Hia,
I think I must have an overactive imagination or something because I said I wasn't to going to do any more fanfics for a while and it has only been a short while and here I am writing another one. I have just finished reading DH to my little sister Cat so really this is for her since she nagged me to read her my 'silly story' but she ended up being quite useful because it is an excellent way to proof read.

Anyways brief description of my fic...think of it as a blurb if you will.

Scorpius Malfoy, Rose Weasley and Albus Potter are starting their first year at Hogwarts but as they progress through their school years strange happenings begin to unfold which will change the course of wizarding history until the moon shines no more.

Ok I could have done that so much better but its late and I just want to get this up. Basically each part is a segment of a year because it would be too compressed if I squashed an entire year into one part being as though I am aiming for each part to be around 5 chapters. Hasn't really worked though because I am on Part 2 and I have already gone over. Oh! And I dedicated a song to some...most...so far all...chapters. You don't have to click the link but I think they suit the chapter it is dedicated to hence the dedication.

Oh my gosh look at my waffle! Ok disclaimer time.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters or places in this fiction which were mentioned in the original Harry Potter books but any names you do not recognise belong to me.

For Cat...

THE LAST MILESTONE

Part One

Chapter One: Confidence issues
Dedication: Creep - Radiohead

Some people say that men are born great and that others have it thrust upon them. Some people think that greatness is something you have to earn or that they have a birth right to it with out putting in any effort, and then there were people who strove for greatness and failed and embarrassed and ashamed hung their head and retreated behind the legs of those worthy to shoulder greatness, ambition and determination. Scorpius Malfoy was one of these people. He was no good at anything, he knew he never would be, and honestly couldn’t see the point in wasting his time trying when all he would achieve was a broken pride and a diminished sense of self respect? For eleven well lived but tiresome years he had struggled through his mothers home schooling. She was a muggleborn and had a younger brother who was muggle although her sister Daphne or, Auntie Daphne was a witch and a little overly-proud of it. Daphne had been a slytherin but Astoria had been sorted into ravenclaw. She was well practised in muggle literature and mathematics which even wizards use in day to day life. Scorpius had found that he was not particularly gifted at what his mother called ‘Muggle Magic’ but had a knack for writing poems. His mother had been so proud when she had read his first piece of writing she had framed it. Scorpius scoffed loudly as the car drew into the station, like amateur poetry would get him anywhere in a school full of wizards.
“Right, son.” Draco said turning around in his seat to look back at Scorpius, his silver eyes glistening with sadness and joy at the same time. “I want you to remember that it does not matter where they sort you or what sort of friends you make, who has the best grades or who is getting the pretty girl, nothing can lesser your status in our eyes.”
Scorpius scoffed again, probably because his ‘status’ was pretty much as low as it goes.
“Now honey,” his mother said forcing a thick lock of dark hair behind her ear, “I know you are nervous but you can’t let your confidence issues get in the way of meeting new people. Normally the best way to get rid of nerves is to find someone to share them with.”
“I’m not nervous,” Scorpius muttered, “and I do not have confidence issues!” He said a bit too aggressively dragging hit cat out of the car and slamming the door shut behind him. Bastet hissed and dug her claws into Scorpius’s jacket sleeve, her long black tail swishing agitatedly.
He flipped the boot open and tried to lift out his trunk, once again he failed and it fell back with a thud. He glared at it while trying to keep a hold on the writhing cat.
His father climbed out of the car and hefted Scorpius’s trunk out and onto the curb where his son now sat clutching the struggling cat.
“It’s going to be ok Scor, everyone has nerves and everyone gets through it.”
“Yeah but…but…” Scorpius muttered into Bast’s furry back.
“But nothing. You will be fine; there are people in much more difficult situations, muggleborns and such who won’t have a clue what they’re getting themselves in for.”
“…but…”
“We promise to send you letters everyday and make sure your ok. My father sent me an owl twice a week while I was at school.”
“No…it’s not that…”
“Yes I found that rather embarrassing as well…”
“Its just…what if I’m…what if I’m in gryffindor? Or hufflepuff? Or ravenclaw?”
“That only leaves one option open and I’ve told you before it doesn’t matter. You’re not me Scor and don’t try to be because it wont make you happy.”
Scorpius looked at his father questioningly.
“…Your not-”
“I’m happy now yes…just…never mind. Follow you heart.”
“but…but…but” Scorpius started stuttering again his face growing red, “I’m not brave or hard working or smart and I’m not cunning or clever or anything! I can’t even fly! What if they just kick me out? I reckon the muggleborns have it easy not knowing what’s coming.”
“Stop that Scorpius. You know full well that you are intelligent enough to get into any Grammar school, you were the one who dived into the pond last winter to save Bastet from drowning and you were the only one to finish your woodcraft project last year. So don’t you dare say you are not fit for Hogwarts. They’ll be lucky to have you.”
“but I-”
“That’s the end of it Scorpius, now put that cat in its basket and lets get onto the platform before your train leaves.”
“I have the trolley.” Astoria called hurrying towards them through the crowd her hair wild in the autumn wind.
Scorpius scowled and shoved Bastet into her carrier basket and helped his father lift the trunk onto the trolley. Leaves hurled themselves into his blond hair as the wind picked up even more.
“Come on honey; let’s get you on the train.” Astoria said reaching out a hand for Scorpius to take. He considered it for a moment before walking up in front of the trolley leading the way to the barrier. He heard Draco’s soft chuckle behind him but ignored it. This year was going to be different. This year he was going hunt down greatness and plaster it to his face so it couldn’t ever escape him. This year he was going to make something out of himself. This year would be his year.

***
Scorpius was on the platform with his father and mother. His father looked a bit stiff and uncomfortable. Scorpius had thought it was the emotion of having to say goodbye to his son, the fact that he wouldn’t be seen for a whole few months but then he had seen the Potters and Weasleys and knew it was because of them. Whenever they cropped up in the papers or on the WWN, which was fairly often, Draco would go all quiet and subdued. Scorpius had no idea why but he had just taken it as something they weren’t supposed to discuss. Draco shared everything with his son and if he was keeping anything from him it had to have a good reason behind it. When Draco knelt down so he was at eye level with Scorpius however, his eyes did seem to be unusually wet. Scorpius tried to react to his fathers hug but to be honest he had been shocked that he was holding together so poorly.
“I’m gonna miss you Scor.” He said a bit croakily.
“I’m gonna miss you too dad.”
“And me.” Said his mother, kneeling down as well and hugging them all.
“And you mum.”
“MOOOW!” Came an indignant noise from the basket that was being squished in the middle of the hug.
Scorpius laughed, “You coming with me you daft cat.”
“Daphne should be here somewhere right?” Astoria asked straightening up and pulling her husband up with her, craning her neck to get a good look around.
“Probably, Stan is in his sixth year now right?” Draco asked looking about as well.
“I think so.”
Stanly Greengrass was Daphne’s only son, Scorpius’s only cousin being as though Vinnie, his Uncle, was 23 and had been unable to stay in a long term relationship for more than two months. Daphne was a sour woman whose husband had left her after she had told him she was a witch, broken hearted her sourness had increased and some of it had rubbed of on her son who was in Slytherin.
“Hello Draco,” a smooth voice said from behind them, they all turned abruptly to see Parkinson and Zabini standing in the entrance to the platform.
“Pansy, Blaise.” Draco said nodding at both of them.
“This is your boy is it?” Pansy asked leering at Scorpius.
“Yes, he is starting his first year now. I can’t believe how he’s grown.”
“Don’t be a kiss arse son. Nobody likes them.” Zabini said smiling in what he must have thought was a comforting way down at Scorpius who was trying to smile and once again failing dismally.
“What are you doing here?” Draco asked loosing a bit of his airy politeness.
“Pansy and I are just … reminiscing. Don’t you enjoy…reminiscing Draco, old friend?”
“I am afraid I live in the present Blaise.” Said Draco a little waspishly. “Don’t you be planning anything; you’re too old for such ridiculous behaviour.”
Zabini plastered a look of shock firmly onto his face. “Aww, come on Draco, he’s standing just over there. What’s say we have a go? I haven’t had any fun in a good nineteen years. You’re not going to show your son who’s the enemy? ” He asked sneering at Scorpius.
Draco looked over to where the Potter where standing. “Have you absolutely lost it Zabini? Get out of here before you do something you will regret.”
“Oh give over,” Pansy said smiling sweetly.
“Unbelievable…even from you.” Draco said glaring down the pair of them who glared back. Scorpius trapped in the middle looked from one side to the other a little amused and a little frightened.
“Daphne! Daphne over here!” Astoria called suddenly breaking the nasty tension.
A tall spindly woman with dark knotted black hair wound her way through the crowd a sixteen year old boy in tow, his face bored and slightly annoyed.
“Astoria.” Daphne said inclining her head. “Draco, Scoprius.”
“Hi Aunt Daphne, hey Stan.”
“Hey Mary.” Stan said giving an ugly grin.
Scorpius scowled at him balling his fists. He had never liked Stan and there was no way in hell he was going to start liking him now.
“Pansy, what are you doing here?” Daphne asked looking both surprised and pleased.
“Just going Daph, apparently we are not wanted.”
Daphne looked at Draco who was stiff as a board and looking miserable.

Suddenly the whistle to the Hogwarts Express blew making the crowd surge forwards.
Scorpius was rushed to the train by his mother, his father behind her and Zabini Stan Pansy and Daphne trailing after them.
Astoria opened the train door and helped Scorpius onto the train then lifted his trunk up with Draco’s help.
“Be good,” She kissed his left cheek, “work hard,” she kissed his right, “and stay close to Stan.” She kissed his forehead.
“We love you son.” Draco said pulling them all into another hug.
“I love you to…and…” but he stopped Stan was within hearing range now and was elbowing people out of his way.
“We’ll miss you too.” Astoria said smiling.
Scorpius smiled at them. If he was going to die at school he wanted them to remember him with a happy face even if the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

They stood back then to let Stan onto the train and then shut the door.
“Goodbye honey!” Astoria called to him as she stepped back.
Scorpius waved, looking for his father, he had his back to the train and was arguing fiercely with Pansy whilst Zabini lurked behind her a foul look on his face. The train began to move and Astoria followed his window. As he drew level with his father he heard snippets of the conversation.
“You could have had anyone! The whole population of pure blood witches at you disposal and you had to choose her!” Pansy was half shouting. “I feel sorry for you, really! At least I have Zabini! Not some festering mudbloo-”
Draco drew his wand so fast Scorpius didn’t see it leave his pocket but within half a second it was out, steady and with a blast like a gun shot Pansy fell backwards into Zabini’s arms. He yelled in fury and drove his own hand into his pocket but Pansy required all his strength to hold up and he half dropped her.
“Dad!” Scorpius yelled, hanging out the window. He got one glimpse of his fathers pale face flick up panicked and confused from Zabini’s contorted scowl before they rounded the corner and were out of sight.

“Oooohh How could I have missed that? Stupid train.” Stan said from behind him leaning over him to stare out the window.
“Shut up Stanly.” Scorpius hissed pushing him out of the way and forcing back tears determined not to give himself away as the useless spineless person he was on the inside.
“Whatever, Tinkerbell. I’m going to go sit with the Bulstorde twins. Don’t die without me.” He laughed over his shoulder dragging his trunk down the corridor.

Scorpius glared at the back of his head with such a hatred he swore that if his emotions were physical they would have burnt a hole right through his fat empty head.
He sniffed and picked up his trunk and Bastet’s basket. He made his way down the train but everywhere was full to bursting. Only one compartment was emptyish.
It was right at the end of the train and when Scorpius peered through the window he saw a girl with bright red flaming hair. It looked like she was alone and she looked a bit down so he pushed the door open wondering if this would be a good time to ‘share his nerves’. Big mistake. He had just opened his mouth when he saw Potter sitting next to the door his head leaning against the wall. He looked back to the girl who he was sure must be a Weasley, taking in her red bushy hair and her sprinkle of freckles and stood there gaping like a moronic fish for a few seconds then went to back his way out.
“Hey,” The girl called after him.
He stopped and focused on the girl trying not to look at Potter who was staring at him with confusion on his face.
“Don’t you want to come in? Everywhere we saw was full.”
“er…um…actually…” Scorpius said getting uncomfortable.
“Aren’t you a Malfoy?” Potter asked looking Scorpius up and down with dislike on his face.
Scorpius jutted out his chin and forced his stutters away. “So what if I am?” He may have just watched his father attack a woman and heard someone call his mother a mudblood but the truth was, he was proud to be a Malfoy. It was just about the only thing he was proud of and hot anger flushed his stomach as the girl’s friendly smile slipped slightly off her face.
“Aren’t you a Potter? Scorpius said haughtily.
“yeah…and…?” Albus said straightening up.
“Hey…erm…are you coming in or not?” the Weasley girl asked.
Scorpius gave Potter an unsure but, what he tried to keep, superior look and strutted into the compartment. He swore he saw Potter shoot Weasley a warning look but she appeared to ignore it.
“Every where else is full…” he admitted putting Bastet down on the seat next to him.
“Was that your Dad fighting on the platform?” Potter asked accusingly. Scorpius stared him down his grey eyes piercing.
“Yeah…she deserved what she got.” Scoprius said venomously.
“She?” asked the Weasley girl.
“Yeah, that Pansy Parkinson.”
“Hang on, my dad said the two of them were mates.” Potter said looking a bit confused but still apparently disgusted that Scorpius’s dad would attack a girl.
“Well, your father clearly doesn’t know everything does he Potter?”
The Weasley girl opened her mouth angrily to retaliate but Scorpius hissed over her squinting against his stinging eyes. “She called my mum a mudblood.”
The Weasley girl closed her mouth.
“She deserved what she got.” He repeated, “God, if I had been there she would have got a lot more.”
“er…you don’t know any spells yet.” Potter said to the luggage rack looking uncomfortable at the wetness of Scorpius’s eyes.
“I don’t need spells! I can fight! I would make her pay for what she said.”
“er…Malfoy-” the Weasley girl said tentatively.
“Scorpius.”
“Scorpius, your dad used to call people that all the time. My mum and dad have told me all about the days when Voldemort was powerful and they told us all about school.” She said a little shyly.
“Don’t be stupid. My dad would never ever call anyone a mudblood!” Scorpius said shocked at the ridiculousness of it. Draco had always reacted…maybe a little violently but still, to anyone who ever dared call his mother a mudblood. It had beaten the thought out of Scorpius’s mind for life.
“Don’t’ call her stupid!” Potter said loudly glaring at Scorpius, “and by hell he did.”
“He did not!”
“I don’t know what he’s been telling you Scorpius but your father was a swine at school.” Potter spat.
Scorpius got to his feet and drew his wand not really knowing what to do with it so he dropped at and launched himself at Potter but the Weasley girl stopped him.
“Stop it! Stop it now!” She snapped throwing him back into his seat. “Yes, our parents went to school together everyone knows that, your dad made sure everyone knew he was top and walked about the place as if he owned the place expecting people to kiss the ground he walked on- Don’t interrupt me he did!” she hissed when Scorpius opened his mouth angrily. “He made a habit of picking on my mum, dad and Uncle Harry and got into heaps of trouble for it. No one but those in his house liked him and he made a habit of calling muggleborns mudbloods including my mother on a regular basis.”
“You…you…liar!” Scorpius churned out his brain jarring.
“I don’t lie its unladylike.” She said sitting back down.
“I don’t know what you dad’s been telling you but-” Potter began but Scorpius interrupted.
“Hmmm let’s see. He had a father who had absolutely no respect for his son even though he thought the world of his father. His mother was the complete opposite, spoiling him and pampering him, his life was really mixed up.”
“Oh god, being spoilt, how horrifying, not much to compare to having your parents blown up by a deranged serial killer though is it?”
“Shut it Potter.” He snapped, “He was put in Slytherin of course, what his father wanted, he sucked up to Snape, what his father wanted, he became a death eater completely ruining his life and changing it forever, what his father wanted and did his father ever say ‘well done son, I am proud of you’? No. He followed his fathers wishes right up to murdering his headmaster- listen –and that was when he stopped, because he was a good person and didn’t want to sink to his fathers, and his fathers boss’s level. He didn’t want to be a monster.”
“He was a spineless coward more like. A puppet.”
“Don’t you dare Potter. Don’t you dare. That is exactly what he said, he said he was too cowardly to do it, he said he should have led his own life not one his dad had made for him but I know better. I know that he could have killed Dumbledore if he had wanted to, if he had that insane justification that comes with murder but he couldn’t, because I know he is not like that. He couldn’t have led his own life, not even if he had wanted to, not when The Dark Lord had a hand in what his father told him and how he was treated, not when the Dark Lord wanted to recruit him. You submit or you die and he still wanted his own life back, he didn’t want to become his father, he didn’t want to die a chained man.”
“Scorpius, I appreciate all that but how does that make up for the fact he was a swine?” the Weasely girl asked looking a bit tiered.
“How would you have behaved if you lived your life like that? You would have craved something that set you apart from the crowd, made you different, individual when you are acting like someone else instead of being you!” Scorpius was getting really frustrated now. He couldn’t stand looking at Potter’s abashed expression and the Weasley girl’s worried and impatient look. He glared at them both snatched up Bastet and went to grab his trunk.
“Don’t go.”
Both Potter and Scorpius looked around at the Weasley girls who blushed.
“Why? Why not? If my family is such scum why do you want me around?” Scorpius spat thinking longingly of Stan’s compartment…ok maybe not that far.
“You look lost.”
Scorpius scoffed and picked up his trunk.
“It’s our first year too…I only want to help.” She said.
“Save it Rose. He doesn’t want to know. I say we let him leave.”
“What house do you think you’ll be sorted into?” Rose asked ignoring Potter’s comment.
Scorpius shrugged. “Slytherin probably, all Malfoys end up there. I’m not really Slytherin material though…but I’m not brave or smart or any of that stuff either. Hell, maybe they’ll just throw me into the lake a let the squid eat me.” The thought actually appealed to him…better than enduring the laughter as the staff tried to work out what was wrong. God, he hated it when people laughed at him.
“Families don’t get put in the same house all the time. My mum told me it varies on your personality.”
Scorpius huffed again.
“Let me help you…” Rose said taking the other end of his trunk and half lifting it off the floor towards the luggage rack.
He gave in, there was no where else to go anyway. He lifted it up onto the rack and returned Bastet to her seat where she purred contently.
“Rose what’re you doing? Your dad said-”
“shh”
Scorpius turned around to glare at Potter. He hated people whispering about him too. He sat down on the seat beside Bastet and sulked in silence for a few minutes before Rose turned in her seat and stuck out her hand.
“Start again?” She asked.
He glared at her.
“Hi, my name is Rose Weasley and this is Albus Potter.”
“Albus Severus.” Albus corrected proudly.
Scorpius tried not to laugh at his happy smirk and shook Rose’s hand. She must’ve mistaken his half smile of mock for a half smile of friendliness because she grinned encouragingly at him.
“er…Hi my name is Scorpius Malfoy and um…this is Bastet…she is prone to falling in ponds and getting large amounts of seeds stuck in her fur.” Scorpius said a little embarrassed.
“So Scorpius…I really love your cat.” Rose said awkwardly.
“Oh here we go. You better put a chip in it Mal-…Scorpius because Rose is probably going to try and steal it.”
“Will not!” Rose said slapping Albus across the leg.
“Yes you will! Ever since that thousand year old cat of yours died you have been on the look out for a replacement.”
To Scorpius’s and apparently Albus’s too, Rose’s eyes brimmed up with tears.
“Mum was devastated when Crookshanks died! So was dad!...a bit…and we had a funeral and everything! He was with them since she was thirteen! He was ancient!”
“Exactly so wasn’t it kinder he died quickly being as though he was so old and could have gotten ill or something.” Albus said quickly looking very awkward now at the way Rose’s lip was quivering.
“er…how did he die?” Scorpius asked quietly.
“He got hit by a car.” Albus whispered back but Rose had obviously heard them because she sniffed very loudly and rubbed her eyes vigorously. Scorpius winced and looked down a Bastet’s basket and wondering how long she would last before it would be kinder to put her to sleep. He shuddered; he loved his cat with all his heart. He felt she reflected him somewhat, she made the made the wrong decisions but always managed to get out of the consequences whether that included attacking a dog twice her size and running up a tree or walking across thin ice, falling into a pond and having Scorpius rescue her. He smiled.

