorrow. Then, we'll see about you approaching your dad."

The blonde smiled at that and waved at the two remaining in the room as Severus closed the door behind them. As they started to walk off, Scorpius turned his head up to look at Severus' face.

"What did that letter actually say?" he asked in a way that had Severus raising an eyebrow.

"What is with you?" Severus retorted. "Are you completely naive or cunning?"

Scorpius added a slight skip to his step. "I was never Sorted, but I highly doubt I own many Hufflepuff qualities."

He received a 'hn' for that and continued walking.