Chapter 2
Its bright and early in the morning and draco is home. It's the weekend and as much as he'd love to be at his shop he simply cannot - orders from the ministry. Diagon alley will be crowded and the last person anyone wants to see is draco malfoy. Sometimes he'd wonder why the other slytherin kids weren't receiving such hate then he'd remember that they all still had their vaults and weren't as involved as him. It was like from all the death eaters everyone just narrowed their hate down to draco and his family.
"Dad, can i go pleaseeee." Scorpius's pleading interrupted his thoughts.
"No, what will i and estella do without you?"
"What you both always do." Scorpius stated simply. "She's too young to be with me plus i'll be working so i will not be able to care for her properly."
"Working? Scorpius i told you that you don't have to." Draco stressed. "You are just eight."
"Okay then let me just go see the place, pleaseee." He rolled down to the ground beside estella who started poking him with her broken crayons.
"Why would you go and see a ruin site? We have enough weird looking stones collected my love."
"But one could be magical!"
"Really scorpius?" Draco said in a tone that made scorpius pout.
"What else can we do then? We don't leave the house during weekends with you, you don't let me go anywhere alone during the week either."
"I am sorry my love, i wish the circumstances would be different, i try my best to make them but i am scared for now, you are young and i am certain no parent leaves their eight year old to wander into a ruin site on their own. My parents never did."
"Well that's the only site where people like us don't get hexed dad." Scorpius groaned starting to colour with estella.
Estella looked up at draco with her bright eyes and cute pout that draco could never win against. "Him go daddy, pweasee."
"Fine." Draco said and scorpius jumped up happily. "But wait, not so fast mister. Remember the rules, you don't do anything suspicious or initiate conversation with anyone. You use the potion and if it rains, you rush back home." Draco says authoritatively.
"Yes sir!" Scorpius nods getting his basket that he and draco wove together while draco pulls out a pink vial, he poured two drops on scorpius's blond hair and instantly the colour changes to black. "I'll be back soon dad then you will have me the entire day!"
"I have you all the days, it's alright. Have fun on a ruin site." Draco couldn't believe his luck, he'd always thought that his son would visit the fanciest and richest of places but how bad his luck flipped. But scorpius nonetheless seemed happy, far too happy for something as trivial. Maybe that's what the weasleys were like, content in small things. Though now they were one of the richest to exist but they must still remember their past. Draco would always cherish the moment when he was finally able to bring a bed home so the kids could have a proper place to sleep, the joy on his face when he saw it In the ruin site alongside scorpius though out of fear they watched for an entire hour making sure that no one was coming back for it, then they brought it home. The sweat and the exhaustion all forgotten when estella started to clap happily and it was all worth it as the only thing scorpius could speak to luna about was the bed he now had. For an entire week scorpius and estella just did everything on the bed except jump for they didn't want to break it.
Scorpius waves his dad goodbye and leaves. Scorpius knew the path he had to follow, his dad was adamant he did god forbid if anyone recognized him. He didn't care much but for his dad he always followed rules and hoped one day it would all be worth it. He walked for quite some time, but he was too excited to care about the ache in his legs. Soon he reached the site and started from the very back as kids played in the front. Once a kid did ask him to play and he was overjoyed but his parents reprimanded him after seeing his dad beside him. After that his dad never accompanied him or just watched from a far... very far distant. He wanted to have friends and play but somewhere along the years he became conscious of his appearance refusing to even meet eyes with anyone else and soon it just became a habit. Not every kid was rich but all were richer or at least better looking than him. Maybe not all have friends, some have other things to think about for instance finding stones that can be sold so he can maybe buy new shoes or the doll estella always gazes at from the window. He put his basket down and started removing stone after stone hoping to see something unique or pretty for anyone's interest. His dad did tell him not to sell but once he was able to and that was more than enough for him to continue. It was quite hilarious, they posted the stone's picture on a muggle website after the ministry's approval and one buyer became interested though to send him was a task as his dad had to take permission again from the ministry which got approved three days later and then they went to some place not very rich but definitely not as poor as theirs and scorpius waited in anticipation for the owners to take the stone and pay him some money. His dad did prepare him for the very worst but the owner was nice and paid five galleons alongside two extra for the travels. Scorpius was overjoyed and decided to buy bread for the family that week. He told his dad that he would be sharing half the costs now and draco just laughed. After that no one else bought the stones but scorpius didn't lose hope. As he dug, his fingers brushed past something rather sharp and he spotted a pink stone quite strange looking. he picked it up and it seemed wet in his hands no matter how much he rubbed it, it was just a stone but felt wobbly like water was stored inside. Scorpius decided he'd take it home for dad to see and he was going to put it inside his basket when he heard a shout.
"STOPP!" Scorpius shook and the stone dropped as he turned towards the voice only to see the man drop to the ground holding his head, scorpius looked at him in fear and confusion for a few seconds till the head lifted again looking at him and then around. The man quickly got up, fixing his glasses and pointed a wand at him. "Hands where i can see them!" He growled and scorpius instantly raised his hands up, his lips quivering. He looked around to see all other kids gone. The man without wasting a second approached hastily and said. "Finite Incantatem!" Nothing happened and tears started flowing down scorpius's eyes as no sound was audible around them. The man bent down and stared strangely at scorpius from up to down and then again. "Are you a child?"
Scorpius could only nod too afraid to speak.
