Scorbus Oneshots

Patronus

It was Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter’s fifth year at Hogwarts and, after the whole Delphi debacle, they were settling back into their usual morning routine. Albus would wake up before Scorpius, get out of bed and get ready and after wake Scorpius up for his turn. The would then make their way to the Grand Hall, most likely chatting about upcoming lessons on the way and eat a decent breakfast before setting off ten minutes early just to make sure that the moving staircases and people they knew didn’t end up making them late. All they had to do next was tackle first lesson.

Today, first lesson was Defence Against the Dark Arts (DADA). The professor told them that they would be starting work on Patronuses, which was a very tricky spell, and she had subsequently asked available parents to volunteer to help out. Albus’ stomach swooped. He knew exactly what was going to happen.

Fifteen minutes into the lesson, the volunteers arrived. There were a couple of parents of other kids but the people who caught his eye were his parents, Harry and Ginny Potter, and his uncle, Ron, who proudly said something about his wife being swamped with work today in her job as the Minister of Magic. He heard Ron’s daughter, Rose, groan from the other side of the room. He heard an even louder groan from Scorpius when none other than his father, Draco Malfoy, walked in. There were several gasps and Scorpius turned pink. Draco was an Ex-Death-Eater so not exactly popular. In fact, there had been many rumours that he wasn’t Scorpius’ father at all and the late Astoria Malfoy had had an affair with Voldemort leaving Scorpius as their lovechild. Albus knew that was ridiculous of course. Scorpius looked just like his father. Other people didn’t seem to notice that because they were blinded by prejudice.

Or maybe Albus just spent a lot of time staring at Scorpius.

“Ah! Parents! Thank you for coming,” the professor beamed. “Now we can get started. Just wander around the class and help the kids.”

Draco came to see his son and Albus first. Albus didn’t mind – he quite liked Draco – but Scorpius looked like he wanted to bury himself in a very deep hole.

“Dad!” he whined. “Why?”

Albus sniggered and his best friend glared at him.

“Don’t laugh at me, Potter. Your parents are here too.”

Albus gulped when he remembered that. Luckily, Harry and Ginny were staying with other students, although they shot him the occasional mortifying smile or wave.

Draco showed them the wand movement and the incantation. They practiced over and over again. When Scorpius first got a flicker of silver light, he jumped nearly a foot in the air with excitement. My happiest memory, Albus thought to himself, pondering over what that might be. He thought back and settled on one. It was the memory of meeting Scorpius on the train with their awkward introduction, the sharing of sweets and the easy, seemingly natural, conversation that followed. It was the day he met his lifelong best friend; it the day he met the one person who truly understood him.

“Expecto Patronum!”

His voice mixed with Scorpius’. The young Malfoy had finally found his happy memory. It was when he’d saved the world but it wasn’t the fact he’d saved it that made him happy. It was the fact that, in saving it, he permanently got rid of the world where Albus didn’t exist. He’d tackled him in a hug, so unbelievably grateful that Albus was there and he wasn’t going anywhere. They’d failed in their mission to save Cedric Diggory’s life but Albus was there. He was with him. He was happier than he’d been in a long time.
Silvery light burst from both their wands and the entire class, who had so far been unsuccessful, stopped to look. Draco clapped them on the back with a “well done, boy” as he eagerly watched to see what the corporeal patronuses would look like.

The forms whirled around and finally settled: a ferret and a stag.
There was a long silence. The students were studying the adults, confused. All of the class had been excited at the first patronuses but the adults were dumbfounded. Draco’s face was slowly filling with colour as he stared. Harry and Ginny were looking at each other and then at their son with Malfoy’s over and over again. Ron was the one who broke the silence – by bursting out laughing.
Scorpius and Albus frowned. Albus’ ferret was nipping playfully at Scorpius’ stag’s ankles, running around in the air with it and having the time of its life. The stag seemed to be enjoying itself too. It reared up and dashed around, stopping to let the ferret catch up every once in a while. It was sweet. They didn’t see what was so funny.

Meanwhile, Ron was dying with laugher. He was bent over, clutching his sides with his face red and gasping for breath.

“Wait ‘til I tell Hermione!”