I look up. Aunt Petunia's scowling face is bearing down on me.

"THESE POTS ARE A DISGRACE YOU USELESS CHILD!"

A hand reaches out, slapping me painfully across the face. I blink, confused. "Wh-what time is it?"

"Time enough," she spits, sneering down at me as I search blindly for my glasses. "You're turning out to be such a limp disappointment, Henrietta. When we agreed to take you in, we hoped we could improve you."

"I try..." I answer, my seven-year-old voice sounding small and weak.

"Trying is not succeeding, though, is it? There are grease smears on the glasses. There are scuff marks on the pots. Now get up and go to the kitchen and get scrubbing."

As I crawl out of the cupboard, I realise too late that my pyjama bottoms are wet.

"What have you done? You've wet the bed again!" Petunia hisses, pulling the covers back. "You revolting, disgusting child! You make me sick!"

"I can't help it!" I cry as she pins me against the wall and repeatedly smacks my head over and over again. "I can't help it!"

Once she is done mauling me, she whips the wet sheets from out of the cupboard and throws them at me.

"Get them cleaned you filthy creature, and then get to the kitchen to scrub those pans!"

I am left sobbing in the hallway outside my cupboard under the stairs, entangled in my own sodden sheets.

And then, right before me, a figure appears. It is Albus. Trees start to grow up around him, filling the hallway.

"Henrietttttaaa Pottttteeeeer!"

*****

"Etta! Wake up! Wake up, Etta!"

Gasping in confusion, my eyes flew open to the sight of Draco looming over me, worry pinching his features.

"V-Voldemort," My hand clutched at my forehead as I desperately tried to stem the searing pain in my scar. "I heard him, Draco."

"Shhh..." Long fingers curled around my wrist, gently tugging my hand away from my scar which he quickly replaced with cool, soothing lips. "It was just a dream, Etta. Just a bad dream."

"But it was so clear, so real," I started sobbing and Draco immediately gathered me into his arms, whispering assurances in my ear that everything was going to be alright, that our boys were tough and were at least together.

But how could we know that for sure? All we knew was that they were missing, having vanished from the train, leaving their belongings behind. And unless either of them used their wands, we had no way of tracing their movements.

But... maybe we did.

I sat up as a sudden thought occurred to me, the bedsheets falling down around me.

"What is it?" Draco murmured sleepily.

"I think I know how to find them." I breathed, my heart racing as I was filled with a new hope. "We need to get to Hogwarts. Now."

*****

"The what map?!" Minerva asked incredulously as she looked between me and Draco, both of us breathless from hurtling across the grounds at breakneck speed, cursing the anti-Apparation charms.

"The Marauders Map," I said, the urgency rife in my voice. "Please, Minerva, I need to retrieve it from Albus's belongings!"

"Well... it's not really protocol to go rummaging-"

"HE'S OUR SON, MINERVA!" Draco bellowed, stepping up to my side and taking my hand in his. "I'm begging you to help us out here - I have two sons out there – missing. And I- we - need them to be found safe and sound. Please."

I glanced up at him, my lips tugging up in a small, grateful smile as I gave his hand a squeeze.

Minerva once again looked from me to Draco. If she was surprised by the news of Draco being Albus's father, she didn't show it.

"Very well, Draco, Etta," she nodded to each of us, "I shall send for Albus's trunk."

I found it straight away. The map was laying discarded on top of his belongings.

"But it's just an old blank piece of parchment." Minerva observed, furrowing her brow in confusion.

I laid it out on the desk, shakily removing my wand as I did so and, under the curious stares of Draco and Minerva, touched tip to parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." I felt my cheeks flame as though I was confessing to a very naughty crime.

Minerva gasped as she watched the map reveal itself.

"Miss Potter!" She breathed, horrified as it dawned upon her what this map meant.

Oh fuck, I was about to be in heaps of shit.

"Well, Potter," Draco drawled quietly in my ear, "this explains why you kept conveniently bumping into me back in our school days."

I glanced up to see the glint in his silver eyes as a smirk twitched at his lips. I quickly lowered my face, intently looking at the map, trying to hide the blush that I was sure had crept to my cheeks.

"And where do you propose they will be hiding, exactly?" Minerva asked brusquely, choosing to ignore our exchange.

"In my dream, Albus was surrounded by the Forbidden Forest. I know it. It must mean he's near here. That him and Scorpius are hiding out somewhere at Hogwarts."

But as hard as we searched, we couldn't locate their names, and the map only covered the very edges of the Forbidden Forest.

"Well, then," Draco said, standing up tall and placing his hands authoritatively on his hips, "we need to start searching the forest - immediately."

"Don't be ridiculous, Mr Malfoy!" Minerva barked. "It's still dark outside, it would be idiotic to go in there now."

"Oh, but that didn't stop this god forsaken school from sending first years into the forest for a midnight detention!" Draco snarled, clearly recalling the time when he and I stumbled across Voldemort feeding off a dead unicorn.

Minerva stood up straight, her eyes studying the both of us. "I understand that times back in the day here were... difficult." Her voice was quiet yet firm. "But under my reign, I assure you that rules remain rules. No one is going to be endangered on my watch. I shall send message to the centaurs to keep an eye out for your sons. In the meantime, you two can stay the remainder of the night here in the castle and searching can commence at first light."

Sighing heavily, Draco drove his hands through his hair, adding to his already tired and dishevelled look. I could tell it was killing him not to be able to do anything for our boys.

Minerva flicked her wand and various bits of furniture jumped back against the wall to make way for a large and snug looking sleeping bag which had magically appeared across the floor.

"I trust you two will be comfortable here," she said, making for the door. She paused at the threshold and turned, her look stern as she tilted her face forwards to glare at me over her spectacles. "Oh, and Miss Potter, you do realise that I'm going to have to confiscate that map from Albus the minute we've finished using it. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you just how many school rules you have broken by both you and your son having had such an artefact in possession."

And before I could protest, she left, firmly closing the door behind her.

"Well, well, well, Potter," Draco's drawling tones cut into the silence that had followed her departure. "You really have been a naughty girl, haven't you?"

*****