Disclaimer: Harry Potter, names, and places are copyright JK Rowling. No profit is being made from this fanfiction.

Pairing: Draco/Hermione

Summary: Draco has a heart-to-heart conversation with his son and has to explain a term that he now considers to be a bad word. One shot.

Setting: Draco and Hermione are married. Scorpius (age 10) is featured as their son.

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A Bad Word

When Scorpius and his mother came through the Floo Network into their living room upon picking him up from his childhood school of young wizards and witches, they went their separate ways. Hermione went off to the kitchen to get started on supper while Scorpius went off to find his father. A dreadful and confusing situation had happened to him at school that day and he needed to talk to his father about it.

He found Draco in his study, going over some paperwork and hesitated before interrupting him. "Dad?" he asked timidly.

Draco didn't look up from the papers that he was reading, but acknowledged that he heard Scorpius and so the blond-haired boy invited himself in to stand in front of the desk.

"Sorry, dad. I know you said not to interrupt unless it's important, but I have something I really need to talk to you about."

"What is it, Scorpius?" Draco looked up to give his son his full attention.

"Well...today at school, we got a new student named Peter Nott. I tried to make friends with him and he gave me this really dirty look and said that mum and I are "Mudbloods" and he doesn't associate with scum like me."

Draco dropped his quill in shock at the words his son just said to him. Scorpius' eyes widened at his father's reaction and stepped back a little when his face turned stony. He wondered if he had said something wrong.

"Dad? I just...I don't know why he said that to me or what it means. So I asked him and he laughed really cruelly and told me to ask my "blood-traitor" father. He said that you and his parents were friends in school and that it was a word that you used to say all the time, especially towards mum and he said that I was stupid because I didn't know what that word meant," he took in a deep breath after he rambled.

Draco was quiet for a moment as he studied his son. He could tell that he was upset by what had happened and he needed to rectify that. Although he had always dreaded having this talk, he knew it needed to be done, especially before Scorpius started Hogwarts in the next year. He regretted that his son was put in the situation where he didn't understand something that was wrong. Getting up, he gestured for Scorpius to follow him over to the small sofa by the fireplace and sat down. Scorpius sat next to him and waited for him to speak.

"That word...has a very vile meaning and it's something that I haven't so much as uttered in over fifteen years," Draco started.

"What does it mean? Why am I and Mum considered to be one?" Scorpius asked softly as he scooted closer to his father.

"You're not considered to be one, Scorpius," Draco explained. "You're a half-blooded wizard, but there's nothing wrong with that either so don't listen to what others say to you otherwise," then he paused for a moment to regain his composure. "A...M-Mudblood," he flinched at the word he vowed to himself that he would never say again after the war, "is a highly offensive term used for a Muggle-born witch or wizard. It's refers to someone who has Muggle parents."

"Like mum?"

"Yes," he nodded. "It's a term used by some witches and wizards who see people like her as someone that has 'dirty blood' or they feel doesn't deserve to have magic. It's considered to be extremely offensive and not normally used in a civil conversation."

"That's awful!" Scorpius cried. "Mum is a very good witch! There's nothing wrong with her just because grandma and grandpa don't have magic! And there's nothing wrong with them either! They're very wonderful people!"

Draco nodded. "It's good that you keep knowing and believing that because it's very true, Scorpius. You should be against the use of that word or ones similar to it."

Scorpius nodded. "But why would you say it to mum if you love her?"

Draco felt a headache coming on and pinched the bridge of his nose. He sighed before speaking once more. "I'm not going to lie to you, son. To be quite frank about it, your mother and I were on opposite sides back then and it was no secret that we despised each other."

"But if it's such a bad word then why would you say it to anyone, even if you didn't like them?"

He gave his son a small, tight smile. Scorpius was naive in so many ways and he hoped that he could keep his innocence longer than he had as a child. "I have no excuses as to why I said it, except that it was mostly out of obligation. I was brought up hearing and learning that word almost every day by my family or my peers. Being who I was, I didn't know any better at that time other than I needed to keep saying it to maintain my reputation."

"Do you ever regret calling mum that?" Scorpius asked quietly. "Even though you had no choice?"

Draco nodded. "I regret it every day of my life since the first time I insulted her with it in our second year and I saw her tears. I felt a small twinge of guilt even back then."

"You couldn't say sorry?"

"I was not in a position that I could apologize for my words at that time."

"Because you had to maintain your reputation, like you said, right?"

Draco nodded.

"Why did you stop saying it then?"

"I started to see things for what they truly were during the war. It took a long time, but I eventually saw the error of my ways, especially afterwards."

"If you could take it all back, would you, dad?"

"Yes, I would. Even though your mother has forgiven me a long time ago."

"Then you shouldn't still feel bad about it, dad," Scorpius gave him a small smile.

"I know," he replied. "Your mother says what is in the past should stay in the past, but that doesn't mean that I can't continue to make up for it in my own way."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Do you have any other questions, son?"

Scorpius nodded. "Just one other...what does "blood traitor" mean? Why did Peter say that you are one?"

"I was considered a blood traitor after I re-evaluated my beliefs towards Muggles and Muggle-borns in general, but it didn't become serious until my relationship with your mother became public. Although the war did change many wizards and witches' opinions on the matter, including myself, a lot of pureblooded families still believe in the old ways, though they are a bit more subtle about it now."

"What happened when you were considered a blood traitor?"

It seemed that Scorpius was just full of questions about the topic, which was good Draco supposed because they could have the discussion over with now.

"I...lost everyone, which determined to me that the people who I originally thought were my friends weren't really. My family disowned me and I lost it all, except my inheritance and only because that was magically contracted to me. You see, my father had never thought that I would one day "betray" him, especially for love. I ended up refusing most of it, and only keeping enough to get me started until I had a stable job."