There was a tap on the door and he got up to get it. It was the lunch trolley and the witch who sold the food was smiling a little blindly up at him.
“Anything from the trolley?” She asked.
“Er yeah please…some Droobles, a liquorice wand…make that two, Chocolate frogs and some Bertie Botts.” He said reaching for his money bag.
“That’ll be…a galleon twenty six sickles please dear. She said holding out her hand a little to the right of where Scorpius was standing.
“Thanks a lot.” He said and stepped back for Albus and Rose to visit the cart. He prodded a liquorice wand into the wicker of the basket so that it stuck out like a black feeler. He knew Bastet could reach it on the inside because the visible end began to twitch like mad.

Scorpius spent the rest of the journey talking with Rose and Albus about Hogwarts and life before he got the letter. He felt all that anxiety leaking out of him and remembered what his mother had said about sharing his nerves. He was beginning to like Albus and Rose even if their parents were stuck up celebrities…that was what he was beginning to think anyways after getting Potter’s face on a chocolate frog card. Albus had denied it of course saying his father had never wanted any of the fame but Scorpius couldn’t be sure.

Hogwarts seemed to arrive only too soon. Rose had Bastet on her lap feeding her Bertie Botts every flavour beans. She seemed to really like the ones Albus swore were blood flavoured but Scorpius thought looked more like a raspberry. They had just changed into their robes, Albus and Scorpius had, Rose had come wearing them and were finishing their cauldron cakes when Rose let out a squeal that sent Bastet careering for her basket. Scorpius and Albus rushed to the window and pressed their faces up against it. There before them, on a lonely hill, partly covered by the tops of houses of the village Hogsmede stood Hogwarts castle, a dark silhouette against the stark white sky. Scorpius gaped as it, Albus stared at it and Rose simply looked at it in a dignified fashion.
They quickly busied themselves with clearing up the mess they had made of the compartment. Wrappers were hastily stuffed into pockets and Albus tried to flatten his hair whilst Rose retied hers, it puffed out in a cute little pom-pom at the back of her head. Scorpius shut Bastet away and looked nervously at his new friends wishing with all his heart the hat didn’t split them up.


TBC


So there it is. My first chapter...hope you enjoyed it please leave feedback. This link is also in my siggy so please use that one in future. I love feedback so if you don't leave any I will cry and steal your bacon. Thanks.

Em
xx

It gets better than this. Promise.



Scorpius stumbled up the steps beside Rose and Albus drawing his cloak more tightly around himself. The lake had been flat, silent and perfect but very, very cold. Gone were the warm evenings Scorpius would spend in the garden with his mother swimming in their pool gone were the nights he and his father would waste gazing at the stars. Now it would just be a stuffy common room somewhere with rowdy roommates and his own miserable self. He bumped into a tall boy with long dark hair that had been styled into that fluffy kind of windswept look. He grunted and turned around, his startlingly blue eyes nervous and irritated. He radiated a sarcastic sense of purpose that made Scorpius quail slightly.
“Watch it.” He growled taking in Scopius’s own average skinny appearance with his mess of blond hair that hid his forehead and his mother’s high cheekbones which were flushed red.
“Sorry.” He said a little aggressively but tried to make up for it with a small smile.
The boy smiled back then looked over to Albus and Rose who were watching him with something close to humour.
“Hey Albus, Rose.” He said nodding at them.
“Hey Xeno.” They chimed.
“You two as nervous as I am? How come we haven’t been let in yet?”
Distracting Scorpius from his confusion he looked about and realised that everyone was now standing out in the cold…well half of them were, the rest were filling up the Entrance hall.
“I dunno maybe they are just getting us into order…” Albus said gulping a bit and craning his neck to try, unsuccessfully, to see over the rest of the first years many heads.
“Scorpius, this is Xeno Thomas, Luna and Dean’s son. We told you about the Thomas’s right?” Rose asked a little nervous.
“Yeah…they were your parent’s old friends’ right?”
“That’s right-”
“-Rose, didn’t your dad tell you to stay away from the Malfoys?” Xeno muttered.
Scorpius felt his stomach drop a considerable amount as Rose’s cheeks flushed red.
“er…well…yes…but he doesn’t seem nasty…he looked like he might need help.” Rose stammered.
Scorpius could feel his face sinking into an ugly scowl and however hard he tried to straighten the creases they just got deeper.
“No- Scorpius we don’t care. It’s just…I wanted to talk to you...you and your dad seem so different and…interesting and…” Rose faltered at the look on Scorpius’s face.
“You’re wrong. He is a great man.”
“No Scorpius, that’s not what she meant mate.” Albus said elbowing his way closer.
“Really?” Scorpius muttered mutinously. He couldn’t do anything right!
“No. My Uncle Ron, he has always been a bit off with people outside his family. He gets a bit protective and he wasn’t friends with your dad before really was he?”
“Yeah, but you’re not your Uncle and I am not my dad.”
“Scorpius, he was only joking. God, Xeno you freak of nature, look what you’ve done. Explain it to him before he gets worked up.” Albus said slapping Xeno across the chest.
“erm…my dad didn’t want me to-” He began but stopped quickly at the look on Rose’s face. “erm…yeah Uncle Ron is a right joker. He told everyone to stay away from your family but I think he was joking though because your Aunt Hermione was laughing and everything and telling him off…I dunno I only over heard it.” Xeno said a little uncomfortable under Albus, Rose and Scorpius’s glares.
“Why didn’t you tell me you should be keeping away from me?” He asked Albus quietly.
“Cause we didn’t want you to freak…I had been considering it actually but I didn’t know what Rose was up to and then I just… kind of forgot.” He said sheepishly.
Scorpius remembered Albus’s confused and questioning glances thrown at Rose on the train and ground his heel into the ground.
“Come on Scorpius…it’s not that big a deal.” Albus said punching his arm.
“Fine…,” he said grudgingly but unwilling to continue his immature sulk, “anything else I should know?”
They shook their heads.
“Good now…why do you call Ron your uncle?” He asked Xeno as an elderly woman stepped out into the night air.
“He said I could, and my parents are such good friends with him that well…he is kind of like my uncle. I spend time at their house and I know Teddy really well.”
“So you’re not actually related?” He asked looking from Albus to Rose to Xeno.
“No. Shhh.” Rose said sharply as the woman cleared her throat.
Albus rolled his eyes at Scorpius who smiled and turned his attention to the woman.
“Good evening new comers!” She called over the mass of heads. “Welcome to Hogwarts. Within the Hall the rest of the school is waiting for you to be sorted. There are four houses into which you may be sorted. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin each of which is named after one of the great founders of our school and you should be proud to be accepted into their ranks. At school your house will be like your family, it will be up to you to keep each other happy and comforted. In the entrance hall behind me are four hourglasses which record the house points earned by each house. Any achievements you might make will earn your house points while breaking the rules will lose you points. At the end of the year the house with the most points will win the house cup. Now, please make yourselves presentable and follow me up the hall where you will be called up one by one in alphabetical order to be sorted, I wish you the best of luck.” She then disappeared.
“W-w-was that Professor McGonagall?” Rose stuttered looking pale and awestruck.
“Probably, she looked old enough.” Scorpius said grinning at Rose’s expression.
“God, why hasn’t she retired?” Albus asked staring at the place where she had disappeared.
“She enjoys her job I think.” Xeno said, “She has been here so long…she has probably gotten comfortable here. I don’t blame her, my mum only came here for six years and a bit and she applied for a teaching place.”
“Did she get one?” Scorpius asked.
“No.”
Scorpius bit back his question and concentrated on keeping his sweets in his stomach as the crowd began to push them towards the door. McGonagall gave him a curious look as he passed her with Rose, Albus and Xeno behind him. He tried to ignore it but it ate away at him. Would people be judging him on what sort of a person his father had been…nineteen years ago? He hoped not. He wouldn’t put up with it and he would make sure that as many people as he could knew his father had changed. He was decent now…aside from attacking witches in broad daylight…he hoped.
In ways his father reminded him of a caterpillar, he was slimy and green at first but then he changed and became beautiful and learnt to fly…the only thing bugging him was what had made that change? His father had told him a lot about his childhood…not everything and Scorpius could understand that but a lot…would he keep something that major from his son? Probably not but it couldn’t hurt to know…could it?

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the sudden hush that had fallen over the hall. McGonagall had gotten to her feet at the throne like chair in the middle of the staff table.
“Welcome back students. Another year is about to begin and I do hope you have managed to remember at least some of what we taught you last year.” Everyone laughed although McGonagall appeared to remain serious which made everyone close their mouths rather quickly.
“Last year we had to lose Professor Flitwick to his late retirement and the temporary Astronomy teacher Miss Marble left meaning two replacements in staff. Please welcome Professor Periwinkle, your new Charms Professor.” A young willowy woman stood up and waved happily, everyone clapped respectfully, “and Professor Hun.” A rather tall serious looking professor stood up at the end of the table and bowed his head, everyone clapped again. “Who will be teaching you Astronomy. But now, we must welcome another important addition to the school. We have yet another group of first years waiting to be sorted and I ask that you welcome them to our school and make them feel at home.”
Everyone clapped again. Scorpius let out a shaky sigh and tried to control his knees which were beginning to shake. His heart was pounding painfully against his ribs and he could feel sweat trickling down his neck. Rose was standing just in front of him and she smiled encouragingly at him but Albus looked as if he might vomit and was clinging to Rose’s side looking at his feet.
Scorpius took a deep breath and tried to think of something else…which house he would be sorted into- no….what would happen if he was dumped somewhere where he didn’t know anyone and everyone didn’t like him- stop it….would his father agree if he was sorted into Gryffindor- of course he would…would Rose and Albus still want to be friends if he was put in Slytherin…probably not…he had only known them for a few hours anyway and he was sure he hadn’t made a brilliant first impression. Slytheirn had been stereotyped as malicious for as long as he could remember but he didn’t want that to change how they thought of him. What was he going to do?
“Axelton Ben.” McGonagall called making Scorpius jump. Had they started? He peered over the heads of the people in front of him to see a small boy with mousy brown hair scurry up to a stool and look up at McGonagall.
“Sit on the stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head.” She handed him a hat as he sat down shaking. She handed him the hat and he put it on his head. It fell over his eyes and nose. Scorpius watched horrified as the hat twitched and the boy shook even harder then a seam opened near the rim and it shouted,
“HUFFLEPUFF!” making Scorpius jump violently.
The little mousy boy scampered over to the Hufflepuff table who were clapping loudly. Scorpius’s knees couldn’t be helped now and he had to place is legs far apart to keep them from knocking him over. Xeno smirked at him and he glared back. Why was he so confident?
“Barber Henrietta!”
A tall girl with billowing dark hair strutted up to the stool.
“SLYTHERIN!”
Scorpius shivered and shuffled closer to Rose and Albus who were holding each other up…well Rose was supporting Albus who was looking green and sweaty. He kept shooting nervous glances over to the Gryffindor table where Scorpius could see who he assumed must be James from Albus’s description. He was sitting among a close nit group of friends grinning at Albus evilly. Scorpius patted Albus’s back awkwardly.
“Good luck…” he muttered.
Albus just nodded and pressed his lips tighter together. Scorpius felt something warm on his hand and looked down startled. Rose had taken his hand and squeezed it smiling supportively. He looked at her shocked, but touched by the gesture. She widened her smile making his stomach boil strangely. He swallowed and turned his eyes back to the stool.

Boyle Diana was put into Hufflepuff as was Bright Peter and Bryson Tilly. Cameron Chloe was a Ravenclaw and Evorrit Forest was made the first Gryffindor. The line infront of him dwindled as Scorpius was dragged into his future by a talking hat. Fisher Joe was made a ravenclaw and Jackson Samantha was a slytherin. Scorpius tightened his lips and squeezed Rose’s hand back shutting his eyes tight.
“Lessington Harold!”
“ Slytherin!”
“Lonsdale Perry!”
“Slytherin!”
“Lonsdale, William!”
“Gryffindor!”
“Malfoy Scorpius!”
Scorpius opened his eyes shaking like a leaf and gripping Rose’s hand way too tight. He realised and dropped it instantly his face bright red and his limbs trembling he hauled himself away from Albus who managed a
“Good luck too…” through his chattering teeth and out of the smallish group of unsorted first years. He stumbled to the stool and sat down completely and utterly petrified. Everyone was staring at him, after a few moments the majority of them went back to chatting quietly among themselves but he wasn’t fooled. They thought he would be an arrogant cocky so and so. He would prove them wrong…the good for nothing teenagers with their judgemental attitudes and unforgiving nature. He bit his lip as McGonagall placed the hat on his head.

Ahhhh…a Malfoy….long time no see.

Said a voice in his ear. Scorpius tensed up considerably and felt his fingernails digging into the underside of the stool.

Lets see lets see…plenty of ambition…and determination…not so much confidence…more aggressive or shall we say…emotional. A great deal of talent oh yes, a deep running pride and the desperate need to demonstrate your value to the world. Uncertain…and yet certain…a good deal of courage and intelligence although…possibly more desperation than needed. And a slight lack of control…although very accurate sense of purpose. Hmm….difficult but…I think….perhaps…

“SLYTHERIN!” The hat cried. Scorpius groaned and felt the hat slipped off his head. He got to his feet and looked for Stan who would surely be at the Slytherin table. Stan was standing up and clapping loudly with his friends. Scorpius looked sadly back at Albus and Rose, they would be in Gryffindor and he would have to start all over again. He would have to adapt…

Rose’s face twitched into a sad smile and Albus gaped at him. He managed to shut his mouth and smile though which was saying something since he looked close to a nervous breakdown. Scorpius ducked his head and scurried over to the Slytherin table and sat down on the end. He pretended to tie his laces while wiping his eyes on his sleeve. Well…he had been put where he expected, although for some reason he felt unhappy with the decision. He had been split up from Albus and Rose…he was going to live in the Slytherin dorm with everyone who was not Albus and Rose. He had really liked them as well…he had shared everything with them in those short hours on the train. The first time his father took him to a quidditch game, how his old muggle friend Henry had completely abandoned him when he had told him he was going to a different school, more importantly a school for what Henry had called ‘circus freaks’. When Scorpius had told him it wasn’t that sort of magic and showed Henry a trick with a stick he had been practising, making it spin about in his hand, Henry freaked, thrown a brick through Draco’s car window and scarpered. They had both been very understanding and had made Scorpius feel happy and safe knowing he finally had someone to tell things to. Yes, his dad was great to talk to, and yes his mother offered all the support a boy could want but nothing could compare to the comfort a friend brought you. He had only ever had one friend and that was Henry and he had ditched him. He had always been terrible at making friends, he had always scared everyone away from him. He had been searching for someone to confide in, to become mates with, but everyone he had met had been either cruel or annoying or had stuck with him a few weeks and then ditched him when they found out he didn’t have any other friends. Scorpius sighed into his hands. He was a looser and nobody would ever like him for who he was. What a fool he had been.

“Hey Thumbalina, why the long face?” Stan drawled walking over to him with his friends Bonnie and Panda Bullstrode. Panda wasn’t actually called Panda, his real name was Pablo but he always had at least one black eye or a bruised face or a broken nose or something so people called him Panda. They were twins and were alike in every single way apart from the fact that Bonnie was a girl. They looked practically the same other than Panda’s pathetic excuse for stubble and Bonnie’s hair was perhaps two centimetres longer. Scorpius hated them as much as his cousin.
“Go jump in a lake.” Scorpius growled scratching the table and wishing he could melt into the floor.
“Hey, now that’s not very nice. I asked you a question.” Stan said wagging a fat finger.
“Yeah, and I told you to get lost.” Scorpius would normally have ignored Stanly’s feeble attempts to rile him but he was feeling particularly down at the moment and whenever he felt down he got defensive, very defensive. It was just a natural reaction his brain gave into. That was why when he had failed all but three of his exams in year 3 in primary school his mother said absolutely nothing to him but sat in his room reading her book until he was asleep. She knew how to calm him down.
“Shut the hell up and answer my question Cinderella.”
“He said get lost.” A harsh voice from beside Scorpius snapped.
Both of their heads whipped around to see the girl with the lengthily dark hair who Scorpius remembered to be called Henrietta Barber. She had an arrogant face that flashed fury so fierce Stanly looked like he had been slapped. Scorpius couldn’t help but laugh, here was sixteen year old Stanly Greengrass flanked by two hideously large cronies and he was being stared down by a first year girl.
“Whatever tinker-losers. Watch out Penelope your scummy girlfriend wont always be there to fight your battles for you, I still want to know why you look so miserable being put in Slytherin.”
Scorpius got to his feet and made to step into Stanly’s ugly face…even if he was like a foot shorter than him but Henrietta put a hand on his arm.
“You won’t want to be going within a metre of gits like that. They might infect you with whatever horrible malady they have.” She said.
Scorpius glared at her. “I can take him.”
“No you can’t”
“Hell, I’ve been taking him all my life!” he said. He could feel his anger coiling in his stomach and Henrietta was the only thing stopping him from lashing out. He sucked in air and tried to steady his breathing. This was his first day, it was a new school, a new year and by Merlin he was going to do it right.

