Epilogue

"Where's Scorpius?" asked Draco. He had noticed his son was not on his broom outside and not in the pool, his favourite school holiday haunts.

"I believe he's in the library studying," said Hermione, barely taking her eyes away from legal documents she was reading.

"It's school holidays Granger," said Draco, rolling his eyes as he stood above his wife's desk. He'd never quite given up calling her Granger.

Hermione looked up and rolled her eyes at him. "Yes darling, I know it's school holidays, but anyone serious about their studies knows that it is the perfect time to get ahead on reading for next term!" she explained, as though speaking to an idiot.

"Remind me again why I had a child with a bookworm?" laughed Draco, leaning over the desk to push his nose into hers.

"It's a real mystery," she said, the corner of her lips upturned.

Draco planted a soft kiss on her lips and then pulled back to stand. Hermione looked disappointed, which Draco enjoyed. He had always loved distracting her from her work.

"Alright, I will go find the boy then. He's too quiet. I don't like it when he's too quiet. It's like he's plotting something," said Draco, walking toward the study door.

"Not all Malfoys plot!" she called out haughtily.

"Yes, they do!" yelled Draco as he rounded the corner.

Scorpius looked at the old book and smiled. He had found it several weeks ago in his father's version of 'the restricted section' of the family library and had been curious ever since.

He had caught sight of a memory charm he thought would be particularly useful. Imagine being able to watch the memories of a friend, foe or lover in a pensive without them ever knowing you took them! The kind of information and power that could bring…

Plus, he was a sixteen-year-old boy – and there was a witch at school he had his eye on. But she was a Gryffindor and he thought perhaps she wouldn't be interested in him.

He had taken after his father more than his mother (other than his ability to study and enjoy it) and that could be fairly off-putting to girls from Gryffindor House. He wanted to know what she remembered of him, and what she did in her free time. If he might have a chance.

His complete attention had been on the spell book when his father came in, so of course, he missed it when the older blonde wizard stalked up behind him and saw what he was doing.

"SCORPIUS!" he hissed, "what do you think you are doing?"

The younger Malfoy jumped and looked up guiltily.

"Studying?" he said, his response coming out more like a question than an answer.

"Studying dark texts?" asked Draco, tapping his foot.

Scorpius gulped.

"Well, I ah, was just looking…" he said, unable to find an excuse for having snatched the book from the forbidden section of his dad's library.

"Looking?" said Draco, "you were just looking? Somehow I very much doubt that."

"I was!" replied Scorpius.

Draco snatched up the book and looked at his son sternly.

"Scorpius, the things in this book are not for teenage boys. In fact, they shouldn't be for anyone. Take it from someone who knows. The kinds of memory tricks in this book – they're not right," he explained.

"What do you mean?" asked Scorpius, his curiosity peaked.

He knew much of his father's history. It wasn't all good of course, but he loved him anyway and never let anything said in the halls of Hogwarts get to him.

Draco pulled up a chair beside his son and looked at him seriously.

"I used a spell like this on your mother – after the war. While I can't say I didn't appreciate learning more about her than she would have told me freely at the time – taking away her right to her own memory, her stories and her right to privacy was wrong. I can't ever take back that I did that to her. I know that as Malfoy's – we feel entitled to everything. I didn't see it as wrong at the time. Just a head start. Just fun. But I would hate to see you grow up and make the same mistakes as me," he said gently, "you need to grow up to be more empathetic, like your mother."

Scorpius smiled at his Dad. He was prone to moodiness and bouts of bastardry – but deep down he was a nice man. He also was madly in love with his mother. Feeling madly in love was something he hoped to encounter someday – perhaps with the pretty Gryffindor girl he had been watching for months.

"Okay Dad," he said, smiling.

"I am going to take this book and put it in my private safe. Leaving dangerous objects around was a bad habit I learned from my father – let's hope when you grow up and have children, you have a friendlier home than this Manor," said Draco, raising an eyebrow.

Scorpius snorted and picked up his summer reading list.

He would take his father's points on board. But he was being overdramatic. There was no harm in using the spell a little bit. Plus, he'd already promised his best friend James that they could use it next term.

His Dad was stupid to think he wouldn't have taken a copy just as soon as he found it. He'd only had the book out to read more for context.

His parents could be so oblivious at times.

Scorpius was too caught up in his own thoughts on the matter to notice the knowing smirk his father gave him on the way out of the room.

"Do you think he took a copy?" asked Hermione, stroking Draco's blonde hair.

"I know he took a copy," replied Draco.

"Did you see it?" she asked.

"No," he responded.

"Then how do you know?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"He's my son. He took a copy as soon as he saw the thing," he replied. "The kid probably memorized it," he snorted.

"Well, what can we do about it?" asked Hermione.

"Absolutely nothing. He is going to stubbornly do whatever it is he wants to do. All we can do is encourage him to be a good person and hope he doesn't use it for anything too unethical," said Draco.

"We raised a good boy – he will work it out," said Hermione, confident in the goodness of her son.

"I don't think he's going to be a good boy Hermione, that's probably why he wants that spell – just like I did when I found it," said Draco, giving her a sultry look.

"Do not even make me think about this Draco!" she warned.

Draco laughed and pulled her closer in the bed. "But good witches always go for bad wizards – look at us!" he said, kissing her neck.

Hermione giggled and pretended to push him off.

'Well, I have faith in our son!" she joked.

"Well that makes one of us," replied Draco jokingly, "now – come here and please your husband."

"Prat."

"Swot."

I apologise for the obscene amount of time this epilogue took. I have had Mono – as well as a range of other setbacks in life. I do have aspirations to get back into updating 'The Dinner Party and Other Tales' regularly – so keep an eye out if you are interested.

Thanks for all your comments and support during the lifespan of this story – it was a great experience for me.