I nearly dropped my coffee when, on the first morning of his stay, Draco strutted into the kitchen dressed in a pair of low hung grey tracksuit bottoms.

And nothing else.

"Draco!" I hissed, holding my hand up in front of me, trying not to look directly at the taut, toned stomach - and far too much of his pubic region that was on display. "Put some bloody clothes on!"

He released a soft, low chuckle. "Don't act like you've never seen it before, Potter."

"Our sons could walk in!" I cried incredulously, "It's not appropriate. I don't like it. Get back upstairs and put something decent on. Right now!"

"Whatever you say, Potter," he chuckled again, before retreating back out of the kitchen.

Shakily, I took a huge gulp of coffee, trying to calm my racing heart. I started to wonder just what I had let myself in for.

Draco re-entered only minutes later, having thrown on a close fitting dark green t-shirt. I couldn't help but stare at him.

"What?" he asked, looking down at his attire, "something wrong - still?"

"No- no..." I answered slightly mollified, "it's just - I don't think I've ever seen you wear anything other than a suit."

And I didn't think I liked it. He was acting far too relaxed.

"Don't worry, Potter," he smirked, crossing the kitchen towards me. "I've got one ready to put on after I have my morning shower."

He didn't stop until he was right in front of me. I wondered what on earth he was doing as he leaned his arm up, my breath hitching in my throat as I caught a waft of his scent. He chuckled softly, grabbing a mug from the cupboard behind my head and stepped back, his eyes glinting.

"Just need a coffee, first."

*****

"I thought we could all go chop down a Christmas tree today!" I said brightly, clasping my hands together as I looked expectantly down at the boys all sat around my kitchen table.

Albus bit into his toast, shrugging his shoulders unenthusiastically. "Sure, whatever."

Draco looked up at me, horrified, his glass of orange juice paused halfway to his lips, "Chop down a Christmas tree?!"

"That sounds like it could be fun," Scorpius smiled at me, happily tucking into his pancakes.

Thank you, Scorpius. The only decent male in my house right now.

"Sounds more like servants work if you ask me," I heard Draco mutter sulkily under his breath.

"Well, I wasn't asking, I was telling," I bit, feeling slightly irritated. It wasn't easy to plan things to do with two teenage boys and a fully grown man who appeared to be stuck in his adolescent ways.

Draco raised his eyebrows, downed the rest of his orange juice, and wiped the residue off his top lip with the back of his hand.

"You know," he smirked, eyes glinting right at me, "you sounded just like McGonagall, then."

He ducked as a piece of toast went flying at his head.

Fuck you, Draco Malfoy.

*****

An hour later, we were all wrapped up against the elements, trudging down to the Christmas tree plantation.

"You know, I could have called my driver," Draco sulked, lifting the lapels of his overcoat to protect his face from the cold.

"Draco, it's literally down the road!" I said disbelievingly. He really was a petulant child.

"And what a ridiculous notion," he scoffed, glaring pointedly at the festive poster merrily directing us on our way, "chopping down your own Christmas tree. I suppose we have to pay for the pleasure, too?"

"Look," I said quietly, glancing over my shoulder to make sure the boys were far back enough not to overhear. "I thought it would be a good way for you to reconnect with your son."

Draco looked momentarily confused. "Which one?"

"Scorpius!" I cried, hitting his arm. "That's why you're here, remember? To help him through his grief."

"Oh." Draco went quiet, looking ahead, frowning. "I just don't know what to say about it. He seems happy enough just being here with Albus."

"But is he, though? Ask him how he's feeling. Be his dad." I implored as we turned down a dirt track.

"I can't talk to him," he sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I can't even talk about how losing her has affected him. I try, Etta, but the words just won't come."

He sounded so sad, and so defeated, that it took me everything I had not to grab his hand and give it a comforting squeeze.

We arrived at the gate to the plantation and came to a halt as we waited for Albus and Scorpius to catch up.

"It's going to be okay, you know," I said, throwing Draco a small, reassuring smile, "just give it time."

"Cheers, Potter," his voice low and silky, silver eyes glistening down at me, "you know, you're alright - for a Gryffindor."

"Well, I'd say you're alright for a Slytherin, but unfortunately, you fit the description to a T."

Draco's eyes narrowed but he failed to hide his amusement as his lips twitched into an unmistakable smirk.