He sat down again and turned to face Henrietta who was staring across the hall a vacant expression on her face.
“Why did you stop me?” He demanded. “I can take care of myself.”
“Really? It doesn’t look like it.” She sneered. “I know how people work ok. I can tell you that he was looking for a fight, anyone could, but what he wanted more was someone to take out his feelings on. You say you know him. Why is he so depressed?”
Scorpius stared at her. “He-he isn’t depressed he is an arrogant spoilt git who thinks he’s king of the…” His mouth dropped open. “He…but…Voldemort is dead and gone.”
“What?” Henrietta squeaked clearly thrown off completely.
“Oh nothing, nothing. Just…last time this happened my father had something to do….nothing maybe his mother is just trying to get him to live her life instead of his own.”
Henrietta looked at him witheringly.
“I know it sounds stupid, but it’s all I’ve got, so stop looking at me like that!” He said getting irritated again. Well, this was going great wasn’t it. “Yeah, well done me.” He muttered.
“I can read you too you know…you’re lost.”
Scorpius looked up at Henrietta curiously recognising those words and remembering they had come from Rose’s mouth only a few hours ago. His stomach squirmed just thinking about it. Those lost hours when he had had friends. He had them and then he lost them in the space of a day. He looked over at the line of people. There were only seven or eight left now. He scanned the Gryffindor table and sure enough Albus was making his way towards James looking happy and sad at the same time. He groaned loudly and banged his head on the table.
“What?” she asked.
He moaned and pointed to where Albus and James were sitting, James talking animatedly to Albus while Albus sat glumly and stared into space.
“Potter? Stinking Potter? That is what you’re in a mood about? Why, what’s he done?” She asked bitterly.
Once again Scorpius felt his defensive side making itself unwelcome.
“Nothing. He’s a Gryffindor.”
“tch…yeah I know. Aren’t they meant to be like…Saints or something?” She said venomously.
“No. I wanted him to be in Slytherin, even better, I wish I was in Gryffindor. I don’t want to have to live in the same common room as Stan, I don’t want to have ‘evil’ stamped across my forehead and I would so rather be sitting over there talking to him and Rose than over here being verbally abused by Stan and harassed by you.”
Henrietta was silent. Great, now she was gonna be all mad because he would rather not be sitting here having this conversation. Well, what did he care? No, he did care, he needed friends now he had none. He looked up at her but she wasn’t there she was walking down the Slytherin table and promptly disappeared as she sat down beside someone who looked like a possible older sister.
Scorpius sighed heavily and continued scratching the table his eyes stinging. They should have a machine or a spell at least, which can remove the tear ducts. He though angrily, he wasn’t even upset enough to cry he was more angry. Whenever he got over emotional, whether he was happy sad or just plain irritated his eyes welled up and he was sick of it.

“Weasley Rose.” McGonagall said.
His head snapped up so fast that he felt it crick.
Rose walked shakily up to the hat gave Albus a frightened look and then roamed the Slytherin table until she found Scorpius. She looked sorry, and sad, and worried but mostly sorry. He smiled at her, he didn’t want her to feel guilty leaving him alone in Slytherin. He would work it out…but at least she wasn’t scowling and shouting at him…yet.
The hat flopped over her eyes to rest on her long nose. The hat was silent for a good ten seconds before the rip opened and it shouted,
“GRYFFINDOR!”
McGonagall slipped the hat of Rose’s red hair and she tumbled off her stool and ran to the Gryffindor table where she flumped onto the bench next to Albus and hung her head. Scorpius made to get up but didn’t. The sorting wasn’t over and he would be shouted at he could feel it. Albus put and arm around her and she raised her head. She wasn’t crying or anything but just looked a bit down. Albus said something and she laughed and then James interrupted and picked up his train of pointless waffle from where it had left off.

Scorpius sighed and turned back to the table. He was sat on the end with two or three empty spaces separating him from the seventh year who had his back to him and was gesturing wildly with a knife and his wand. Scorpius sighed again and looked up at the ceiling. It was littered with stars, an occasional cloud wafting across like frayed thread lost in a bag of sequins. He found Cancer and Capricorn and Orion easily and then began to look for Scorpius. During the many star gazing sessions with his dad he had been shown the star sign Scorpius several times. He had gotten quite used to finding it. There it was, the scorpion up in the sky, his namesake…well actually it looked a bit more like a three headed worm but he preferred to think of it as a scorpion. His father had found the name whilst he and Astoria were backpacking across Australia. They had a star signs book to help guide them through the out back and had looked up their star signs. They had both shared the same one, Scorpius. The scorpion represented the great armoured scorpion that was sent drown by Gaia to destroy the boastful hunter Orion... or that is what Greek Mythology said…

Suddenly all the muttered conversations died away and the calling out of names ceased as McGonagall stood up once more.
“I understand that the sorting can be tiresome for some of our older students but it is necessary and I thank you for remaining orderly while it proceeded. Now before you can all escape to your dormitories I think you should have something to eat. Enjoy the feast.” She said raising her hand and sweeping it across the hall. Following her hand food and rink materialised on the table. Everyone began talking all at once as hands reached for trays and dishes and people poured drinks.

Scorpius was impressed by the food but to be honest he had no appetite for anything and it wasn’t because he had eaten all those sweets on the train. He stared at a stuffed salmon that lay on a silver platter in front of him glaring at him with vacant dead eyes.

Yup this year was going to be a good one.

TBC

Yeah, ok....I dunno if that was predictable or not but it gets better as I said. Give it another chapter or two and we will have lift off...muahahahaha!! And yeah Luna might have married some wierdo called Rolf but I think Dean is much better suited to her especially with how DH rounded off so don't crit with the whole 'oh gosh that's not right!' thing cause it was purpose. Please oh please leave me some feedback because I get lonely. ....and I love feedback more than KFC which I love alot. The link is in my siggy.

Hey, thanks HarryPotterNut for my first piece of feedback. Extra hugs for you!
Ok...well this one is better than the last chapter by my standards anyway but I'll let you judge for yourself.





Scorpius got up from the table feeling strangely heavy being as though he hadn’t eaten anything. Benches everywhere made loud scraping sounds as their inhabitants rose and stretched talking sleepily but happily to one another. Scorpius looked for Stanly. He was their prefect, along with Amber Horsen who was a tiny but vicious girl in her sixth year. She was standing at the end of the table chatting to her friends while first years swarmed around her. Scorpius recognised her because she had visited his Aunt Daphne’s house several times last summer with Bonnie and Panda. He sighed and made his way towards her. Stanly had obviously already left without a second thought for the lost and confused first years because neither he nor his friends could be seen anywhere. After a few seconds of milling about pointlessly waiting for Amber to finished her long conversation on what Scorpius made out to be crocodile skin shoes she sighed and broke through the first years to stalk out of the hall and across the entrance hall. Scorpius led the unsure first years after her trying to look confident.

He followed Amber’s flapping cloak all the way down into the dungeons where he turned corner after corner his house of first years following him nervously. The sound of their feet echoed off the walls as they hurried to keep up with Amber and Scorpius found himself shivering slightly in the cold damp of the underground passageways. He gave the dark stone walls a mistrusting look as he turned another corner trying at the same time to memorise where he was going. They were now scurrying towards the place where Amber had stopped…apparently in front of a patch of bare wall. Scorpius just managed to hear her mutter,
“The Dark Lord,”
and gasped when the wall opened to reveal a hole just big enough for someone to climb through. Amber climbed nimbly through and disappeared. Scorpius ran the last few feet unsure whether the hole would close up again and swung a leg onto the wall hoisting himself up and over it. He fell with a dull thud onto a thick faded green carpet with silver serpents entwined all over it. There were no windows but green torches and several skulls on the walls. The air felt damp but warm and smelt slightly of smoke and parchment. There was a fireplace to the left of the hole and a few study tables and squashy leather chairs to the right. A long leather sofa took up the wall near the fire and several large leather bean bags littered the floor in front of the fire. It was in one of these that Scorpius found Amber sitting. Well, Stan was sitting in a bean bag and Amber was in his lap. Scorpius drove back the urge to hurl and glared at his cousin.
He glared back making Amber look up, she sighed.
“Girls on the right boys on the left.”
Scorpius scowled and followed four other boys off towards the dormitories. He pushed past a pair of dark haired boys who were muttering to each other and over took a sandy haired kid with a load of freckles to kick the door open strut to his bed and collapse onto it glaring with complete and utter hatred at the green and silver curtains.

He heard the others come in and the door close and before long the two dark haired kids had raised their voices enough to include the whole room in their discussion. It sounded as if they were passionate about a band called Dragon’s Fury who were going to be playing at a concert this coming Saturday.
“My dad got me tickets.” One boy squealed excitedly to envious groans.
“How did you get them? I heard they are really expensive.”
“Yeah well…my dad is quite popular at the Ministry.”

Scorpius let out a moan and rolled over burying his face in his pillow.

“Hey,” A small voice said and Scorpius felt someone sit down on the end of his bed. He looked up ready to shout them away from him but stopped. There was a boy on the end of his bed; he had short brown hair and an uncomfortable look about him. He was fiddeling with a loose thread on one of the curtains.
“D’you know what they’re on about?” He asked gesturing to the pair of dark haired kids and the sandy blond one who was flapping two pieces of parchment about.
“Some nutty band probably.” Scorpius said sitting up.
“mmm…I’m so not getting any of this…I mean my mum explained it all right but I still don’t know half of what’s going on.” He said miserably.
“You will, we all will….we just need to get used to it.” Scorpius said.
“My Dad is more confused than me; he’s a muggle…and is drunk a lot so I can understand why he keeps forgetting everything my mum does manage to tell him.” He said looking sadly at his feet.
Scorpius smiled at him, “Hey, don’t worry about family problems…we have bigger issues now. I mean, how are we going to survive living with a mob of…Dragons Fury?...lovers?”
The boy smiled, “You ever heard of Evanescence or Mika?”
“Muggles right?” Scorpius asked remembering his mother squealing when a Mika song came on the radio. He hadn’t really liked it but he knew Evanescence from the pile of CDs his mother got rid of when they moved house. She said she would rather throw them out and know where they were than lose them in the move. He hadn’t ever heard them before though.
“Yeah, they’re great. I’ve been listening to them ever since the Weird Sisters retired, I like Black Wedding too but their lyrics seem a bit messed up to me.”
“I love Black Wedding!” Scorpius said sitting up straighter now. “I listen to them on the radio all the time! Their tickets are just way too expensive for us to get any and they always play ages away. The lead singer is that crazy warlock with half his hair shaved off right?”
“Tom Shawkins, yeah.”
“Er…I’m Scorpius by the way.” Scorpius said holding out a hand.
The boy took it awkwardly, “Perry Lonsdale.” Perry said smiling. “and I know that is Harold Lessington, he was sorted just before me and my brother.” He added gesturing to the sandy blond one with the tickets and the freckles and frowning a bit.
“Your brother?” Scorpius asked curiously.
“Yeah, he’s my twin…well technically I was born a day and a half after him but still…he was put in Gryffindor so I am hardly ever going to see him so that turned out well I guess. He is probably being told how much I suck even as we speak…not that he really needs telling. He explains every single aspect of my many faults to me on a regular basis and teases me about how ridiculous my existence is.” He added grumpily with a sour face.
Scorpius hissed and stuck his legs under the blankets, he hated bullies.
“What about the dark ones?” he asked forcefully changing the subject.
“Well…I think the taller one with the big ears is Charlie Humphreys and I know the other one is Sam but I don’t know what his last name is I just overheard his name while I was in the queue to be sorted.”
Scorpius nodded and they fell into silence while they listened to Harold and Sam arguing over the tickets. They sat until the silence began to get uncomfortable and wormed its way under his skin. He scratched his ear and shifted his position trying to control his fidgeting. He hated fidgeters.
“Did you end up where you expected?” Perry asked suddenly.
“Yeah…but I don’t…” Scorpius began and then stopped.
“Same…I thought I was Hufflepuff for sure. I can’t believe they split me and Will up…it would have nice to have known at least one person…even if I hated their guts.”
“We all get split up by something in the end…if we want to be or not.” Scorpius said moodily and shuffled further beneath his covers. “I’m going to sleep now we have lessons in the morning.”
“Okay,” Perry muttered. “g’night.” He said getting up from the bed. “Night.” He called to the huddle of squabbling boys. They grunted their response and carried on in whispers.

Scorpius pulled the blankets up to his ears and tried to blot out the furious whispers which were digging their way into his ears. He pushed his head further into his pillow and scrunched his eyes shut to stem the flow of tears leaking out of them. His breathing stayed controlled though and even after the others had fallen quiet trying to get some sleep he stayed awake. He tossed and turned and ended up throwing the covers off himself to lie there in his pyjamas over heating and stressed. He closed his eyes trying to find sleep but thoughts were still spinning about his head with the force of a typhoon. The Sorting, befriending Rose and Albus, what his father would make of it and his father! He had kept some things from his son, like his frequent use of the word mudblood and how he had used it to torment Rose’s mother. Scorpius was still finding that very hard to imagine, his father had always scorned anyone when they had mentioned the word, especially Stan when he had been round that time for Christmas…he sighed and took a deep comforting breath and imagined he was back in his room. His muggle computer was whirring his wizarding alarm clock ticking and his WWN radio blowing out Black Wedding rock music. He felt something suddenly press against his chest and his eyes flew open. Bastet’s face was inches from his nose; she was looking at him with her big green eyes, grass seeds stuck in her fur.
He chuckled, “Been exploring Hogwarts hey?” he asked her as she rubbed her face against his. “Any good?” She purred and he chuckled again. He stroked her from her nose all the way down to her tail and felt her claws retract as she relaxed against him. He closed his eyes and hummed her favourite tune, Hush-a-bye Mountain from the muggle film Chitty-chitty-bang-bang, before long he was sound asleep.

Bast was running about his legs chasing a tiny purple butterfly which was teasing her with its pretty flapping wings. Scorpius giggled at Bast and swatted at the butterfly for her. It escaped and flew up into the pink and purple stained sky. The sun was setting over his garden and he needed to get Bast into the house before she wandered off and got locked out. He grinned down at her and lifted her into his arms kissing her soft fur. She had a load of grass seeds all in her fur and some of those annoying little sticky balls. He hoisted her higher and carried her into his house. The Malfoy house wasn’t anything particularly extraordinary. It was small and lay on the suburbs of Tinworth in Cornwall. They were surrounded by bountiful country side that stretched out as far as the eye could see only the feint outline of an ancient tin mine marred the beautiful natural horizon. This of course gave Bast a huge playground and she was constantly bringing back mice and rats and voles and sometimes a baby rabbit, normally a bird. Scorpius had to be very strict with her about getting blood on the carpet.
He carried her through the doorway of the tiny cottage and past the kitchen into the living room where a little fireplace was burning. Their house was littered with a load of muggle items like TV sets and computers because his mother used them to keep in touch with the muggle world where her brother lived, almost unknowing to the other, wizarding world. He carried Bast over to the fireplace and began to pick the seeds out of her fur. She twitched and scratched occasionally but otherwise she was very good as he removed every single last pod that had burrowed its way into her soft black fur.
When he had finished he sat back against the foot of the soft squashy sofa and closed his eyes smiling contently as the warmth from the fireplace spread itself over him like a warm blanket. He heard his father get home from Diagon Alley, he owned a shop there that sold potions and elixirs as well as checking peoples odd items they had lying round their houses for curses or harmful jinxes if they were curious about them or wanted to sell them on. The door banged open and he heard his familiar voice. His mother greeted him but Draco seemed agitated and began to talk louder and faster over the top of Astoria this in turn made Astoria shout over him her voice hurt and angry. Draco was shouting louder now and Scorpius’s smile slid off his face. He could make out a bit of what he was yelling,
“You wouldn’t understand!” He shouted.
“Oh yes? Why might that be? Because you’re shouting so loudly my eardrums have ripped open or because I am stupid?!” His mother yelled back.
“No you wouldn’t understand because you are a god forsaken mudblood!” He yelled.
Scorpius’s eyes flew open in shock…what? They were both silent for a moment and then he heard his mother mutter something.
“A mudblood! A piece of muggle scum that has somehow clawed its way into this world!” He shouted and it sounded as though he had knocked a pan or something on the floor because there was a loud clattering noise and a splash. His mother screamed and his father shouted and then there was another louder bang and a thud. Scorpius leapt to his feet throwing Bast off his lap and ran down the hallway and burst into the kitchen. His mother was lying slumped on the floor and Draco was no where to be seen. His body stiffened and the dream whirled about him as his consciousness decided to change. Wait, thank god, that means this was all just a dream. He sighed as the kitchen evaporated around him into complete and utter darkness.