Scorpius considered this for a moment. "Is that why I've never met my other grandparents?"

"That's correct," Draco grimly nodded. "I haven't seen or heard from them since before you were born and it's the hard truth, but they would never accept you so you're better off not knowing them. Perhaps my mother would have come around eventually, but she's always followed my father's rules as she doesn't know any better."

Scorpius bowed his head with a sad look in his brown eyes at hearing this and Draco wrapped a comforting arm around him. "Don't let it bother you. You have two loving grandparents and two more that think of you as their own even though you're not related to them by blood. You couldn't ask for anyone better, Scorpius."

Draco never would have thought that one day the Weasleys would come to accept him as a changed man and give their blessings to his relationship with Hermione. They considered him family now and looked at his and Hermione's son as a grandchild, nephew, or cousin.

"I know, dad. But was it hard for you? I couldn't imagine losing you or mum like that..."

"That's not something you ever have to worry about. But yes, it was a bit hard at first – or rather, it was more of a shock knowing that my parents cared more about their pride, beliefs, and reputation than my happiness. But it got better and it was worth it, because I still had your mother and she had become my family. Now I have one of my own that I will never make those kind of mistakes with, and that's all that matters."

"Okay," Scorpius nodded. "Thanks for explaining all that to me, dad. I wish I would have known about it before so I wouldn't have looked stupid in front of Nott," he scowled.

"You're not stupid," Draco said firmly. "It's just that it's something that your mother and I have made a rule never to be said or thought of in our home. We were hoping we wouldn't have to prepare you for it until you are ready to start at Hogwarts. There's no doubt that you'll hear it again from that kid and when you're at Hogwarts next year. You may be the son of a Muggle-born witch, but she's the most wonderful, powerful and clever witch I've ever known. So never forget that."

"I won't," Scorpius grinned. "I'm really happy to have you both as my parents."

Draco smiled at that. "How about you get started on your homework before supper?" he suggested.

"Okay," Scorpius said and got up.

Before he left, Draco stopped him. "And remember to never say that word. If I ever so much as hear from someone that you said it, you'll be grounded for the rest of your life."

When Scorpius looked at him in shock, he couldn't help but smirk.

"I don't like that word anyway, dad! You'll never hear me say it again!" Scorpius promised before leaving the room.

Draco got up and headed back to his desk to finish the files that he was reviewing. After a few moments, he heard the shuffling of feet and glanced up to find his wife standing there. He stopped what he was doing when he could see the evidence that she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked and was about to get up, but she came over to him and stood by his side.

"I couldn't help but overhear part of your talk with Scorpius," Hermione said. "Why didn't you ever tell me that you had felt bad about it when you called me a Mudblood the very first time?"

Draco flinched at the word, but she cupped the side of his face to look him in the eye. "I didn't want to bring to bring up that topic of discussion," he explained. "I wanted to just forget about it."

"Oh, Draco," she said softly. "If I had known, it would have made a difference when you first apologized to me all those years ago."

"Would it have made you forgive me sooner?"

"Well, no, because I needed you to prove to me that you were changing to be a better person, but it would have given me something to consider."

"Perhaps," Draco agreed. "I only wish things could have been different in school. You know, I tried to make up for it once, when I warned you that time during the Quidditch World Cup before our fourth year," she gasped at this revelation, but he continued. "It was hard enough to see your tears that day in second year; I had never made a girl cry before and I couldn't help but feel a little bit bad afterwards. I didn't want to see any of your blood spilt either, so if there was a way that I could prevent that from happening, I had to give it a try."

Hermione leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her onto his lap. "I always knew you had a heart in there somewhere," she said softly. "I knew you couldn't be all that bad, as I had tried to tell Harry countless times, especially during sixth year. But you buried it deep, didn't you? In fear that your father would have ever discovered it."

"Things would have been bad if my father had known that side of me. So I had to try and bury it deep by covering it up the best I could, even if it meant using that word ruthlessly."

Hermione nodded in understanding at this. "I don't think that Scorpius fully understood the concept of what being disowned meant in your family, although you tried to explain it to him. I have a question, however. Do you think if your mother ever came around again, would you forgive her?"

Draco considered her question for a moment. He had always known that his mother had a lot of love for him, but she had always been a follower of his father and didn't have much say in most matters. "I don't know, to be honest. But I would at least try to hear her out. Even when my father is dead and gone, she'll probably never truly be free of him."

Hermione nodded slowly at this. It was the sad truth after all. "I was hoping that we wouldn't have to have this talk with him yet at least until the summer, but I feel that you did a good job in explaining to him. I'm glad that you two can open up to each other so freely and at least he's aware of it now."

"Yes, but next will come the topic of my past and Death Eaters, which I fear the most. It doesn't matter what house he may be Sorted in, I just know he'll catch wind of it eventually and no doubt it'll be from one of the children of my former classmates. It's a pity that so many did not change their ways after the war; Parkinson and Nott's kid is a prime example of that."

Hermione scoffed. "Pansy is probably still scorned that you changed for the better and she never had a chance with you again. So she had to settle for second best which happened to be Theodore Nott at the time."

"Like I would have given her the time of day," Draco scowled. "I don't even know why I liked her attentions during school."

"You were just a stupid boy back then," she teased and he rolled his eyes. "But seriously, don't worry about it. We'll talk about it together with Scorpius before he starts Hogwarts next year. Unfortunately, it is something he needs to be aware of and it's best he hears it from us. Don't worry, honey, he knows that you're a good person and a wonderful father. He loves you and isn't going to think any less of you," she captured his lips in a soft kiss.

Draco sat back in his chair with her still on his lap. He looked at his desk and saw the picture of the three of them together. It was certainly worth giving everything up for what he has now.