Summary

Draco only knows that he has the middle son of Harry Potter staying for a few this summer. Albus and Scorpius have been best friends for 6 years now, Albus has never set foot inside Malfoy Manor until this summer. Sometimes teenage boys seek comfort in the strangest of places. Sometimes people find love in the most unexpected ones. One half broken teenage boy and one half broken middle aged man, may have more in common that the two first realise. Unfortunately that may cause a whole load more problems for the pair.

Falling

I knocked lightly on the door to my son's bedroom. "Can I come in?"

"Yes sir, but Scorpius is asleep." Albus replied quietly, so as not to wake him.

I pushed the door open. "I just came to let you know that-" I looked up from my newspaper, seeing my son half naked and curled around his best friend. I just stood there with my mouth open.

"Yes Mr. Malfoy?" He prompted.

"Are the two of you-?" I asked.

"Are we what, sir?" His head cocked to one side, smirk plastered on his face.

"Together."

"No." He replied offhandedly.

"Ok, then may I ask why are you in one bed?"

"We were both really tired, we didn't want to risk trying to use magic, and we've shared at school before anyway."

"At Hogwarts, you had to share a-"

"No, sir. We didn't have to, we chose to. The truth is I do care about him, a lot. He was being bullied; they kept doing things to him in his sleep, so he started sleeping in my bed. They wouldn't dare do anything to me, god only knows why; I'm nothing like my dad. Scorpius on the other hand is a lot like you."

"Thank you for helping him. I wouldn't let him hear you say that though, he isn't very much like me at all, aside from looks and being Slytherin and he hates being told he's like me."

"I already told him: that got me a punch."

I laughed, unsurprised. My son hated being compared to me, with good reason I suppose.

"Like I said he hates being compared to me."

"I don't see why, you are really nothing like people say. And by people I mean the Weasley side of my family; who are, for the most part, horrified that my dad is letting me spend time here."

"What do they say?" I wondered how much they had grown up in the last 20 years.

"That all Malfoys are evil, manipulative, narcissistic, cold hearted, bastard death eaters. Not that my dad ever let's them get away with it, and of course it isn't all of them either."

"Ron."

"Mainly. It's not like it takes a genius to figure that out though."

"True. Why doesn't your dad let them say that?"

"He says that he wants us to form our own opinions of people based on now, not on what their parents, or in his case grandparents, did."

"It wasn't just my father it was me-"

"No Mr. Malfoy, it was your father. My dad told me that you saved his life, that your mother saved his life too. In his eyes, and in mine, that makes you good. Uncle Ron is just too much of a conceited git to realise that you aren't the same as the 17 year old boy he once knew."

"You shouldn't call him that."

"So as to say that you disagree, that you don't think my uncle is a conceited git."

"No I agree, but he is your family."

"Not really, not now, not anymore. I don't want anything to do with him now. You do know why my mum really agreed to this?"

"No actually I just know that I have the middle child of Harry Potter for a few weeks of summer."

"They are getting a divorce. My mum is leaving. They don't particularly want us there; Lily and James are both off with friends too."

"Ah, sorry about that."

"Why? It's not like you, wait, my mum didn't, did she? Oh dear god no, please say she didn't."

"What?"

"My mum 'slept with half of the wizarding population'-"

"No, categorically NO. Just, don't even go there."

"Why, where exactly is there?"

"Not a chance, no offence but your mum is really not my type."

"Fair enough."

"I came in to tell you that I don't have work today so if you two need anything I'll be around."

"Okay, Mr. Malfoy."

"Draco."

"Pardon?"

"My name is Draco, use it."

He looked away for a few seconds in thought then spoke up. "Draco, can I talk to you?"

"We are talking. Oh you mean." Sometimes I could be really stupid.

"About the 'home front'. I haven't really told anyone else."

"Of course. Come downstairs though, since he is obviously dead to the world."

"Thank you." He mumbled climbing off the bed.

I held the door for him, pulling it shut quietly, and then guided him to the front room.

"Have a seat." I gestured to two of the chairs facing the fire.

He shuffled over and sat down.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you and Scorpius' mum get divorced?"

"I don't mind, Astoria and I were forced to marry. Neither of us were interested in being married, at least not to each other, as soon as Scorpius was born we both started leading separate lives. I guess that in the end we just decided it would be easier on him if we were divorced, then he would understand more."

"Oh."

"It's not the same, it never is. No two divorces ever are. My marriage was simply to create an heir. After that, it was just a piece of paper and a ring."

He looked up at me, his eyes teary.

I got up from my chair and knelt down beside him. "Albus, it doesn't change anything, your parents still love you, and they just don't love each other."

"She hates me."

"How could anyone hate you?"