He was running. Fast. His breath coming sharp and painful as the rushing air stung his eyes. He didn’t know what exactly he was running from but he knew that if he stopped he would soon find out…and he did not want that. He wiped his streaming eyes and felt something wet on his face. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were covered in hot steaming blood. He screamed and rubbed them against his sweat drenched robes but the blood wouldn’t come off. He ran even faster terrified that at any moment he might trip and fall and be caught by whatever was chasing him but there didn’t seem to be anything to trip over. He was just running through darkness. There were noises in that darkness though….noises that made him run as fast as his legs could go forcing the blood to pump madly about his body and causing his brain to race as panic and fear took over forcing everything else out of his mind other than running and the thing he was running from…or running to…he wasn’t so sure anymore…but he knew he couldn’t stay here. Suddenly his eyes caught sight of a light up ahead and as he ran faster the light grew bigger and bigger and bigger until he had to shield his eyes from it. He slowed down…he had a feeling he had reached what he was running to. Soon the light had swallowed him up completely and he was blinded by the sudden contrast to the pitch blackness of the other world. Suddenly his body tensed up so much he nearly woke up. He made to pinch himself but he couldn’t move, he couldn’t shut his eyes, he was completely immobile, he had lost control of his limbs. Suddenly the air began to rush past his face as if he was falling through the blinding whiteness. He was falling and he couldn’t move. A high pitched whistling filled his ears making his head spin and his skin crawl. He could imagine the ground rushing up to meet him, could imagine his bones shattering…no that would be his ear drums.
Scorpius awoke to a strange noise that had the hairs on his arm rising. It was high pitched and mimicked the noise he had heard as he had fallen through the whiteness. He gave an involuntary jerk and opened his eyes to see his entire dorm staring at him with wide eyes. He suddenly realised the noise was coming out of his mouth and he shut it abruptly. He stared back at them, trying to find something he could tell them that wouldn’t make him sound like a complete wimp. He had nothing.
“Did someone have a bad dream?” Sam said mockingly after a few seconds.
“Oh shut it Sam can’t you see he’s petrified?” Charlie snapped throwing a pillow at him.
“Yeah what’s up mate?” Harold asked looking both sleepy and concerned.
“ I…um…er…just…a bad…a bad dream.” Scorpius stuttered finding that he had control of his speech and movements again. Well that was a positive, he thought gloomily as he sat up. By the time displayed on his alarm clock it was six thirty a.m.
“Oh…Merlin, I’m sorry guys. I didn’t want to wake you up.” He said rubbing his face and finding it wet with sweat and tears.
“Its ok,” Charlie said, “I was getting up now anyway.”
“Yeah, only next time, poke me or something cause you nearly stopped my heart.” Sam said rolling out of bed and stumbling to the wash room.

Scorpius slumped against his head board and saw someone out of the corner of his eye. He twisted his head around so fast his hair whipped him in the eyes. He relaxed when he saw it was just Perry, he was sitting up in his bed still staring at Scorpius his face blank.
Scorpius watched him for a moment wondering if he wanted to say something but when he stay silent he got shakily to his feet. He fell back onto the bed again, his legs wouldn’t support him. He lay his head back and took a deep breath. It was just a dream, he told himself, a nightmare. He got up and dressed and waited for Perry to get ready before walking down the stairs and striding across the common room. Once out of the portrait hole he stopped. He didn’t know where to go, he admitted to himself, cheeks reddening.
“er…” He said sheepishly to Perry who had climbed out of the hole shortly after himself.
“Don’t look at me.” He said reading Scorpius’s confused and unsure expression.
“um…this way?” He said pointing randomly left.
“Whatever you say.”
They set off up a corridor which seemed to be slanting upwards which had to be a good thing if they were in the dungeons. They walked quickly but Scorpius was mentally noting every alcove and armoured night they passed recording where they were and hoping and praying he would remember exactly how to get back.

They didn’t come across anyone for so long he was sure he had gone the wrong way when a group of Hufflepuff fifth years walked out of a passage in front of them and continued up their hallway gossiping loudly about the two new Professors. Scorpius glanced at Perry who was looking more confident now and they followed the Hufflepuffs around two more corners and up a flight of stairs. They came out in a well lit corridor that had a single door which they all made for. It opened onto more stairs which led, Scorpius let out a sigh of relief, into the entrance hall where students were leaking into the great hall from passages and stairways everywhere.
“C’mon.” he said hurrying through the crowds into the great hall where a number of first years were already sitting. Henrietta and her group of first year girls were sitting together whispering. When Scorpius and Perry passed Henrietta looked up and gave him a scornful glare which he ignored keeping his eyes on Sam and Charlie who were sitting together with Harold and a couple of third years.
“Hey Perry, Scorpius.” Sam said with a small sneer. “This is Ferdinand, Harold’s older brother, and his girlfriend Jenny. They are third years and agreed to help us on our first day.”
“Thanks, that’s reall-” Scorpius began trying not to sound like he was sucking up.
“Whatever.” Ferdinand said looking down his nose at Scorpius, he really was incredibly tall, even when he was sitting down.
“er…right.” Scorpius said sitting down beside Perry.
“You would never believe it but…” Jenny said in a gossipy way that instantly switched Scorpius off. “I heard Potter’s son is in his first year as well.”
“Seriously!” Harold said looking up from his fish pie. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded of Ferdinand. “I only got wind of it this morning. Jen came down from the dormitories practically bursting with it.” He said in a bored way that still possessed some lame affection which made Jenny smile sweetly at him.
“Where did he get put?” Charlie asked quickly.
“Gryffindor of course.” Jenny said in a don’t-you-know-anything sort of way.
“Well you never know…my brother was put in Gryffindor and he’s my twin.” Perry said.
“I feel for you I really do..” Ferdinand said. “Did you get on with him?”
“erm…not really…we argued all the time and…well he was always the favourite…I was just kind of shunted away and my dad only ever seemed to have time for Will…Will and his bottle that is…” Perry said looking down at his cereal.
“Well I’d say you’re better off without him.” Jenny said comfortingly. “Gryffindors are just a load of suck ups who get really stroppy when they don’t get their own way. If you don’t mind me saying…it sounds as if your brother fits in there perfectly. I never liked the favourites…and to be a twin and be singled out can’t be good.” She said silkily.
“No…its wasn’t…it isn’t…it would just have been nice to know at least one person.” Perry said a bit gloomily but definitely perkier.
“Well, school is all about making new friends and there are plenty of people with whom you can make friends.” Ferdinand said taking a swig of pumpkin juice.
“Yeah, our lives are bad enough without Gryffin-losers making it any worse.” Sam said patting Perry on the back.
“Honestly, who wants to be brave anyway right? People say there is a very fine line between bravery and stupidity. I reckon the Gryffindors walk along that line.” Jenny said twirling her hair lazily.
“Yeah and regularly fall off it.” Harold added making Charlie snort into his cereal.
“Hey, don’t you think we should give them a break. We don’t even know them yet.” Scorpius said in a small voice.
“No.” They all said staring at him, everyone apart from Ferdinand and Jenny who were gazing lazily at the ceiling only half paying attention.
“Why should we?” Charlie asked brushing his dark hair back behind his ears. “My dad wasn’t even in Slytherin, he was a Ravenclaw and he said Gryffindors were always loosing them points and accusing them of stuff…that is when they weren’t blaming it on us. There was this time when a Gryffindor beater….Fiddley or someone hit a bludger through McGonagalls window and they blamed it on my dad. He was on the Ravenclaw team.”
“Yeah, and a group of Gryffin-losers laughed at me when I tripped on the way to breakfast.” Sam said. “I’m only a first year.”
“Yeah I saw that. That was out of order.” Charlie said.

Scorpius concentrated on eating his food while his classmates continued to insult and accuse the Gryffindors. He thought it was utterly ridiculous….they were just doing it because they wanted to fit in and they thought that would happen by becoming the classic Slytherin stereo type, mean, selfish and a red-and-gold hater. I mean come on, he thought to himself as he chewed his bacon, they were making hellish mountains out of molehills! He could kind of understand why Perry would dislike Gryffindors…well no…only his brother…because he was slightly unstable and had had a bad childhood with Will always scoring higher in everything but people like Charlie and Sam were just doing it so they would have to put less effort into becoming part of the school. Harold was only acting up because his brother was there, anyone could see that. He was just about to shovel his egg into his mouth when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up to see Professor …
“er…” He said looking up into the young man’s face as he handed Scorpius a piece of paper.
“Your timetable.” He said smiling at him and handing Perry his.
Once the teacher had moved away he hissed at Ferdinand,
“Who was that?”
“Ok,” Ferdinand said.
“That was Professor Boot. He is Transfiguration Professor, head of Ravenclaw and deputy head, Flitwick was deputy but he retired at the end of last year. Erm…That is Professor Giltheart, she teaches potions,” he pointed to a blond woman with a tight bun. She looked strict and daunting. “She is also our head of house. That is Professor Heffle head of Hufflepuff,” he pointed to a large wizard sitting at beside Giltheart, “He teaches Divination, that is Professor Civilton,” he indicated a tall fair-haired man, “He teaches Defence against the dark arts and that is Longbottom head of Gryffindor,” he pointed at a tall wizard with neat dark hair but a slightly grubby yet handsome face, “he teaches Herbology, that is Periwinkle, you saw her last night and that is Hun, you saw him last night too he does Astronomy now...and the big one at the end is Hagrid who teaches Care of Magical Creatures.”
“Right. Thanks.” He said and got up from the table.
“Where are you going?” Perry asked through his eggs.
“I’ve gotta get my books for first period.” He said stepping towards the door.
“Its in like…two hours. Nine o’clock is says on here.” Perry said tapping his timetable.
“Well maybe I’ll read some of them then.” Scorpius said turning away, all he really wanted was to get away from them and their negativity. He was fine with pessimists being a firm one himself but he didn’t want to sit there and listen to stuff that would just make him feel angry or sad.
“Hold on. I’m coming too.” Perry said swinging himself around and down. Scorpius groaned under his breath.
“Wait.” Harold said shoving the last bit of pie into his mouth. “So am I.”
Sam and Charlie got up when Ferdinand became immersed in fiddling with Jenny’s hand and so, Scorpius’s ingenious plan failed as all five of them traipsed out of the hall.

Not knowing what he was going to do Scorpius made for the door to the dungeons thinking about finding Bast, she had clearly run off while he had been having his night mare. He shivered, poor thing…but he should probably read a few of his text books, and however Gryffin-loser like that sounded he wanted to do well on his first day.


TBC


Okedy Dokedy. ^^. There is the next chapter. Sorry for any mistakes I sped proof read it. Feedback is in my siggy. Please oh please leave some because me and HPN are all lonely. Sniff sniff.

Hey y'all. I have another juicey chapter for you with spectacular musica to acompany it! I love this song by the way. This chapter is way better than the last so enjoy it to the full. XD.


“Scorpius! Wait up!”
He actually thought his heart stopped as the voice called across the entrance hall bringing him to a complete stand still.
“Scorpius! Hey!”
It was Albus and Rose tumbling down the stairs with James close behind them. Perry and Charlie walked right into Scorpius he had stopped so suddenly.
“Oh Merlin! Is that the Potter kid?” he vaguely heard Sam ask.
“What the hell is he…”
Albus jogged up to Scorpius with Rose close behind him, James was following in a kind of daze a look of distant shock on his face.
“Scorpius!” Albus declared stopping in front of him.
“er…yeah?” He said going a bit red, he could feel Perry and the other’s stares of shock and horror.
“Me and Rose…well…Rose wants to talk to you.” He said a little bouncily and overly happily as if he was very pleased with himself.
“I do. We do.” Said Rose looking very small and shy in front of the tall gangly Slytherin boys in sharp contrast to Albus who was taller than her and not so intimidated. In fact he was practically beaming into their scowling and sneering faces.
Scorpius’s heart jumped from his mouth to his face as he felt his every nerve burning with desperation…could she…would she?
“I don’t….” she faltered and looked over Scorpius’s shoulder at what he was sure was his house-ist class mates gawking and glaring at her with venom. He turned so that they could see their profile and Rose didn’t have to look at them.
“I…” she started again. “We don’t care that you were put in Slytherin. You’re our friend and we want you to be happy. If you don’t want to see us any more apart from during class then we understand that…you have erm…duties to your house and they might…”she glanced at the Slytherins who were looking very much as if they might…
“anyway…we think it sucks that you were put in Slytherin but … um ….” She glanced at the Slytherins again her face going brick red as they continued to stare at her, “oh stop it!” She snapped at them, “Its none of your business.”
“Oooh ho! Isn’t it now?” Sam asked stepping forward looking like it was very much his business and he didn’t like it one bit. “Look boys, the tiny little Gryffindor hasn’t been taught how to pick her fights.”
“She wasn’t picking one.” Albus said losing a bit of his jolly demeanour and stepping forward his chin raised high.
“Says who!” Rose growled stepping in front of Albus so she was right in Sam’s face. “I can do what I want!”
“See…Jenny was right…cocky and arrogant and they get in a strop when they don’t get their own way.” Harold sneered over Sam’s shoulder.
“Rose…” Scorpius said
Her red hair span in an arc as she looked back at him her blue eyes flashing dangerously.
Scorpius shook his head ever so slightly. He looked up at Sam and the others who were still staring at him with disbelieving disgust…even Perry. He tried to tell them with his eyes to back off; he didn’t think they would have even if he had voiced it so he wasn’t surprised all he got was a snigger.
“Go on ginger; tell us why you think that Slytherin sucks.” Sam said his malevolent eyes on Scorpius.
Rose flared up at once, “Hmm…lets see because they house arrogant gits like you!” She snapped.
“and what makes me an arrogant git?” Sam asked snarling down at her.
“Your foul attitude.” She hissed her face pushed right up near his.
“Rose…” Scorpius said again this time unable to keep the pleading out of his voice. She looked back at him curiosity now blazing in her angry eyes.
“w-what were you going to say?” he asked trying to move further away from his classmates so she would follow him. She didn’t.
“We wanted to say,” Her voice still full of contempt, “that we don’t care you have been put in a different house to us but that we still want to be your friends.” She said. Sam and the others ‘awwwww’ed in a pathetic sarcastic voice, Charlie even clutched at his heart. Scorpius glared at them, Rose’s beautiful eyes glistened for a moment and he could feel his heart going out to her but before he could look again her eyes were normal…apart from the embarrassed rage framing them in her flushed cheeks.
“Hey don’t cry Ginger.” Sam said to her pulling a face of mock concern. “I thought Gryffindor’s were meant to be brave.”
Rose looked hatefully up at Sam and slapped him then turned to glare at Scorpius her face bright red. Before he could do or say anything she had stormed away and out into the pouring rain. Scorpius stared after her torn between fitting in with his new house and comforting his hopeful-friend who was in need of attention. There was a loud smack and a yell. Scorpius turned around to see Albus sucking a bruised hand and Sam kneeling on the floor a few paces away. Albus looked up at Scorpius with angry slits for eyes.
Scorpius felt a pang of injustice at his accusing glare and stepped forward hesitantly towards the open door to show Albus he was going to go and find Rose but a hand on his shoulder span him around.
“Leave him alone.” It was James and he was standing there in all his sixth year height scowling down at Scorpius with menace. He shrank away still towards the door hoping James wouldn’t misinterpret it as an advance on Albus.
Turning he ran out into the rain, more to escape from James than to follow Rose but it had been his initial intention. He slipped and skidded down the steps the heavy droplets pounding his head, face and shoulders. He could just make out the lake and the forest at the edge of the quidditch pitch and a large expanse of green which led to the vegetable patches and green houses. He scoured the smudged landscape for a speck of red hair but was unsuccessful.
“Rose!” He shouted to the pounding rain. “Rose, come back!” He set off towards the lake but span around when he heard someone slip and fall with a thud and an “ouch!” behind him. Albus was lying flat on his back his robes covered in mud. Scorpius looked down at him for a second then grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

“Where will she have gone?” He grunted once Albus was on his feet.
Albus spat out a mouthful of mud and wiped his face grimacing at the muck on his hands.
“S-she’ll probably be at Hagrids.” He said.
“Albus!” Came a shout through the rain.
They both span about flinging mud everywhere.
“Albus get back here! He could be dangerous or something! Albus!” It was James and he had stuck his head out of the door and was shouting out into the morning rain.
Albus flashed a glance at Scorpius who was looking glum.
“It’s ok.” He said to him over the hammering rain, “Wait here.” And he flopped back up the steps looking like a deformed fish.

Scorpius watched, hidden behind a curtain of rain, as Albus reached his brother and dodged away from him when he made a grab for his arm. He watched as James began to talk quickly to him gesturing wildly his lips a blur. Then Albus began to talk then James began to shout and pretty soon Scorpius could hear every word of their conversation even over the rain and the sudden clap of thunder that shook the ground.
“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE PLAYING AT??? MUM AND DAD’LL KILL YOU!” James yelled into Albus’s face, “THEY ARE SCUM AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN!”
“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!” Albus yelled back his voice like an octave or two higher than James’s, “HE ISN’T ALL THAT EVIL AND HE NEEDS US! WE CAN HELP HIM JAMES! I’M NOT LIKE YOU! I DON’T MAKE FRIENDS THAT EASILY! I MAKE SOME AND THEN I STICK WITH THEM!”
“Are you saying I ditch on my friends?!!” James yelled hoarsely.
“Yes!! Yes I am! You remember that Henry kid that used to come round over the summer?! When you found out he was dating that girl you liked we never saw him again! And that guy who I can’t even remember the name of who used to trade wizarding cards with you!?? He was dumped for a second year with a singing frog!! And I heard you and Dan had a big fight last night! It is the first day back James! You know his parents are going through a tough spot! You are shallow and you always have been and you always will be!!” Albus practically screamed turning away from his brother and marching down the steps.
“Yeah?! Well at least I’m not stupid Al!! At least I know what’s good for me!! If he rubs off on you I am sure as hell not gonna be the one to shake your personality clean!!!” James yelled after him.
Albus ignored him and stormed past Scorpius into the pouring rain his dark hair dripping water all about his face.

Even though Scorpius was shivering from the cold he couldn’t help but notice the warmth that was spreading up him from his toes. It was only their second day here and already he had a friend…possibly two…who cared about him enough to yell down their older brother. He knew it meant the Potter family had issues but he couldn’t help feeling happily satisfied for the first time in ages. He allowed himself one quick smile and hurried after Albus splattering mud all up the back of his robes.

They worked their way across the grounds, past the vegetable patches and to a garden filled with rather large pumpkins. Albus strode wordlessly around it and banged hard on the door.
“Hagrid!?” he bellowed at the door. “Open up!”
The door creaked open and Scorpius gasped, in the crack was a giant of a man with a mane of dark bushy hair streaked brilliantly with silver. His beard rolled down his chest in a mess of dark and greying curls and below his beard his stomach protruded an inch or two over his vast leather belt. He stepped aside to let them in. Albus hurried into the little hut and Scorpius followed eager to be out of the rain. Hagrid stared at him for a moment but did not object.

