Henrietta Potter And The Slytherin Child - (A 'Henrietta Potter' sequel) || D.M

10 - The Rumour

"I need a favour."

Startled, I looked up from my desk. Draco Malfoy was standing in the open doorway, a stern look upon his face.

"How did you get past Carol?" I asked, one eyebrow raised, wondering why he hadn't arrived via the usual fanfare.

"Confundus Charm." He shrugged as though this was no big deal. Closing the door, he crossed the room and took the chair in front of me.

"Come in. Please, do sit down." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"There are rumours going around," he thundered straight in, ignoring me, "about Scorpius's parentage."

I studied him curiously. I was not expecting this.

"What rumours? And why are you coming to me about this? Unless it involves Albus, somehow?"

Draco gave a dismissive shake of his head, his white-blond hair falling messily over his eyes.

"No, but he gets teased relentlessly about it from the other students at school. He- he's not coping." His voice softened and there was an air of vulnerability about him that made my heart perform a slight twist.

"Draco, what rumours exactly?" I patiently asked again.

Draco exhaled a deep, shaky breath and looked down at his hands as though not being able to meet my eye. "They are saying that he's Voldemort's son."

"What?!" I spluttered, letting out a hoot of laughter, not being able to contain my amusement. "You do know he's dead, right? Thanks to yours truly."

"It is not funny, Potter," he spat, his grey eyes looking fiercely into mine. "Scorpius is suffering, he needs support."

"And what, exactly, do you want me to do about it? Come on, Draco - you only have to take one look at that kid to know that he's your son. When I first saw him, I thought I had stepped back in time - it was like when I first met you." I grinned, looking him cheekily in the eye. "I had the strangest urge to hex him."

His eyes flashed and I saw the tiniest hint of a smile twitching at the corners of his lips.

"Be that as it may," he said, his scowl quickly returning, "the rumour is that Astoria and I couldn't have children and that my father and I were so desperate for a powerful heir, to prevent the end of the Malfoy line, that we... that we used a Time-Turner to send Astoria back."

I couldn't help but let out a derisive snort. "Oh please! Clearly there's nothing wrong with your ability to father children."

Draco flinched and he shot me a look. "You and I know that, but the rest of the entire wizarding world seem to think that I'm capable of pimping my wife out to some crazed, noseless maniac!"

"And a dead one at that." I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Draco, there are no Time-Turners left. They were all destroyed in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries."

"Exactly!" He leant forward, looking animatedly at me. "Now if you could just get the Ministry to release a statement reaffirming that-"

"Draco, this is ludicrous! Just let it blow over - they'll soon move on. If you answer the gossip, you feed the gossip. There've been rumours Voldemort had a child for years; Scorpius is not the first to be accused. The Ministry, for your sake as well as ours, needs to steer well clear."

"They've been writing ′Son of Voldemort′ on his things." Draco hissed, his face twisting into a scowl. "They stare and shout. He's not coping. Hasn't Albus told you about any of this in his letters?"