Confessions of an Ex-Death-Eater

Saturday 15th December

The real reason Draco had come over that Friday night was to ask if Harry and Teddy wanted to come over to the manor the next day. It was a difficult day for both Draco and Scorpius; it was Tori's birthday and although they always tried to celebrate it, it was bitter sweet and it worked best if Scorpius had a distraction too.

Harry suggested they both came to him. What with Teddy still not being 100% settled after the accident, he was slightly worried that the manor might make Teddy anxious.

'Hey bro!' Scorpius announced as he stepped through the Floo into Walpole Street, his imperial mint already clattering against his teeth. 'I brought you a pressie.'

'Hey bro! Wotcha got?' He was snuggled under the duvet again watching a film with Harry. He'd pulled his bedding downstairs after sleeping in Harry's room again, although Harry made him sleep on a put-you-up bed to try to introduce some distancing again.

'Papa gave me some drawing stuff ages ago, I find it good when I can't find words or don't want to speak about mum but want to express my emotions. I thought you might like it too so I asked papa if we could get you some too.'

'Ace!' Teddy said, 'thanks bro! Thanks Mr Malfoy.'

'It's no problem, Teddy,' Draco replied and Harry thought that Draco looked rather attractive, with his hair slightly ruffled and in a pale blue jumper which seemed to make his eyes greyer.

'Why don't you take it all up to your room, Ted, and use your desk to draw at?'

'Okay, Dar,' the boy said happily. 'Come on, Scorp.'

'Ted!'

'Yep, Dar.'

'Take your bedding up too, please.'

Teddy groaned but pulled it after him.

'How's he doing?' Draco asked.

'Good, if he doesn't think about it too much. Then he goes and remembers the angle of his foot and starts limping even though he doesn't need to. How about Scamp? How's he been today?'

'Alright really, surprisingly. We had pancakes for breakfast, it's a bit of birthday tradition, and I told him about Teddy being a bit unsettled and he was the one who suggested the drawing things. He thought Tori would like the idea too, it was Tori who could draw, I've still got some of her artwork. So, he made me take him to the shops after lunch before we got here.'

'It's very kind, thank you. I'm sure Teddy will really like it.'

'Don't be so bloody polite, Potter!'

Harry looked at Draco in surprise and then muttered, 'I think I'll go and check on dinner.'

Draco sighed, 'sure.' He followed Harry through to the kitchen where the smells of roast dinner greeted them with full force.

'I never took you for a chef, Harry.'

'It's about the only good thing to come out of living with the Dursley's, all that petty slavery meant I learnt how to cook pretty quickly. What about you? I was surprised to see your mother doing the cooking at the manor and you making pancakes, I thought you'd have a House-elf for such matters.'

'We did, but maman likes it. When we used to go to France, she would trawl the markets and buy fresh fish and salad, cheeses and bread that was still warm from the bakery. That was in the days before Hogwarts, before everything changed. I guess during house arrest she wanted something to do with her time so she went back to it. She loves it and has been teaching me and Scorp.'

Dinner was delicious, Harry had gone full out with producing a traditional roast dinner with chicken and stuffing, roast potatoes and parsnips, and Yorkshire puddings.