Scorpius searched the house-ish thing with his eyes picking up a bed with a huge patchwork quilt; this had a withered looking hippogriff lying on it. He found this very odd but then…he looked about and saw unicorn hair and strips of raw meat hanging from the ceiling, vials of dragon and unicorn blood sat on worktops. There was a chain of beads hanging from apparently nothing.
“Thestral hair…” Hagrid grunted following Scorpius’s gaze. “N’ Albus, she’s over ‘ere.” He said pointing to a widow seat where Rose was sitting curled up and frowning out at the rainy window. She had a blanket thrown over her and had a mug of tea in her hand.
“Good grief boy, you have been here what a few hours and already she is fallin’ apart and I am hearin’ things of you and Malfoy bein’ buds n’ I’m tellin’ you now, it won’ work….” Hagrids gaze drifted absently to Scorpius and his mouth stopped working.
“Its ok…I will make it work out.” Scorpius said looking the half giant right in his tiny suspicious black eyes.
Rose let out a derisive laugh. “What happened with James?” She asked Albus as if she hadn’t heard Scorpius, still staring out the window.
“He was just being his usual arrogant self. He always has to think he’s right because no one else can ever outsmart him.” Albus said irritably plonking himself down at Hagrid’s table.
“Now he’s a good kid yer brother- Hagrid began.
“I have been longing to have a good rant at him without mum and dad around for absolutely ages. It feels like a great weight has been lifted.” He said with a feeble attempt at bravado whilst Hagrid scowled at him.
They stayed silent for a few moments, Rose’s face was contorted as she looked out to the castle where she had obviously watched Albus and James fight. Rose shook her head. “I should have just said no…” She muttered to herself.

Scorpius’s heart dropped from his face all the way down to his gut in what felt like a millisecond. It was like someone had punched him in the stomach. He had a feeling he knew what Rose meant but Albus looked as if he didn’t understand and so was pretending he hadn’t heard it. That was probably because Albus didn’t relive the hours spent on the train because Albus knew what it was like to have friends…his own age at least…not his father or his mother or his drunken Uncle… and Albus didn’t feel the need to cling to every second of friendship he had thrust at him in this alien environment where comfort was so hard to come by. The train ride for Scorpius though, had been some of the happiest hours of his life. He had managed to connect properly to kids in the same situation as him as he ad never been able to do before, he had been able to transfer all the major issues in his life onto someone else’s shoulders. He had felt comforted, happy and free…but now…she wished she could take it all back. He understood well, he didn’t blame her…there was too much strain from family members and bias classmates to be worth a feeble friendship…but Scorpius didn’t think it was feeble and he had always fought for what he believed in. Drawing strength from Albus’s confused smile and Rose’s hurt eyes still set determinedly on the rain washed windows he puffed out his chest and drew in a breath.
“R-rose…” He said.
She looked down at him, “Oh, decided to talk now have you?”
“I…I’m not like them…I’m not like the other Slytherin’s. I don’t think Gryffindor’s are scum and I don’t want to you to think that I do…because that’s not right.”
Rose continued to glare out of the window, “Should have mentioned that before your little Slytherin friend started shooting his mouth off.”
Scorpius had to admit he felt he should have said something but he just didn’t think he had it in him to stand up to them, he wanted to fit in and doing that wouldn’t be helping his cause…He tried again,
“I…just want you to know…that…” He looked at Albus who was watching him expectantly, then at Hagrid who had become suddenly still while fixing the tea pot and then to Rose who was still giving the windowpane evils and he felt his gut twinge as his heart sank even lower. What was the point? Everything he had ever tried at failed, why should this be any different? He couldn’t even fit in where he was meant to be, his house probably thought him some sort of freak now…this year was turning out to be the wrong sort of different. Albus cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows at Scorpius clearly telling him to just say it. Scorpius licked his lips,
“That…I still want to know you even if you don’t want to know me. I don’t care about houses, that is just a title, something to flash about on banners, I want to get to know the real you, both of you. You are the only ones who I can let in because I know you won’t hurt me because I don’t think you’re like that. I feel like I know you, but I know I don’t…I want to…but you probably don’t want me to…”
Albus opened his mouth a look of confused disagreement planted on his face but Rose beat him to it.
“Yes, I do.” She sounded bitter but relieved at the same time.
Happiness flooded Scorpius from head to toe making him go light headed and dizzy…very dizzy. A sharp pain was starting to throb at the base of this skull. He grinned stupidly as Albus nodded vigorously in agreement.
His world was blurring into one happy smudged picture as his eyes welled up…only…his eyes were dry. He frowned…his head was spinning and his ears were ringing and he could feel a pulse battering against his temple. He fell to his knees just as Albus half rose from his chair. He fell forwards onto his face and felt consciousness slip away into darkness.

The light behind his eyelids returned all of a sudden and when his eyes had recovered from the painful flash he blinked to find himself standing in a field covered in tiny purple flowers blooming in the low sun. He was alone…or so it seemed. He went to walk forwards but his body wouldn’t move. He tried to turn his head but he couldn’t. Suddenly someone moved beside him and a girl of around sixteen or seventeen walked out into the field her lilac dress blending perfectly with the flowers and the blue ribbon standing out in her violent red hair. She turned and smiled at him, revealing a puckered scar that could be seen running from her jaw all the way down her neck to the top of her shoulder marring her perfect complexion. There were three faded ridges that stood out in sharp relief lit by the setting sun. Suddenly his body moved, he hadn’t intended it to but he walked forwards and took the scarred girl’s hand. They walked over the field of flowers the clouds above them tainted pinks and oranges and soft purples. The girl laughed airily and swung their hands back and forth as a light breeze tickled them sending tendrils of her hair into Scopius’s face. She gave a small smile, stretching the scar on her neck as she turned her head to him again and tucked them behind her ears. As they got to the top of the hill Scorpius could just make out a couple of people sitting on the edge of the field on a large blanket. There were thick trees behind them so dense you couldn’t see more than a few meters into them. The clearing they were in was Scorpius now realised, a clearing, in a forest. He wanted to turned his head and examine the field but he couldn’t. It was like he wasn’t in control of his dream; he wasn’t in control of his body. He was trapped in his mind in his body. He could however make out, above the trees mountains rose and the sky was a bit darker. They made their way to the picnic blanket and sat themselves down. Scorpius’s head finally turned to the boy…man…seventeenish looking person sitting beside him. He took in the messy dark hair, freckles and green eyes and gasped mentally. It was an older version of Albus. He wanted to look back at the ginger girl who he swore was Rose but his head wouldn’t turn.
“Hey, Scor, you found us ok then? Hen, didn’t want to start without you.” Albus said grinning.
Suddenly Scorpius’s body stiffened and the hand gripping the-girl-who-might-be-Rose’s hand tightened considerably making her gasp.
“What’s wrong?” Albus asked suddenly serious. “What do you see?”
“N-no…it’s not a Milestone…no…wait…it is…no…Merlin…we have to go! Now!” Scorpius could feel his mouth moving and hear the words coming out but had no idea why he was saying them. This was absurd; it was as if he was just a spectator. Suddenly he jumped up pulling, ah yes he could see her now and it did look a bit like Rose apart form the dreadful scar that flawed her beautiful pale slender neck, to her feet. A girl with a long black plait sprang to her feet as well and the four of them hurried into the forest abandoning the blanket and picnic basket.
“Which way Scorpius?” Albus asked urgently.
“I…I can’t…I don’t know…”
“Albus!” Rose cried pointing behind them. Out of the forest on the other side of the field a band of people were marching their heads covered with animal masks and a man with a sack over his head stumbling behind them being towed by a rope. They marched towards where they had left the blanket.
“Go, go!” Scorpius’s mouth shouted pushing Rose and the girl with the plait into the trees.
“You too Albus!” He shouted drawing his wand with lightening speed.
“Hell no!” Albus shouted his voice laced with cold hard fury. “These are the arse holes who killed my father!” His voice cut into Scorpius’s mind.
“Albus please!” Shrieked Rose her voice wavering out of control. “Scorpius!” She cried.
“Run!” Scorpius yelled. “Run now!”
“No!” Rose shouted distraught, “Hen let go of me!”
There was a cry from behind him as Hen stumbled backwards.
“C’mon Rose! You’ll get us both killed!” The girl said angrily.
“You go, go on! I am staying with Albus and Scorpius.”
“Hell, no your not!” Scorpius growled turning around and glaring at her.
“Shut up Scorpius, you can’t tell me what to do.” Rose snapped walking up to the edge of the trees and peering out at the people in masks. She gasped and managed to stifle a scream just in time.
Scorpius hurried to her and looked around the tree as well. Behind the animal masked men were hideous creatures with snow white skin that walked and crawled clumsily forwards. Their skin had been slashed and ripped and there were bite marks visible on their necks and limbs even from this distance. Scorpius didn’t know what they were but apparently dream-Scorpius did.
“Inferi…” he whispered, “Run.” He muttered as the masked men led the chained man and the undead monsters towards them. “Run now. Alert the castle. Get Giltheart! Get Boot get anyone!” He shouted and stepped out from the trees.
“Scorpius you are not going out there!” Rose spat grabbing his arm.
“Rose, I have to. I’ll be ok. I’ve Seen it.” His fists tightened so much at this that he felt his nails draw blood from his palms. “You might not; you have to get out of here.” He cried desperately. Scorpius could feel his dream-self’s heart hammering like mad, “Now!”
Rose let out a shaky laugh that turned into a sob; her eyes were wide and unbelieving.
“Rose, honey.” Scorpius said folding her into his arms, “My heart has always been yours. Always ok? Even if something does happen, which it won’t, you have to promise to look after it for me. Ok?”
Rose’s eyes were streaming with tears now. The masked men were almost at the top of the hill, Scorpius could hear the noises the undead things were making and his hands gripped Rose even tighter. He bent down and kissed her hard and long trying to keep his tears from falling on her face. He pulled away and looked deep into her eyes.
“Forever ok? Promise?”
She nodded shaking uncontrollably and he stooped to kiss her forehead. “I love you.” He hugged her then stood back to look at Albus, his form was shaking with fury and his eyes were locked on the man at the front whose mask was one of a wolf.
“You in?” Scorpius asked him.
“Till the end.”
Scorpius gripped his arm and kissed Rose once more.
“Look after her for me ok?” Albus whispered to the girl called Hen.
She nodded tears streaking her own cheeks. “Get help ok?” She nodded again.

The darkness was starting to settle in now that the sun had finally set. Scorpius watched as the Hen girl dragged Rose deeper into the forest and then as Albus walked to the edge of the trees. Scorpius wanted to look back at the place Rose had run off to but his head wouldn’t turn. It remained resolutely facing the edge of the clearing where he could now see the masked men spreading out in a long line. The man on the chain seemed to be shaking and the dead things were sniffing the air like animals.

Suddenly, completely against anything Scorpius wanted his body to do, it stepped out into the dark clearing, the cloudy sky obscuring the moon and stars. The masked men looked particularly hideous in the twilight. Albus followed him out, both wands drawn. Scorpius’s eyes were fixed on the chained figure. He seemed familiar but he couldn’t place it…The man with the wolf mask let out a yell of triumph and sprang in front of them with the agility and grace of a wildcat.
“Mutt.” Scorpius spat.
“Traitor.” The wolf man hissed.
“What do you want?”
“You know well, young cub.”
“Still?”
“You thought I would give in?”
“Not really…”
“Then why do you question me?”
“I kind of hoped you would have moved on…” Scorpius said, “you know bigger and better things.”
“Ahhh…but young Scorpius, you are the ‘bigger and better’ you would be the jewel of my collection…”
“Of what? Half men and almost decapitated undead?” Scorpius could feel his hands shaking and yet his voice sounded so care free. He was confused and scared and really wanted to wake up…but it was like when you get on a roller coaster which is much bigger than you anticipated, once you’re on it you can’t get off even if you want to.
“My soldiers are here to carry on my noble Kings work. We must do what we must to survive!” the masked man spat, “Besides, this time the steaks are higher and I think you might be a bit more willing to cooperate.”
A masked man behind them tugged the man with the bagged head forwards but the man with the wolf mask held up a hand… “unless…” the man’s face drifted to the left slightly where Albus stood practically steaming with suppressed rage.
“Ohhh! You wish to fight us?” The man said with a hint of laughter in his voice. “You are clearly not as wise as I believed you to be. Your father would be disappointed…both of them.” He added with what was plainly a sneer in his voice even if his face was masked. Scorpius felt a jab of anger which Albus must have also felt because he let out an angry shout as they both raised their wands in synchronised speed but before they could slash them down or aim a curse a cloud in front of the moon shifted and the masked men’s bodies shook. The man who was chained to them began to struggle even more his bagged head thrashing. The men’s entire bodies were trembling with such violent quakes that they were having difficulty standing on their feet. Some had hunched over onto all fours and some had fallen to the floor. All appeared to be in immense pain. Their masks broke off their faces as their faces elongated and Scorpius caught a glimpse of the wolf masked man’s face before thick hair sprouted and a muzzle grew out from his head. Scorpius wanted to scream. In his head he was screaming in his head there was a high pitched blood curdling shriek. His mind was screaming so loudly that blotches of colour were appearing in his vision which was fading into blackness.

TBC

Ohhhh squeak squeak! I can still here the pretty music playing. Please leave me some feedback because my feedback thread is very empty and if you are kind enough to put up with the waffle which I like to call 'my fanfic' then please be kind enough to leave me some feedback. Hugs are optional. Link is in my siggy.

Heya to all of you. Guess what? That's right! It's the final installment of this part! Next part is....part 2!!! Yayaaay! Ok...so the parts aren't very long but there it is still necissary to seperate them! Please read, comment and enjoy.



God, he couldn’t feint, not now when there was an army of werewolves transforming before his very eyes…hang on…he was in a dream…if he feinted he would…

Scorpius gulped in air as soft white curtains came into view. He sucked in gasp after gasp as he rolled onto his back. His limbs were stiff and sweaty but he could move them….he was back in control. What the hell had that been all about? He blinked his eyes furiously to bring them into focus.

“Scorpius?”
He flicked his head up wildly trying to pinpoint the source of the speaker. A blurry figure came into focus. It was Albus and he was sitting beside a very anxious looking Rose. Both looked their normal age and both looked very worried. There was a huge armchair behind them that looked as though it had been recently vacated.
“Are you alright?” They asked at the same time.
He nodded but then his stomach contracted and he puked all over the floor. He coughed and shook his head his face draining of colour. Werewolves…there had been werewolves…and undead things…
There was a scurrying of feet and a short plump woman with curly gold locks appeared around the curtain and nearly stepped in the muck.
“Oh dear, dear me.” She said looking down and then at Scorpius who had begun to shake.
“I see you’ve come around.” She said as she checked his temperature. “Yes…very warm…you two.” She said to Albus and Rose who were watching. “You should go in case whatever he has got is catchable. Go on.” She shooed them away, Scorpius looked longingly after them wishing they would stay…he needed to talk to them…but what would they say if he told them what he had seen? What if they ditched him?” He shivered again as the nurse vanished the mess with a wave of her wand.
“I am Miss Maple honey. I’ll look after you until you have recovered from…whatever you might have and then you can return to lessons.” She said busying herself with a cup and some strange pink fizzing liquid.
“N-no, I’m ok.” Scorpius said going to stand up but falling back onto the bed.
“Stay!” She said suddenly stern, like she was talking to a naughty puppy. Scorpius flushed slightly and lay back against the pillows trying to straighten his spinning head.
He felt annoyed with himself for his weakness, he needed to get up and talk to someone! He needed to know what the hell was going on! He needed to know if he was ill or if it was just a dream….although it didn’t feel like a dream… Merlin! He needed to get to his first class! On his first day!
He made to get up again but Miss Maple pushed him backwards onto the linens holding her wand threateningly her blond curls framing her half amused half irritated face.
“b-but my lessons!” he managed to stutter a little embarrassed.
“It will be taken care of now drink!” she said forcing the cup filled with fizzing liquid into his hands. He hastily swallowed as the warm potion as it sizzled down his throat causing strange popping sensations like you get when you eat fizzy sweets.
He coughed and set the empty container down as he felt his shaking limbs come under control and his strength coming back to him. He managed to sit up properly and looked about the room.
It was large and had a load of beds in it, only one other bed was occupied and the curtains were completely drawn. There was a big bowl on the bed beside it with a pile of rags which were heavily bloodstained. He could just make out some laboured breathing from behind the thin material.
“Yes, there was a nasty attack on a sixth year last night. It’s a good thing Mr Potter was out there or he wouldn’t have found him…some kind of animal I-”
“Albus found them?” Scorpius interrupted wondering how much he had missed.
“The first year who was here a minute ago? No it was his brother…”
“James.” Scorpius supplied slumping back against the pillows feeling suddenly tiered again. James hated him. He was prejudice against his family, Scorpius wouldn’t put up with that, he was tall, strong, popular and Albus’s brother. Great, weren’t they going to have fun?
“Yes, James. I should know him what with all the quidditch injuries I’ve seen to with him but there are just so many students…anyway…best not to stare. Even if he can’t see you he still deserves his respect.”
Scorpius nodded solemnly then felt his heart clench again. “Hang on, did you say it was an animal attack?”
“Yes, had a nasty bite taken out of his leg.”
“Do you know what did it?” He asked feeling his face pale considerably.
“No I don’t. We are waiting for him to be sent to St Mungo’s, they should be arriving within the hour to transport him. I want you out by then so hurry up, get better and stop worrying. If you’re good I’ll let you out early.” Miss Maple babbled fiddling with the curtain before striding across the ward and through the curtains around the boy with the mangled leg. Miss Maple entered the curtains strategically so that, try as he might, Scorpius couldn’t make heads or tails of who it was or what was going on.

He waited…and waited…and waited…until the bell rang and he could hear students thundering around to their next lesson…then he waited some more until finally Boot came running into the room accompanied by two grizzly looking wizards both wearing white robes and gloves, St Mungo’s uniform. They glanced once at him then headed straight for the curtained bed.
“Mr Malfoy you are free to go!” Miss Maple called from behind the curtains.
Scorpius grudgingly got up, actually feeling a lot better, almost his complete self had it not been for the desire to see the kid behind the curtains and the bizarre dream that was still spinning about in his head. That made him remember the other dream he had had….he couldn’t really see it very well but he knew his father had been shouting in it and…his mother…
He hurried out of the room. He needed to see someone. He was confused.

He hurried out of the door, his bag slung over his back and yanked out his timetable. Great, he was alone in a huge school with no idea what was where and he was already late for his second lesson. What an eventful day it had been. He glanced at his watch and swore, it wasn’t his second lesson it was his fifth, he had been asleep all day! Rose and Albus must have visited him in their lunch break!
He scanned his timetable and saw that he had Herbology in Greenhouse one with Longbottom.
Few, he knew where they were they had passed them this morning…now…how did he get to the front doors?