"I'm a Slytherin. I'm the 'what did we do wrong?' child. She doesn't love me. I don't think she ever did."

I put my arm around his shoulders. Ignoring the slight burning feeling on my wrist where it made contact with his arm. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to answer that Albus, I'm sure she loves you, deep down. Besides clearly your dad doesn't care that you're a Slytherin, he still loves you."

"Why would he care?"

"Err, well he's Harry Potter, why would he not?"

"Oh, he chose Gryffindor over Slytherin, because of you actually."

"Dear god, my reputation precedes me."

"It's strange though. He chose Gryffindor over Slytherin because of you yet I chose Slytherin over Gryffindor because of Scorpius."

"Sorry how exactly do you choose what house you get put in? The hat barely touched my head before it said Slytherin, I had no choice."

"Oh my dad told me that when he went the hat couldn't decide, because of the whole Voldemort was in his head thing. He chose Gryffindor. I didn't have the Voldemort in my head, I just thought really hard about being in Slytherin, and then I got put there."

"I see." I pulled my arm away from him and stood up, stretching out my knees. I rolled my sleeves up spotting the silver emblem on my wrist. "Shit!"

"Sorry, what?"

"Show me your wrists." I knelt in front of him. "Albus please."

He looked worried; he didn't know what to do, just sat there. I looked up into his eyes as I gently took hold of his right hand and carefully brushed up his sleeve to reveal the identical symbol on his wrist.

"What is that?" His eyes were wide, he looked terrified.

"Your dad is going to kill me. I cannot believe this is happening." I put my head in my hands.

"I don't understand, what is happening? Why is my Dad going to kill you?"

"That mark," I sighed, trying to force out the words. "I can't, I'll take you to your dad, he can explain, and then he can brutally murder me, or whichever way he wants to do it." I tried to smile at him as I wrote Scorpius a note. "Come on." I held out my arm to him. He took hold of it and I apparated us straight into his father's office.

"Jesus. Malfoy you scared me. Why are you two here?"

I showed him my wrist.

"Hi dad." Albus mumbled.

"No way Malfoy. No, he's a kid. He's my son for god's sake. No, it is not happening. This is not happening. Oh dear god." Harry buried his face in his hands.

"What is not happening?" Albus asked puzzled.

"Al, that thing on your wrists means you're soul mates." Harry sighed.

"Sorry we are what?" Al blinked at us.

"Soul mates." I said softly.

"Why are you wearing that bracelet?" Harry snapped.

"Scorpius gave me it for my birthday. Why?" Al looked worried; his father's tone had surprised him.

"Malfoy, why did your son give him THAT?"

"I highly doubt Scorpius knew what it symbolised. Besides, he might as well now." I pointed out.

"Sorry, what?" Harry snapped.

"He wears the bracelet people think that, he doesn't and people will figure out the truth."

"What does it symbolise?" Albus spoke up.

"That bracelet shows that you submit to a Malfoy." Harry explained harshly.

"Yes, but the symbol tattooed onto his wrist shows that he submits to me. Which is worse?"

"Why is it a bad thing?" Albus asked quietly, his cheeks flushing slightly pink.

Harry looked horrified, his face drained of colour. I just laughed and patted Al's shoulder. "I think I need to have a chat with your dad alone."

"I'll floo back to the Manor." Al said making for the fire place.

"I'll see you back there." I smiled at him as he picked up the floo powder.

"Malfoy Manor." Al said then disappeared in a rush of flames.

"Have a seat Malfoy."

I sat down. "Please call me Draco. You are technically my father in law, I, we should talk living arrangements. I am assuming you know a little about soul mates, as an auror."

"I know that he has to spend a certain number of hours with you. So he will probably have to live with you I'm guessing. I know that the two of you will be uh sexually-"

"Stop. Yeah, it would be best if he lived with me; I'll go and speak with the ministry and with Snape about an arrangement for during term. Harry, just leave it to me, you have enough on your plate at the moment. I'll deal with this."

"Wait, he told you about the divorce?"

"Yeah. I guess he just wanted, needed, someone to talk to."

"He must really trust you Mal- Draco, he didn't tell anyone else but you."

"Oh I thought you were just keeping it quiet?"

"We are, sort of, but we told them they could talk about it. It's hardly that big of a secret."

"Would you tell James and Lily, about us?"

"Yeah, I will do. Just tell Al that I love him, and that you, all three of you, are welcome anytime. Oh and Malfoy?"

"Yes Harry."

"Look after him for me; he's still my kid, even at 17, even when he is yours." Harry almost choked on those last few words.

"Of course. See yah Harry." I said, suppressing a chuckle, as I stepped into the fire and flooed home.