"Don't forget you're outnumbered these days, Gryffindork."

"What's that?" Albus asked, looking from me to Draco as he and Scorpius drew up alongside us.

"Just your mother being a typical Gryffindor," Draco drawled, "she needs us Slytherins to help put her in her place."

"Huh!" I scoffed, "I'd like to see you try!"

"Mum's the most Gryffindor Gryffindor I've ever met, along with Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione," Albus chortled, "she even uses the word Slytherin as a swear word."

"You know, she was the same at Hogwarts," Draco said conspiratorially to Albus as though I wasn't even there, "always picking a fight with me just because I was a Slytherin."

"I picked fights with you because you were an arrogant git who kept asking for it." I retorted, playfully poking out my tongue.

"I thought you two were friends?" Albus asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Well, if you call constantly trying to hex me in the corridors being friendly, then yeah, we were friends." Draco smirked.

"As I said, you used to ask for it. Especially when you did idiot things like grab hold of my broomstick so I couldn't beat your arse at Quidditch. And yet - I still did!"

"You know," Draco looked back at Albus, who was looking at the both of us in complete bafflement, "I was nearly killed when your mother's favourite teacher - the gamekeeper - set a dangerous animal on me."

"You were not nearly killed; it was barely a scratch!"

"She sabotaged my potion."

"He tried to hex me but instead got your Aunt Hermione!"

"She got my friend, Goyle."

"He set a snake on me in Duelling Club!"

"She existed!"

"So did he!"

"Sounds like you really had each other's backs then?" Albus said, grinning. He looked over his shoulder to share his amusement with Scorpius, only for his face to fall.

For Scorpius was standing silently behind us, looking down at the ground, lost in his own thoughts and looking very, very sad.

Draco and I exchanged a look. I tried to silently communicate to him to go and just fucking talk to his son, but Draco sent me back a look of wild panic.

So, sighing, I nodded for Draco and Albus to go on whilst I hung back with Scorpius. Draco shot me a look of gratitude over his shoulder and wandered off to look for Christmas trees with Albus, sounding as though he was continuing retelling the tales of our days at Hogwarts - probably all lies.

"Hey, Scorp," I said quietly, gently giving his arm a friendly nudge with my elbow. "How are you doing?"

He shrugged, his eyes not leaving the ground. "It's a bit strange not being at home for Christmas."

"Do you mind? Being here, I mean?"

"No, I like being with Al, and you're quite cool. It's just I- I-"

"You miss your mum."

"I've never had Christmas without her before." His shoulders slumped in sadness.

"I'm so sorry, Scorp. I can't imagine what it's like. To miss her, I mean." I added when I saw his confusion. It was well known that I had lost both my parents, of course. "I was too young to remember my mother when she died so I never knew that pain."

"I'm sorry you never had a Mum, Etta. I couldn't imagine not having had mine." And my heart clenched as his voice wobbled, the impact of his statement hitting him, making him convulse in pain.

"Scorp," I said gently as his hands went to his face, immediately covering his silent tears. I tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder, wanting to offer him a hug but not wanting to push it.

I sensed Draco looking back from up ahead, and I quickly waved him on. I had the distinct feeling that Scorpius wouldn't want to be seen like this in front of his father.

Scorpius, wiping his face, took a few steadying breaths as he stared intently at the ground. "I'm sorry," he choked.

"Don't be sorry, don't ever be sorry about being sad over your mother, okay?"

He nodded silently but said no more.

"Have you spoken to your dad about any of this?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

"He doesn't talk about her. I think he's afraid I might cry."

My heart twisted for the poor boy.

"You know, I think he might surprise you. He can be a good listener, your dad. And he's really worried about you."

To my surprise, Scorpius let out a short, loud scoff. "He was going to ship me off for the holidays so that he didn't have to face me."

"He just wants you to be happy." I implored. "And besides, he's here, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I suppose," he muttered, releasing a heavy sigh.

"And you can always talk to me, you know. We're all here for you, Scorp."

He looked at me, his frown vanishing as his face softened. "Thanks," he whispered quietly.

"Come on," I said, straightening up, "let's go help choose a reasonable sized tree before your father picks one worthy of Buckingham Palace."

An amused snort of laughter passed Scorpius's lips, and I grinned, knowing that maybe I wasn't so outnumbered this Christmas after all.

*****