He set off down a random corridor and down a flight of stairs following where his memory told him from the fleeting views he caught as he hurried past windows. He finally passed a window showing the long driveway down to the front gates and Hogsmede and knew he must be above the entrance hall. He took the next right and hurried down a marble spiralling staircase which seemed to skewer the entire school. He ran down the stairs two at a time and burst out into the entrance hall which was completely deserted. He made his way over to the front doors which stood open and practically sprinted out into the fresh air. The rain had left the ground wet and soggy but the air and wind on his face was clean and smelt of that after-rain smell which he loved. He heard a meow and stopped to look around. Bast was trotting up to him, a sparrow clasped firmly in her mouth. He looked down at her and remembered that she had disappeared after his disturbing dream about his father killing his mother and shouting insults at her. No, don’t ever, ever think of that. Ever. He told himself feeling completely and utterly repulsed by his revolting sub-consciousness. He could probably get into Slytherin purely on his evil unintentional imaginings.
He bent to pet her smiling at the way she dropped her game and rubbed her slightly blood covered nose against the palm of his hand.
“Hey girl, how’s it going?”
She purred and flicked her tail.
“Lucky you. Glad you’re enjoying it hear.” He said straightening up and resuming hurrying towards the greenhouses. He smiled at her hurt meow as he rushed away from her.
“Sorry Bast, I’ve gotta get to class…try not to kill too much of the wildlife.” He was suddenly struck by a horrifying thought.
“Bastet girl.” He said skidding to a stop and spinning around flicking mud everywhere. She mewed and skipped happily towards him as he knelt down again.
“Bast, stay out of the woods ok? There is something not very nice in there…probably a lot of not very nice things actually and it has hurt someone. Just…just stay away for a while alright?” By the time he had finished his very stern warning he was laughing because of the expression she was giving him. Like she would listen to him, she did whatever she wanted….but he hoped…he just hoped she would stay out of trouble for once in her life.
She mewed again trotted back to her prey, picked it up and bounded towards the castle flicking the bird up into the air and then catching it again in an I-am-going-back-to-the-castle-to-play-not-cause-you-told-me-to sort of way.
He smiled, shook his head and sprinted flat out the remainder of the way to the greenhouses his bag clonking loudly at his side.

He burst into greenhouse one, red faced and breathing hard. They were in the middle of fertilising some strange wilted red plant when he stopped in the doorway to lean against the frame.
“S-s-sor-sorry I’m-I-I’m” he panted.
“Its quite alright Mr Malfoy, Mr Potter has already informed me of your condition as has Miss Maple.” The Professor who Scorpius took to be Longbottom said whilst holding a shrivelled red plant above his head and a bag of dragon dung in the other. He was giving Scorpius a curious expression which showed a poorly hidden dislike mixed with a thirsty curiosity which he was getting a little tiered of. Yes, he was a Malfoy, no, he wasn’t evil, yes, his dad may have been evil but he didn’t give a toss cause he wasn’t anymore, and yes, he Rose and Albus were friends, no, he didn’t want to kill them, get over it already. Scorpius tried to smile and looked about for a spare plant. Perry and Harold were grinning at him, a plant in between the pair of them; they had clearly forgotten the disagreement they had shared only a few hours ago.
Rose was beaming at him from another table by Longbottom, her rosy cheeks lit up and Albus was behind her…glaring at the Slytherins.

Scorpius made a quick decision, he guessed it was so quick because really, he had already made it, and then gave Perry a look full of contempt and strutted over to Rose and Albus’s table where he plonked down his bag and took out his gloves and took an immediate interest in his little red plant.

He could tell that every single person was staring at him. Even Longbottom. He wanted to scream at them, he wanted to tell them to mind their own business and that it honestly didn’t matter if a Slytherin and Gryffindor were friends, that Volde-what’s-his-name had been dead a whole nineteen years and that house segregation should have ended eons ago, that there were more pressing matters in his life like freakish dreams and possibly were-animals wondering around the grounds…but instead he kept his head down and watched as a tiny aphid climbed up the scarlet stalk.

He waited and waited, it seemed like he was doing a lot of waiting recently…and then finally Longbottom cleared his throat and continued.
“By, grasping the limpwurt at the base you can pull it up without ripping out any of its roots. It is always best to pull them up before composting or the roots will rap around your-”
He paused to untwine the roots from around his wrist and placed it in an empty pot.
“Wrist…so you need to put them somewhere they can’t escape from while you re-fertilise the soil.” He emptied the old pot and replaced the soil with the dragon dung then re-buried the plant in the dirt. A tiny opening at the tip of the shrivelled plant opened up and it screamed shrilly with strange surreal laughter as Longbottom sprinkled in more dirt and patted it down lovingly. He stood back looking happily about at them all but his smile slid when he realised Scorpius was the only one who had watched him. Everyone else was either still staring (mainly the slytherins) or muttering and whispering to each other (still mainly the Slytherins although the Gryffindors were muttering quite a bit as well) apart from Rose and Albus who were glaring with disgust at their classmates as they stared and whispered about their new friend.
“Class!” Longbottom called. A few people looked round but most ignored him. “Class! Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin for not paying attention!” He said making everyone give him their complete and utter attention…by moaning and groaning at him.
Longbottom suppressed a growl and gestured to the pots. “Just start re-potting.”

Everyone turned grudgingly towards their pots and began grasping and pulling up their limpwurts and re-fertilising the soil. It was fairly easy so a soft nervous whispering slowly built up and when Longbottom didn’t object it grew into frantic chattering. Scorpius rolled his eyes and yanked his limpwurt out of the ground so hard it snapped and began to scream in the same high pitched voice. Longbottom hurried over to him.
“I said grasped the base! Here.” He threw another plant at Scorpius and took the screaming plant in his arms hurrying over to a dirty table. Scorpius sighed and fought back his insistent tears. He couldn’t do anything right, everyone was muttering about him, his house hated him and his only friends were in the opposite house to him. Hell, these kids had only just started school as well, what would the older more experienced years be like? Well…James was living breathing proof of that. Then Scorpius remembered it had been James who had found the student who had been attacked by the animal.
“Hey Albus?” He asked suddenly.
“Yeah?” Albus said looking relieved as he looked up from his limpwurt.
“Did your brother see anyone get attacked last night?” He tried to phrase it in the least shocking way as possible but he still didn’t think it came out particularly well. Albus didn’t look shocked or anything though…just a little sad.
“Yeah, he did.”
Scorpius waited respectfully inspecting the base of the limpwurt while he waited for Albus’s reply.
“It was Dan Wright, one of James’s friends…they were pretty close…but they had a fight just before…the thing happened…”
“Oh…” Was all Scorpius could make out…he remembered Albus yelling at James for being shallow and ditching on his friends only this morning. Merlin, they must both feel pretty awful right now. “It’s just that I had a…” His throat closed up as if some strange force was telling him to shut up. He realised that he didn’t really want to talk to Albus about it because, well, he wasn’t going to be making any new friends anytime soon. His house hated him, the Gryffindors thought he was a freak and he really only had Albus and Rose…and Bastet of course. He snapped his mouth closed and tried to look as if he had forgotten what he was going to say…it was just a silly dream. Everyone has them, and Albus was really cut up so there was no way Scorpius was going to make things worse for him by terrorising him with thoughts of manic werewolves and nightmares about his father being a pure-blood-maniac-wife-killer. They were pathetic dreams and he wouldn’t think anymore about them. His friends were more important and he was insulting his family by lingering on such disgusting thoughts.
“Yes?” Albus asked still looking sad.
“a…a…glimpse” he improvised wildly, “of him while I was in the hospital wing and Miss Maple told me James knew something about it. They have St Mungo’s people in and everything.”
“Yeah well he was bitten pretty badly…”
“Hey I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, James came back to the common room all pale and really shaky at lunch and said Dan had been attacked by something and he had found him on the edge of the forest. We went with him down to the hospital wing cause we were going to visit you anyway but he left after a few minutes…I don’t think he could stand all the blood.” Albus shivered violently and his limpwurt squeed.
“Hey, don’t think about it.” Scorpius said feeling a little uneasy but replacing the limpwurt in the soil anyway. “Are you ok Rose?” He asked looking round Albus.

She nodded her head quickly and bit her lip which meant she obviously wasn’t. Great, he shouldn’t have brought it up…but then how was he to know it would make them all upset he didn’t know they had known the guy, but then he had known James had found Dan and so should have made the connection, but then he wasn’t a mind reader so he really couldn’t-

He was interrupted from his internal argument by a lump of dragon dung that somehow launched itself at their table. It landed smack in Rose’s face splattering the front of her new robes and flaming red hair. That shut everyone up at once. There was dead silence for a few seconds then Rose dropped her plant which fell and shattered on the floor and began to wail. She sprinted from the greenhouse and fled out into the autumn air her head bowed and her hands to her dung splattered face. The slytherin table collapsed into poorly concealed sniggers while the gryffindors puffed up like ridiculous fish. Albus opened his mouth to yell something that was clearly going to be very, very rude but Scorpius put his hand on his arm.
“I’ll deal with it later…wait for us?” He asked briefly. Albus nodded his head quickly but did not take his eyes off the Slytherins. As Longbottom descended on Sam who was failing to hide his dung smeared hands under the table Scorpius threw a look of pure venom at Sam before hurrying out of the greenhouse after Rose cat calls and wolf whistles following him out each one hitting him with the force of a lorry making it difficult to stay on his feet. He could feel his mountain of pride starting to crumble within his chest and clenched his teeth as he raised his head higher and moved his legs faster so he could catch Rose before she could get too upset.

He rounded a corner of trees, staying a good distance away from the forest, and scanned the grounds. The quidditch pitch was too far for her to have beaten him there, the castle doors were still shut and…she was sitting by the lake her red hair standing out like a spark in the middle of a pile of dry woods. His heart clenched as he saw her sitting there all alone, sad and angry. His blood burned with sudden rage as he remembered his classmates sniggering faces and jeers as he had run out after her and the way Sam had dared to throw muck at her on his very first day. Who the hell did he think he was? He stood there for a moment appreciating the way Rose seemed to light up the wet and soggy grounds…he felt that boiling sensation somewhere near his gut again and let it fill him up before he began walking down the steady slope towards the lake.

The water was glistening in the afternoon sun and he could just make out a dark shadow inches below the surface of the water near the middle of the lake which was clearly where the squid was bathing in the warmer waters. He drew nearer to Rose and softly walked up behind her. Her muddy hands were clenched tightly on her forearms and her face was buried in her arms which were resting on her knees.
“Rose?” He asked in almost a whisper.
She didn’t answer him but did raise her head so she was looking away from his across the lake and wiped the remaining muck and tears from her face. She let out a great sigh that Scorpius felt suited a girl a lot older than herself.
“Listen,” He said sitting down beside her, his blood still boiling with something he didn’t know what. He followed her gaze out across the water. “Ignore them, they are just prejudice idiots who can’t accept something they are unwilling to learn about. They’re first years, they don’t know anything about the ways of the school, Merlin, we are first years too and I had trouble finding the front doors. In time, they will settle down, grow up, and realise that school isn’t about segregation and competition, it’s about unity and trust.”
“You came up with that?” She asked a little shocked.
“Nah,” he admitted trying to make her smile, “My dad. He’s full of it.”
“I would never have thought that.” She said a small smile tugging at her lips.
“It doesn’t matter what house you are sorted into you shouldn’t be treated any different.” He paused and smiled, “That was me.”
Rose gave a shaky laugh and looked at Scorpius. He turned his head and looked deep into her eyes. They were two perfect oceans of blue; he felt he could get lost so easily in them they were so full of limitless emotions. They made him feel small and insignificant but they also made him feel special, like he was the only one who mattered. Like there was no one else in the entire world, not stupid slytherins, not annoying gryffindors and not disapproving older cousins or parents, just him and her, and then he knew why his heart was thundering so loud it felt as if it was going to rip itself right out of his chest, he knew why his blood was burning so hot he could blindly trace the veins on his arms and he knew why he had been put in slytherin. He loved her, he had felt it from the day he had set eyes on her, but his selfishness prevented him from saying anything, and his need for hers and her cousin’s company blotted any thought of telling her, letting her in, because she might not love him back and then…then he would he alone and hurt and broken…he wouldn’t risk it and he knew that for as long as he lived he would always be striving to be something bigger, something better, because then when he was finally worthy of Rose he could explain to her how he felt…and she might, possibly understand….only, he also knew that that day would never come because of his major confidence issues. He couldn’t lose her, he couldn’t lose Albus, not after they had stood up to James and their house and helped him out so much. He felt like he belonged now…he belonged in enemy territory but among his enemies were his friends. He wouldn’t jeopardise even that very dangerous relationship, not even if the consequences would mean he was being truthful to both his friends and himself, because this year was going to be different, he was not going to mess this up and he didn’t care how selfish and self-centred he was being during the process as long as he didn’t get abandoned.
He took a deep and incredibly shaky breath in as he realised all this and only remembered to stop breathing in when his lungs felt like they were about to burst. He exhaled quickly right into Rose’s face. He opened his mouth, his face horrified to apologise but she was laughing.

“I wish…I wish you were in Gryffindor…” She said once her smile had sufficiently slid off her face again. “It would make everything so, so much easier.”
“I know but…I belong in Slytherin.” He said dropping his eyes from hers and feeling a scary sense of loneliness while he studied his own very boring feet.
She snapped her head up to look at him with confusion written all over your face. “I do Rose, I am aggressive and-”
“I’m aggressive!” She said.
“Yeah, but I’m selfish.”
“You. Are. Not!”
“I am.”
“But everyone is selfish!”
“You just said I wasn’t” Scorpius said but Rose didn’t reduce the intensity of her stare.
“I know what’ll keep me going and I’ll stick to it even if I am mucking up others lives in the process.”
“Yeah, but how can you know that?”
“I know.”
“Yeah, but…”
“I talk without thinking.”
“Yeah, but who doesn’t?”
“I think some…some…some really bad stuff sometimes…”
“Well…like what?”
“My…mind just thinks stuff differently and I guess…I guess it just plays it back to me at night just….differently.”
“Yeah, they’re called dreams Scor. Everyone has them too.”
“Yeah but…never mind.”
Scorpius sighed and leaned back against the grass appreciating the cool damp blades on his the back of his hot neck.
She lay down beside him too.
“I just…wish things were different…”
“Yeah, well…so do I…but I can’t change who I am Rose…and trust me I would if I could.”
“I don’t want you to change…” Rose said rolling onto her front and looking at Scorpius lying in the wet grass next to her. “I want the world to change.”
Scorpius smiled, “But…if you come right down to it…it honestly doesn’t matter I’m in a different house…we can still see each other and I can just hate my house mates to the full extent possible…hmmm…maybe that’s why I was put in Slytherin…my incredibly poor ability to forgive and forget and my very well known tendency to go over the top and willingness to hate people.” He said it with a smile but the look on Rose’s face told him she had not been fooled by his wishy-washy expression and that he had let a bit of what he was feeling out of his hard shell within which he kept his emotions bottled up…maybe that was why he was always over the top…interesting.
“Well…I’m glad you don’t hate me.” Rose said fingering a daisy.
Scorpius watched her expecting an explanation but one didn’t come,
“Why would I ever hate you?”
“You know why, there are too many reasons to list. The universe doesn’t want you me and Albus to be friends and it is so blatantly obvious I am surprised it hasn’t been posted on all the house notice boards.”
Scorpius laughed, “You sound just like the true Weasley, negative but always negative in an amusing way.”
“And you sound just like the true Malfoy, insulting the Weasleys.”
He laughed, “and is being a Malfoy a good thing?”
“Does it matter?”
“To me it does.”
“Then yes, it is a very good thing.”


TBC


Thanks for reading to the end of part 1. You make me a happy chappy. To make me even happier please give me feedback, whether it is telling me I am an overdramatic character wrecker or that I add way too much cheese to my writing or because you want someone to just spontaniously combust, don't feel shy to pop into my feedback thread and leave something for me to read because I get bored. In my siggy.

please forgive the cheeseyness of the song choice. I actually couldn't resist.



Scorpius opened his eyes. Today was the day. After a whole entire year of waiting, after months of practicing after weeks of anticipation today was the day. He practically sprang out of his bed his blood was pumping so hard. Kind of like just after you’ve run a marathon only…he had just gotten out of bed. His roommates were all asleep still but that was the way he liked them best. When they weren’t asleep they couldn’t laugh at him and sneer at him and pull mean pranks on him, when they were asleep he could ignore them. It seemed silly, but after a whole year Scorpius still had not forgiven his house mates for throwing dragon dung at Rose. Yes, they had been young and stupid, yes they still were young and stupid but he still felt they had matured…somewhat since that eventful day…the day he had realised he could love a girl as much as he loved Rose…not that she knew it of course…that would just be silly.

When he had returned to the common room that night all hell had broken loose. First years had descended on him badgering him with accusing questions and he, still being angry and more than a little confused, had shouted at them to leave him the hell alone and to mind their own business. He had told them they were stupid for discriminating other houses no matter how pure their blood was or what their parents had told them. Yes, he had been young and stupid, Merlin, he still was very young and very stupid or he would have told Rose how he felt about her. That night was the night it had begun. The painful exclusion from his house. He had tried to make amends the following day but to no avail and he decided then and there that he had not wanted to make friends with people like that. His mother had sent him a letter telling him that they loved him no matter what and that if his house mates were being so prejudice and unbelievably shallow that they were clearly not of a mature enough level to be worth worrying over, children will be children and those who are mature enough to see that should rise above it. Of course…he hadn’t told them his Gryffindor friends were his father’s old enemy’s children because of his cowardice and once again the fear of losing something he didn’t think he could lose stopped him. If he did, he wasn’t sure what he would do, he didn’t think his own family would desert him but he was already shunned at school he didn’t want to have to suffer side glances and disapproving looks while he was at home too. His mother had said if it continued that he should just stay well away from them and ignore them…they weren’t worth his time.

Scorpius sighed…if only his mother’s way was the easy way.