The man huffed and stood up. "I don't know what to say." He said rubbing his stubble. "I am sorry, i thought you were an enemy disguised as a child. Many do that these days." He spoke gently extending his hand to touch scorpius but he flinched back still scared and hands still raised. "Put your hands down, please." Scorpius slowly put them down but in front clutching himself tightly.
"Hey, i am Harry and i am sorry... really i am. i don't sense anything suspicious in you but i received a message that someone dangerous might be here and you with the object." The minute Harry said that his pupils dilated as he looked down to find the stone. He quickly moved his hands around and finally spotted it. He picked it up in victory. "Gotcha!" He faced scorpius smiling. "See this, i assumed this would be activated and seeing you beside it made me think that you know... nevermind doesn't matter. We have it now."
The stone wobbled a bit more and a faint pink light shone inside, scorpius eyed it seriously. Harry must have noticed for he put it in his robes quickly. "That's just magic kid, er what's your name by the way?"
Scorpius knew his dad didn't want him initiating conversation but he couldn't get the stone out of his mind, something magical would sell alot and if he could sell it to muggles just like himself. Oh they'd be rich. "How much would that sell for sir?" Scorpius asked softly, his voice barely audible but harry shrugged dusting his robes.
"Alot of money."
"I found it first!" Scorpius screamed glaring at harry trying to scare him but he looked far too adorable.
"Thankyou for that, it's a wonder it didn't burst when you dropped it and again i am sorry. Did i hurt you? Should i floo you to your house?"
"I am a muggle, we don't have floos."
"What? A muggle? Who knows about wands and floos. Don't lie to me." Harry grinned sheepishly.
"I am not!"
"I understand if you don't want to speak to me. I did make a fool out of myself earlier but i am sorry. I shall leave now and it's best you don't visit this area again. There might be more." Harry advised turning around as scorpius grabbed harry's robe making him fall. Scorpius quickly got on top of harry trying to straddle him as harry looked confused.
"There are more? Where? Show me and i will let you leave with this." Scorpius demanded.
"Let me leave? And show you?" Harry asked in disbelief. "This is dangerous! I am taking this with me!"
"I found it first!"
"Doesn't matter!" Harry argued but regained himself seeing scorpius flinch. Scorpius was just a child unaware of harry's temper and exhaustation. "Look kid, i have been out since morning in the worst of places so let's end this here. I am an auror and causing me harm is serious offense."
Scorpius knew it was a great offense, his dad wouldn't even cross the same path as an auror but he couldn't help but notice harry's wand thrown aside and an idea popped in his head, something he'd take to his grave. "Alright, can i see one last time?" He said and as harry looked at him unfazed raising an eyebrow and questioning his sincerity, scorpius got up and gave him his best pout - all credit gone to estella.
Harry huffed pulling it out tightly clasping it in his hands when scorpius looks aside and screams. "There! There's more." He points somewhere and harry quickly gets up, the stone taken out of his hand as he stumbles to the area trying to find it.
"Where?"
"Just there, keep looking." Scorpius says quickly and harry turns only to see scorpius with a hand filled with sand throwing into his eyes and mouthing the loudest sorry as he starts to run.
"Wait!" Harry screams trying to find his wand as his eyes itch from the sand. How could he be so foolish! He finally manages to find the wand and clear his eyes only to see the kid long gone with the stone. Harry sits down in despair, where will he find him? Doesn't even know him? This was terrible and hermione will kill him. He quickly phones ron "There has been a problem."
Scorpius runs back home and closes the door behind him harshly, panting and exhausted. Scared any second the auror will step inside and take him to the prison for bad people forever. Draco strides to him immediately concerned. "What happened! Tell me! Are you hurt!"
"No." Scorpius calms himself down trying to think of a lie to tell draco so he doesn't get rid of the stone. He presents the stone in his tiny palm as it wobbles and draco eyes it curiously then looks up a bit frustratedly.
"Scorpius don't lie to me and tell me everything. You wouldn't be panting like you saw a ghost if you just saw a stone."
"It's magical... and will sell alot." Scorpius says hesitantly as draco waits. "I ran so no one else could take it."
Draco picks up the stone and moves it between his fingers feeling it. "It's magical so we need to give it to the ministry, we cannot sell it or keep it with us."
"But dad!"
"Enough. Now come here and i will remove the potion off your head." Draco says sternly keeping the stone in his shirt pocket high enough for scorpius to reach.
"Dad please! It hasn't hurt me or anything. We could get so much money!"
"Scorpius." Draco turns sadly. "Am i not doing enough? I know we are not rich but trust me that any money you earn by doing anything slightly suspicious, it will come bite you in the back. Badly." He ruffles scorpius's hair dripping two drops of the pink vial and his hair turns blonde once again.
"Dad, can no spell remove this colour except the vial?"
"It's a dye infused with a different type of magic, only a certain mechanism can do and undo it. i made sure in case anyone tries it on you."
"Would they be mad if they caught me later with a different look? Would they think i lied?" Scorpius asks a bit panicked.
Draco places his hand on his cheek. "I am one to blame, not you, not till i am alive." Scorpius smiles and all of a sudden heavy footsteps can be heard outside and in a sudden there is loud thudding on the door as estella wakes up and begins to cry and scorpius gulps in fear.
"OPEN UP! AURORS FROM THE MINISTRY!" A voice announces and everything in draco stills.