From that day on he had suffered the worst sort of bullying he could have ever imagined. He had been laughed at, sneered at, insults to his family were made on an hourly basis which at first he had reacted to with sheer violence and aggression but now simply ignored, masking his face with a look of superior disgust while inside he burned to whip his wand from his pocket and curse their foul mouths into the next century. People (Sam and his cronies) had messed with his education by corrupting his homework and revision tactics meaning he had done less than his average on last years end of year exams and they often muttered hexes at him resulting in uncontrollable pimples or in some cases where their expertise had been slightly lax three legs and once a hairy eyeball which had been embarrassing and painful. He had tried to stay away, of course he did, he spent every moment he could with Rose and Albus and to be honest they were the only thing getting him through this, but every morning, mealtime and evening it was same old same sniggering and sniping and now even some of the older years had begun to show their disapprove of the silly first-now-second year student who was besmirching their clean Gryffindor-less record. He honestly didn’t care about the slytherins though; they were utter losers which Rose and Albus were sure to remind him on a regular basis. At first he had thought they were just trying to warn him away from becoming like them or insulting him by including him in their hateful words but after a few weeks of his house Scorpius had realised that they were trying to make him feel better and honestly it did. He loved having someone who thought on the same wavelength as him and Albus Potter sure was one of those people. Not only did they get almost exact scores in their exams (Rose of course came top in everything much to Sam’s dismay, beating him by miles. Scorpius had been sure to rub in the fact.) they shared the same interests, (Quidditch, Black Wedding, Quidditch, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Quidditch, Hating Slytherins, Quidditch and Dark Times which was a series of books about the days Voldemort had walked the earth all tall evil and all-powerful.) Rose’s wave length was obviously far longer than either Scorpius’s or Albus’s but over the past year that spark of love that had sprung from the hurt and scared eyes of his new best friend had grown and grown slowly fed by kindness and understanding until it was a roaring inferno that now filled his entire being making him acutely aware of everything and anything she did. He sighed getting lost in her face that he could see in his minds eye.

Sam snored loudly and broke his happy bubble. He glared at the lump under the blanket in the bed at the other end of the dorm; he always popped Scorpius’s happy bubbles. Somehow even if he had started off by thinking about his hatred of his house mates he had still wound up thinking about Rose. He knew it was soppy and he knew he definitely wasn’t a soppy person or the darn hat wouldn’t have trapped him in Slytherin and yet…here he was daydreaming about a girl when he had Quidditch tryouts later that day. That snapped him out of it and he was suddenly shoving his legs into his robes and pulling on his cloak. Quidditch was just about the only thing that could pull him out of his Rose day-dreams.

It was the third month back at school after the holidays, a brisk Saturady morning, a possible hint of a storm in the air and this year was going to be better. Not different, he had completely given up on different, just better. He and Albus had been itching to get onto the Quidditch team ever since they found out they could try out. They had both been Quidditch fanatics since they were taught to fly a broom and now he was ready…or so he hoped….for the tryouts. Gryffindor had the pitch booked just before Slytherin meaning Stan’s friend Panda, who was the captain of their team, was holding try outs right after lunch. Great, so his stomach would be full of stuff he could throw up everywhere, probably in front of Rose because she would be in the crowd no doubt. He smiled again but shook his head clear and focused on lacing his shoes. Sam snorted again and lifted his hand up to his eyes as if to rub them. Scorpius left his other shoe unlaced and ran for the door. Merlin, he was such a weak spined coward!

He tied his shoes at the top of the stairs because he didn’t really think he could fly with a broken back and he couldn’t walk down stairs without tripping at least once even when he had his laces tied. He jogged down the stairs his hand skimming the banister so that when he stumbled, as he knew he would, he could grab hold of it to save himself from mortal injury. As he expected he almost tripped on the second to last stair and staggered forwards into the common room. Not a very graceful entrance but no one would care if it had been, they would just laugh if it hadn’t.

To his surprise no laughing greeted his ears. He looked up to see the common room empty apart from Ferdinand and Jenny were working on their transfiguration homework over in the corner of the room and clearly hadn’t seen him come in even though they weren’t the sort to harass him. Ferdinand usually thought anything his little brother (Harold) thought was fun was obviously not fun and bullying Scorpius was on Harold’s ‘Fun list’. He was just about to make his way quietly across the room to see if he could talk to Albus before breakfast and obviously see Rose when the hole in the wall opened and Henrietta walked in her long dark wavy hair clipped back in a bun fastened with a large ornate dragon fly clip. She had a stack of crumpets in one hand and a heavy book in the other.

Henrietta, thankfully, was one of the only two first-now-second year girls who hadn’t teased him for befriending Gryffin-losers. He was kinda in the dark about that one because the other girl had an older sister who was in Gryffindor and had been all sympathetic but…being a classic Slytherin hadn’t stuck around because she didn’t want a share of his abuse…Henrietta though…she always seemed to be there when no one with Scorpius-teasing initiative was around and had never laughed at him although she had never ever been friendly either…apart from his first meal he had had with her in the Great Hall on his first ever night…he remembered that night vividly and he hated it.

“Hi.” She said abstractly wandering over to the black leather sofa and sitting down on it letting her book fall open as she nibbled on some crumpet.
“Er…hi.” Scorpius said still inching towards the hole in the wall.
“Is that your cat splattering blood everywhere outside? Miss Hardy just finished cleaning that corridor last night. Stan and his friends drank a bit too much elf wine and ended up puking out there and now your cat is bloodying it up.” She said her voice formal and slightly harsh.
“Oh er…I’ll just go and…” He ran to the hole and stepped through it swiftly to have a tiny black ball of fur leap into his arms. He was forced to catch the half blood soaked cat as she put her paws on his shoulder and rubbed her face all over his head staining his blond hair red and getting blood all over his robes and face. One glance at the half eaten rat on the floor told him it wasn’t her blood so he skipped instantly to,
“Bast get off me! Its too early for a bloodbath!” He said sternly but trying not to laugh as she licked his nose with her tiny rough tongue which stank of blood. “You’re a beast.” He laughed as she climbed onto his shoulders then jumped back down to her breakfast. “And you’ve gotten blood all over the floor. Miss Hardy will probably be out here for at least half an hour scrubbing this off.” Miss Hardy was the school’s caretaker. She was a light and happy person with short spiky grey hair. She was the sort of woman who matured not through her looks but her personality even though she was still bubbly and energetic while her sixtieth birthday drew ever nearer. She got on well with most students and was known well for her big heart but she was very strict on two things. If she saw them she was bound to do something to stop them. Student’s duelling and rats. She hated the pair of them…perhaps rats a little more than overly aggressive teens but if she heard jinxes being fired or someone hollering a hex you could bet she would be at the heart of it and breaking it up before you could wonder how amazing her hearing was because she seemed to be able to hear things from the other side of the school which majorly creeped everyone out but everyone still loved her.
“Maybe she’ll let you off since you are decreasing the rodent population.” Scorpius said as Bast rubbed against his legs. “Tell me about it though cause I have to go and meet Rose and Albus.” He said setting off towards the main hall.
She mewed happily and bounced along in his wake.

His friends were, as always, sitting on the end of the Gryffindor table nearest the door and side by side on the bench facing the Slytherin’s so they could have expression conversations which not only amused Scorpius and helped him ignore the peas being flicked at him but also proved and excellent source of communication being as though they were all pretty good at it now.
“Morning.” He said walking up to them and perching on the edge of the table.
“Morning.” Rose said but Albus only managed a squeak.
“Whats up with him?” Scorpius asked gesturing to the rigid and very pale Albus who was staring at his bacon as if it were threatening him with a very large dose of manky tasting medicine.
Rose gave one of her famous you-are-so-completely-blind-sometimes sighs as she fixed him with her equally famous I-am-smarter-than-you expression although he grinned at her because he could see the corner of her mouth curling up in that adorable half smile he knew she did when she was trying not to laugh at something she knew she shouldn’t. Just by her pretty faces Scorpius had the answer worked out before she opened her mouth to tell him, he let her tell him anyway because it would give her satisfaction and he didn’t want her to know how closely he watched her. It creeped him out so what would she think?
“Albus,” She said emphasising his name, “Is nervous that his big brother wont pick him to be on the team and he thinks that obese kid Chutney will get in when Chutney has tried and failed four times to get onto the Gryffindor team.”
“I don’t think it I know!” Albus said a little hysterically. “What if I’m not as good as James? He’ll laugh at me and if Chutney beats me everyone else’ll laugh at me and if I don’t get in then I wont have an excuse to get out of doing that assignment for Boot that I haven’t even started yet!” He squeezed out in one long wheezy breath.
“Well that’s your own fault!” Rose said stealing a piece of his bacon.
“And you have a way better chance of getting on your team than I do getting on mine.” Scorpius said darkly glairing over to the Slytherin table where Stan sat surrounded by Panda and Bonnie Bullstrode. “And they won’t laugh half as much as you as they will at me when I try and fail…again.” He said realising as he said it that that would likely be the outcome. Why shouldn’t this tryout follow in the unsuccessful footprints his life had made?
“Hey!” Rose said suddenly strict. Scorpius loved her strict face, it made her brow crinkle into a cute little line and her nose wrinkled which always made him smile and then she would increase the ‘ferocity’ of her frown when his reaction had the opposite affect she had been looking for. “I’ve told you before! It’s better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all! Life is for the experiences!”
Scorpius nodded solemnly, only, some things weren’t worth failing at so it would be better to just never try…
“Yeah, but look back at my sad life Rose, I didn’t do brilliant in my exams last year, I have failed dramatically to fit in with my house, I have failed oh so spectacularly with upholding the status of my family name which I have dragged through the mud. That is about the only thing I have achieved, dishonouring my father.” He said glumly as Rose’s face got more and more squashed as she frowned more and more.
“So, you’re dishonouring your father by befriending Gryffindors are you? You’ve failed with us have you?” She asked getting fired up and Scorpius knew that when she started to get fired up he needed to calm her down fast or he wouldn’t hear the end of it which is why he probably shouldn’t have said what he said next.
“Not yet I haven’t, but I will.”
“Oh you will, will you? Why’s that? Because you don’t care about us enough to make this work or because you are just too lazy to try?” She asked waspishly.
That stung, he knew that she hadn’t meant it, that she was trying to kick a response out of him but it hurt, it hurt bad, especially with all the pain he was going through with his ruddy house mates. He supposed she knew she had gone too far because she settled down way too quickly and her face relaxed way too much.
“I-I’m sorry…I just think you should believe in yourself-”
“No,” He cut over her standing up from the table, “Forget it.” He said flatly although he knew his eyes were betraying his hurt and he knew that Rose could read him better than the hundreds of books she obsessed over. He turned away knowing that Rose would be staring after him and that Albus would still be staring at his now empty plate completely unaware that his bacon had been stolen.

He stalked over to the Slytherin table and took his usual place facing the Gryffindor table at the end near the doors but he made no attempt to look up at Rose. He forced his eyes away from the Gryffindors by dragging a bowl of porridge towards him and pouring himself some pumpkin juice. He could still feel the intensity of Rose’s glare on his face so he shoved porridge into it and cover it up with his goblet as he took a long swig from it.

When he re-emerged he recognised his father’s eagle owl, Forsythe. She was standing in front of him eating his porridge. He allowed himself a small smile. If there was one thing he did look forward to it was reading letters from home and knowing that all was well. Last summer he had gone with his mother to Diagon Alley to buy himself a proper broom just in case he did make the team. He now owned a Nimbus 2000, he knew it wasn’t particularly good compared to the new Nitrous but it wasn’t too pricey and his dad had said he had lost a fair few matches to it so he decided to go for it. Even though his father’s old broom had been a 2001 he felt he shouldn’t get a good broom and then be told he couldn’t play on the team and just have it locked up for most of the time. He glanced at Stan and his friends who were laughing and throwing bits of toast at another seventh year Slytherin girl who kept shooting them looks of complete disgust.

He turned back to Forsythe and untied the letter from her leg. She nipped his finger and spread her huge graceful wings brushing his arm slightly and jumping into the air again.

Dear Scorpius,
How is your studying going? I hope your house mates have eased up on you a bit. Your mother and I are fine as is the house and the local wildlife. You really notice how many mice this country can house when you don’t have a bloodthirsty cat chasing them 24/7. I hope you and Bastet are coping well with your second year. I don’t know when your tryouts are going to be exactly but I wish you the best of luck and to tell you that you have my full confidence that you will make and excellent quidditch player. Panda is a big kid and I know he can make some hasty decisions but I’ve seen you play myself and can proudly say there would be no one better to kick the Slytherin team back into life.

Your mother and I were talking and we have agreed that if you want to you could ask some friends to come around for the holidays since we are really feeling the emptiness of the house without you and Bast running round it. We need to bring some joy back plus we would really like to meet the people you have been suffering all this Slytherin/Gryffindor nonsense for.

We hope they can make it,
See you soon,

Dad

Scorpius dropped the parchment like it was on fire. Oh pants. What in the name of dugbog was he going to do? His face remained a mask of fear and panic even as he mentally shunned his pitiful cuss vocabulary. More to the point, what was his father gonna say when the spitting image of his former arch-enemy stepped off train with the obvious daughter of his other arch-enemy? Would he shout at them? Would he drag Scorpius away from them? Would he be angry with Scorpius for not telling him before? Oh Merlin! What was he going to do? Plus, what was Mr Potter and Mr Weasley going to say when their kids asked if they could go and stay at the Malfoy’s for Christmas? He was pretty sure that the Potters and Weasleys didn’t know about their friendship because James had been blackmailed by Albus into keeping it quiet and Rose was sensible enough to keep her mouth shut around her touchy father. He looked up to see Rose still watching him. As soon as she saw his eyes lock on her she mouthed the word ‘sorry’ and her expression really did look it. He wafted his hand aside to say it didn’t really matter, even though it did, and shook the parchment about in front of him the look of panic still etched onto his face. She looked at it and then back to him, he mouthed, ‘my father’ and she gave him a quizzical look. Scorpius sighed and got up from the table, his porridge completely forgotten. Across the hall he saw Rose get up and drag a still white Albus to his feet also.

They walked over to the doors to the hall and when Scorpius was within hearing distance Rose asked,
“What does it say?” Her voice was full of curiosity.
“My dad wants to know if you guys want to come over for Christmas.” He said feeling the tug of longing he thought about the idea. Christmas with Albus and Rose would be amazing and the Holidays were only a week away. Rose paled and Albus just turned his frightened and nervous expression from his shoes to Scorpius.
“W-what?” She asked looking confused.
“He doesn’t know who you are…” Scorpius said a little guiltily. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his friends; far from it he was just-
“Why?” He could tell Rose was trying to keep the actual accusation out of her voice and his heart dropped when he realized her disappointment was real this time and it was all the more dreadful for it.
“I just…don’t want it to be like it is at school at home. Its not cause I am embarrassed or ashamed about being your friend cause you know that that is totally not true only…you know my dad and your dads …and your mum…didn’t well, get on and…my dad isn’t really the kind of guy to hold a grudge…well he isn’t nower days but…” Scorpius remembered last summer asking his dad about his old school days, he had wanted to do it face to face, and his father had explained all about his teen arrogance and how he couldn’t look back and be proud of anything he had done…no matter how much he wanted to.
“Mine is…” Rose said, “I bet you he says no…” her face had fallen completely. “I’ll come anyway! Uncle Harry’ll let Albus come because he is nice and understanding like that and he knows what’s best for his kids but my dad…he’ll throw everything out of proportion and probably link it up to some random assassination attempt and tell me I have to stay away for my own good.” Then she added when she saw Scorpius’s eyes flicker angrily, “but he doesn’t know your dad is a good guy now…he just wants what best for me and I’ll sneak out anyway. I’ll go with Albus, Uncle Harry wont mind and Aunt Ginny is always encouraging that sort of stuff…Dad says she shouldn’t but I think that’s why she does…”
“Nah,” Scorpius said, “I don’t want you to get into trouble and if you sneak out then your dad’ll just be even more set against you coming.”
“It’ll be ok.” They both jumped as Albus spoke…now to his shoes again.
“Er…are you talking about Quidditch or our father v father issue?” Scorpius asked.
“The latter you dipstick! I’m not deaf.” Albus said.
“Wow, you haven’t used ‘dipstick’ on me since before our potions exam and you were dead sure you were gonna fail.”
“Oh be quite, listen while I can keep my breakfast down.” He snapped the nerves clearly affecting his tolerance.
“er….Al you didn’t have any breakfast.” Rose said flashing a grin at Scorpius. “Unless you count my left over fat off your bacon.”
“Shut it. I just mean, if my dad says its ok, then it’ll probably be ok because hey, your dad always agrees with mine in the end.”
“Hey that’s kind of harsh.” Rose said frowning at him.
“No, it’s kind of truthful now if you don’t mind I need to go and throw up.” He said conveniently running across the entrance hall just as James walked past with his ‘Captain’ badge glistening on his chest.
“Honestly, you’d think he would be excited about being put on the team.” Scorpius said shaking his head at Albus.
“You see.” Rose said and Scorpius could tell they were back to their original subject, “You show so much confidence in others that you don’t have any left for yourself and if you don’t have self confidence no one will ever respect you.” She said in one quick long stream of gushing words. She blushed and Scorpius saw her mouth tighten and her eyes narrow as she prepared herself for his answer.
“Do you respect me?” he asked coolly.
“Don’t be stupid of course I do.” She snapped back but continued to glare at him and he knew she knew he had been avoiding the answer to her unsaid question.
“It’s just, I have never had anything as valuable as a friendship other than my family and here people are making them both painful to hold onto. I know that on the surface I look like I’m alright but-”
“Underneath your bleeding.” Rose said literally taking the words out of his mouth which scared him senseless because it had been a spontaneous choice of words. Rose smiled at his shocked expression. “My mother used to tell me and Hugo a story when we were little and it was stormy and we couldn’t sleep. It was about a warrior who had to leave his wife every year to go and fight for his country. It pained his wife whenever he left but he knew he must because of his duty to his country. It was during this one war, against a country whose armies were weak but were woven with psychics who could call upon the strength of gods to do their bidding. They called the Greek god Artemis and had her shoot the warrior with her bow and arrow. The warrior gravely wounded retreated from the battlefield and returned home, knowing he was dying. His wound was not one inflicted by a mortal foe though so his wound was not visible to the mortal eye although he could feel the shaft ledged deep in his side. He returned to his wife who was overjoyed to see him and he had to hide his pain from her to spare her his suffering but he knew as he lay in bed for the night which was sure to be his last that his wife would feel his pain when she awoke to a dead husband and he knew that he had let her down by fulfilling his duty to his country and ignoring his duty to his heart.” She was very close to him now and he was very, very aware of that fact. She was so close he could count her freckles, so close he had held his breath. Her eyes seemed to be boring into his and he became entranced. Her eyes always held something, something that made all the bad feelings in him, the doubt, the confusion, the anger, the hurt, her eyes made it all melt away into a nothingness, a nothingness that seemed feeble and ridiculous before such depth. He had always loved that about her and knew he would until the day he died.
“I see that warrior in your eyes Scorpius. I know this can’t be easy for you but you need to know that you mustn’t let your house rule you or get to you or affect your life. You are free to do as you wish and that includes ditching me and Albus if you feel like its ever getting too much. I mean it!” She added when he opened his mouth to say he would never. “We love you very much Scorpius and we don’t want to see you get hurt so…if you are struggling, tell us and we’ll back off so you can start mending your relationship with your house…” Scorpius was acutely aware of exactly how much it was costing Rose to say these things by the way the deep dark circles’ of blue in her eyes shimmered and glistened with unsaid emotion in the sunlight that was spilling in from outside. Inside he was cringing away from even the ideas Rose was putting in his head and were making him question whether she really wanted to be friends with him but then he would look in her eyes and see the pain and sadness there and knew that she did.
“I’ll let you know if it ever gets too much.” He said smiling at her warmly. “Don’t be disappointed or anything but that day won’t come to soon. This warrior has got a hell of a lot more fight left in him.”
“Good,” she said brightening up, “I just don’t want you to suffer on your own…”
He grinned at her again and resisted the immensely tempting prospect of telling her how much he wanted to share with her, to unbottle all of these bottled up things but he knew he could never live with himself if he lost them. Speaking of them, Albus had just reappeared.
“Oh god, oh god…” He said shakily, clearly much more talkative now he had hurled out whatever non-existent thing was in his stomach before…he guess it would make him lighter Scorpius pondered while Rose gave Albus a perfect tell-me-or-I’ll-kick-it-out-of-you look making Scorpius grin to himself. Rose hated being kept in the dark…which was why it was so good Scorpius was keeping her in the dark about being kept in the dark…he shook his head.
“What is it Albus?” He asked saving Rose the necessity.
“It’s…Ravenclaw!”
Scorpius looked over to the Ravenclaw table and back again. “er…yes.”
“N-no! Ravenclaw! Out on the Pitch! It’s Xeno! He’s trying out for keeper!” Albus said.
“What!” Rose squeaked, “But he didn’t tell us!”
Albus gave Scorpius a nervous half glance and Rose shot daggers at him for it.
“What?” Scorpius asked feeling a headache coming on.
“Well…its just…don’t be mad…” Albus looked very uncomfortable.
“Xeno’s been asked to stay away from me?”
“Yeah…well…we told him not to say anything to his parent of course because we don’t want Uncle Ron to know,” Albus said, “but he did…kind of tell his mum that he’s met you and stuff and then his dad walked in and kind of….told him to stay away from you…just a little bit…”
Scorpius raised his eyebrows
“A lot…you know Uncle Dean is big time friends with our parents!” Albus burst, “And so is Aunt Luna and they just-”
“Want what’s best for Xeno…yeah; yeah I’ve heard it before.” Scorpius said feeling his gut twist with anger that he was learning to control better and better, to bottle up and beat down forcing it into a tiny compartment he could stash away.
“Well, anyway, we haven’t seen him since the beginning of term…he hasn’t spoken to us or anything…” Rose said looking a little sad again.
“Well, do you wanna go watch him? It looked like he would be up soon.” Albus said and then paled impressively, obviously remembering his nerves.
“Yeah sure.” Rose said taking Scorpius’s hand in hers and Albus’s hand in her other. Scorpius had to fight against clenching his hand around Rose’s as an unexpected explosion ripped through his chest making his limbs sear with awareness…his hand particular was on fire but it was a good sort of cleansing fire that made him smile.

When they got out to the pitch Xeno was just about to take his turn. Just as he was mounting his broom Rose walked onto the pitch with Albus and Scorpius trying to save their quickly shrinking pride because Rose had grasped their hands so tight they couldn’t pull away, not that Scorpius wanted to but he would look suspicious otherwise. He caught sight of them focused for a millisecond on Scorpius, which he definitely did not fail to notice, and grinned at them. Rose grinned back and waved at him with hers and Albus’s hands. He nodded and turned his attention to the sky. Xeno looked very, very pale, almost as pale a Albus who had given up trying to escape Rose and was just looking scared and ill.

Xeno kicked off into the sky and soared towards the goalposts. Henry Boot was the captain of the team and was also the current seeker but everyone said he was just made captain cause his dad worked at the school. Scorpius thought otherwise because he had noticed that Henry was actually very gifted in the air…perhaps not as much as James who was the Gryffindor captain and chaser (the best the school had seen by far even though he hadn’t taken the expected roll of seeker) but Boot was still a fearsome opponent. Henry lifted the quaffle high and tried to score. Xeno blocked one, two, missed one by half an inch Scorpius thought, saved a third and then a fourth. He returned to the ground welcomed by Rose’s Albus’s and several of his Ravenclaw friend’s cheers. He grinned gave Albus a cocky beat-that grin and skipped over to the ‘done line’ where several other students were standing looking either miserable, pleased or worried.

They sat through the rest of the keeper try outs and then the Ravenclaws left the pitch leaving it empty.
“Hey,” Scorpius said suddenly, “You better get changed, James and his team will be out here in a few minutes and you don’t wanna be late.”
Albus nodded but didn’t open his mouth. Rose sighed and heaved him to his feet. They made their way to the changing rooms but James was already over there. Scorpius opened the door and walked smack into him half changed into his robes.
“Watch it.” He said turning around pulling his robes over his head. “Oh, its you.” He said his lip curling as he took in Scorpius’s whole two feet shorter appearance.
“And?” Scropius said coolly.
“I just didn’t think any intelligent person could walk right into someone but then I guess I mistook you for an intelligent person.” He sneered. Scorpius glared at him with barely contained fury as his hand tightened around the wand in his pocket. Albus obviously sensed the danger because he spoke up in a shaky and obviously still queasy voice,
“Leave off him James it was an accident. Can’t you just act your age?” He asked his mood swinging back into the severely annoyed state he got into whenever he was nervous.
“Oh so you’re here too are you little brother?” James said which was subtly patronizing. “I wish you luck for the tryouts. I really, really hope you don’t fall off your broom.”
Albus paled even though it was obvious James was just messing with him.
“Get lost James.” Rose said firmly leading the boys over to the bench. “I am going to leave now.” She said clearly to Abus who was looking even whiter than ever. “Get changed and grab your broom I’ll be waiting in the stands.” With that she turned and marched out of the room. James glared at the pair of them before following her.

Scorpius stayed with Albus while he changed and waited for him while he puked then picked up his broom for him and walked with him out onto the pitch. There were already a few people there but Scorpius could see more spilling out of the castle. He wished Albus luck and hurried to the stands to wait with Rose.

James was cruel. He left Albus until very last to go and when he did release the snitch he gave it a two minute head start. Albus took off slightly clumsily but made up for the trip while he was in the air. Just watching him made Scorpius feel a little queasy himself. He knew Albus was a good flier but he didn’t know he could be so good when he put his mind to it. He watched in amazement as Albus whizzed after the golden speck and after a uncalculated snatch managed to regain balance and with a flick of his wrist caught the tiny winged ball. Scorpius and Rose leapt up from their seats and cheered enthusiastically. Unfortunately Sam and his slytherin’s had come to watch just before Albus’s catch and had, unfortunately, seen Scorpius jumping up and down with Rose clapping his friend and unfortunately Scorpius had to endure pathetic re-enactments’ all through lunch which turned out to be no fun at all.

“Just ignore them.” Rose hissed at him, “Completely ignore them, you reacting is just what they want.”
“Rose, it’s kinda hard to ignore them when you keep bringing them up.” Scorpius said a little sharply but he was feeling so nervous. He knew his mind was preparing itself for another let down, another disappointment, another fail. Why did he have to suck at everything?
“You’ll do fine.” Rose said all irritation suddenly gone from her voice. Scorpius grunted and walked over to the changing rooms, before he could reach the door though she grabbed his arm and pulled him around so he was facing her.
“Scorpius, I mean it.” She said her eyes burning with meaning and passion even though their watery depths had looked so calm moments ago. He tried to look away and look moody but he couldn’t bring himself to break eye contact with her. She was just so hypnotising…and beautiful…and trusting…he blinked quickly to try and break the spell she so often ensnared him in. her gaze had not broken at all and her eyes were still boring into his eyes. “No matter what anyone else says Scor,” She whispered her smile warm and encouraging, “I’ll always believe in you.” She said and stood up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. He went so numb he couldn’t even smile back at her when she squeezed his arm. Although he did have to blink incredibly quickly to stop the tears from breaking lose. Merlin, how old was he? “I’ll be waiting in the stands with Albus. Knock em dead Scorpius.” She said and hurried away from him leaving him alone. A miraculous change was taking place inside him though; it was so drastic that he couldn’t even summon a ‘bye’ for her. He could feel his cheek burning feeling back into his limbs and with it came a brand new emotion that wound its way deep into his blood making his heart skitter and his fingers tingle. He would get onto the team. He would succeed and he would do it to prove to Rose that she didn’t have to be disappointed in him anymore. Just like that he felt his doubt being burnt away by pure determination. He would succeed. No longer was this scared little school boy going to fall on his face, he was going to do something he could be proud of, that Rose could be proud of.

He strode into the changing rooms with an alien spring in his step. He didn’t even bother to look all dead and non feeling when the slytherins started jeering at him and asking him when the wedding was going to be. He simply didn’t care. He was going to do it and they couldn’t stop him. So he just smiled hugely at them all which did shock a few sneers off some peoples faces, got changed, grabbed his Nimbus and strutted out of the changing rooms in much the same cocky manner as he had entered it.

He was the first out on the pitch…well apart from Panda, Bonnie and Stan. Stan was the keeper and Bonnie and Panda were both beaters. Panda surveyed Scorpius quickly and put on what must have been a calculating look although all that really changed was that he went slightly cross eyed.
“You wanna be a seeker?” he asked intimidating.
Scorpius flashed him a wide grin, “Sure do.”
“Well…I’ll give you a go at it but…I’m not promising anything.” Panda said looking as though Scorpius stood a very small chance of even competing with anyone else who would be trying out. “You can go last.” He said sneering.
“Sure.” Scorpius said, he strutted over to the edge of the pitch and sat down refusing to look annoyed or worried or even the slightest bit nervous. This was a test he was going to pass. He looked briefly into the stands to see a much better looking Albus sitting there next to Rose who gave him a small smile. His confidence soared and he smiled back as Sam and Charlie and Perry and the others walked onto the pitch all carrying their Nitrous’s.

Scorpius sat through all of the trials and to be truthful he didn’t think he would have much competition. Sam did kind of well in Seeking even though he had been bragging about being the best seeker in history to his friends although he did make a fair chaser. Charlie was just down right terrible, Perry did exceedingly well in the chaser tryouts so he didn’t try for anything else Harold was almost as bad as Charlie only he managed to stay on the broom a few minutes longer, there were a load of other years taking part and Scorpius had to admit that there was a fourth year who he had seen in Ferdinand’s study sessions who looked pretty good but no one could have beaten Henrietta. She stalked onto the pitch ten minutes late, demanded they let her try out for chaser and stomped her foot when they said they had just finished them. They let her tryout of course. She was, in Scorpius’s high standards, very incredibly good and he was just happy he wasn’t trying out for chaser because he wouldn’t have stood a chance against her. She scored all five attempted goals past Stan and didn’t even look that bothered she just returned to the ground flicked her hair and stormed off the pitch again.

Now it was Scorpius. Rose gave him another grin and Albus gave him the thumbs up which he returned and walked swiftly over to where Stan and Paddy were standing and nodded to them once. He mounted his broom and waited for the click. Click. He kicked his broom up into the air and chased after the tiny golden ball. He was within reach of it within a few seconds and extended his arm to grab it but just before he reached it, it jerked downwards and he was forced to go into a vertical dive to follow it. Then it circled back on itself heading back towards the clouds nearly unseating Scorpius as he attempted to pull his broom around. The snitch was looping about in huge circles now so that while he followed it he looked as if he were performing some sort of humiliating broom dance. He pushed away his embarrassment and allowed his new found confidence to surge into him lifting him higher. He was nearly within reach of it when it tossed itself back over his head and began to speed back towards the ground. He suppressed a cry of annoyance and flipped over backwards to go into a half-upside-down-and-very-difficult-to-stay-on-your-broom-dive that made his hair hang about his face even though he was plummeting back towards the ground. He was so confused and dizzy he only just had time to pull out of the dive (which was a success since he had no clue which way was up or down) before he smashed into the floor when the snitched changed direction again skimming the grass towards Stan and the others. That was, once his head had stopped spinning, when Scorpius saw that Stan had his wand on the snitch and both Panda and Bonnie were in hysterics as they watched Scorpius perform ridiculous aerobics. His face flushed but he didn’t let it sway him. He rushed after the snitch determined to wipe their snide grins off their faces. He kicked his broom as if it were a horse and urged it to go faster. He flattened himself against it as he chased it two inches from the ground. It went to jerk upwards but Scorpius was ready for it and had his hand out. It dodged him by centimetres and flew up towards the stands. Towards Albus and Rose. Scorpius sped after it determined to reach it before it reached them. He looked momentarily past the snitch to his friends and saw that they were both still smiling even though he was speeding towards them way too fast to stop in time. He gritted his teeth leaned forwards and knowing that he was going to have to do something unpredictable launched himself off his broom so he was shooting through the air on pure momentum. He snatched the snitch out of the air just as Rose screamed and Albus let out a strangled yell. He felt a sudden weightlessness about him which he could only assume was Rose’s quick thinking and using a hover charm but there really had been no need, he broom was beneath him in a flash and he grabbed onto it before it could be whipped out from beneath him. He grinned at her pale white and completely terrified expression as he returned to the ground where a completely gobsmacked Stan, Panda and Bonnie stood all with their mouths gaping open.

He dropped the fluttering snitch at their feet gave them an arrogant smile and strutted out of the pitch hoping against hope that he had been better than Sam. It was between Scorpius and the pompous prat and the pompous prat hadn’t thrown himself off a broom…well…not on purpose at least. Scorpius smiled to himself as he greeted Rose and Albus and prepared himself for a good long telling off even though his friends were shouting accusing words at him with undeniable grins on their faces.


TBC


Caw they just keep getting longer and longer don't they. Sorry bout that. Very uninteresting but alas, this part is way better than part 1. I think it gets interesting in the next chapter funnily enough. yaaaaaay. please leave feedback after the beep. Beeeeeeep.

It had started to snow. Of course when Scorpius woke up to a very wet cat face in his hair he realised that by the thick flakes that hadn’t quite melted into Bast’s thick black winter coat. He tickled her and pushed her dripping face away from him as he got up and hurried to the window. His face broke into a huge smile as he saw great white flakes falling quickly and heavily on the already unrecognisable landscape of Hogwarts grounds.

He grinned even bigger and pulled on his boots. It was a Sunday and he thought he would put aside his revision until later that night so that he could take full advantage of the snow…Rose would probably disagree but he thought that he and Albus could probably sway her…he hoped.

“Malfoy get your stupid cat of my blinking pillow!” Came an angry shout from the other side of the room.
Scorpius turned his head to Harold who was pushing and shoving Bastet of his pillow, she was still dripping wet and was now hissing rather angrily.

“Don’t you touch my cat.” Scorpius growled narrowing his eyes to deadly daggers.
“Why, she’s not your silly little gryfin-loser girlfriend is she? Disguised as a revolting animal that looks like it has been dragged through a swamp backwards…oh no wait…she wouldn’t need a disguise for that.”
Scorpius snatched his wand up from his bedside table but Harold was almost as fast whipping his out from under his now wet pillow.
“Try it.” He hissed his eyes also narrowing and a mocking smile stretching his lips.
Scorpius took one look at Harold disgusting smug face and tucked his wand into his gown pocket, walked over to Harold bed so that he was towering over him, he was very satisfied to see that Harold, being the dimwit he was, was looking a little confused.
“No, Bast is Bast not Rose.” He said in a perfect imitation of her god-don’t-you-know-anything voice, “Even you should be able to work that out.” Scorpius picked his angry wet cat up from the pillow she had been pin-cushioning. “However, I definitely don’t want any of your obvious thickness to rub off on her so that is why I said: Don’t. You. Touch. My. Cat.” He said clearly and loudly as if talking to a deaf person, “Do you understand that?” He asked in an equally loud clear voice.

He grinned inwardly while his face maintained a mocking curious look as if he was waiting for an answer. Harold’s face had gotten redder and redder while Scorpius had been talking and he now resembled a very misshapen tomato. Scorpius gave a huge fake sigh and turned away from the speechless boy,
“Well, if your brain can’t even process the English language then I guess I am wasting my time.” He walked over to his bed, plopped Bast down on it where she promptly curled up and went to sleep while Scorpius got dressed into his warmest most water proof clothes he could find gloating inwardly, and a little outwardly, all the while. It was only when he had finished lacing up his snow boots that Harold managed a reply, Merlin that kid was dumb.
“I…I will not be spoken to like that!” He said straightening up and raising his wand.
Scorpius was up and armed before Harold could even come up with a curse, and he had had more than enough time to think of one, and with a flick of his wrist and a muttered jinx he had Harold’s wand flying across the room.
“Really? Cause I think you just were.” He stood there for a minute appreciating the affect Harold’s anger was having on him but strode to the door and out of it before he could string together another sentence.

He gambled down the stairs and didn’t trip once but ran right into Henrietta when he was almost out of the hole. She was carrying another stack of toast and a different book in her hands. He was beginning to think this was a bit of a tradition with her.
“Hey,” he said being as though he was in an overly happy mood today. “You seen the snow?”
She nodded and smiled at him, “Yeah it’s great, I love the snow.”
“Who doesn’t? Oh, and you were really good yesterday.” He said grinning at her remembering her spectacular performance. “It’ll be a crime if they let someone like Charlie on instead of you.”
“You think so?” She asked raising her eyebrows. He nodded and went to walk past her.
“What’s up with you?” She asked as he approached the hole in the wall.
He hesitated, “I guess I just wanna say thanks for not treating me like dirt.”
She beamed at him, “Well…I just don’t think it’s very fair that’s all…you can’t help who you fall in love with.”
Scorpius’s face fell instantly. “What?” He asked in a kind of strangled voice.
Henrietta looked confused, “You and Rose…you love her right?”
Scorpius gaped at her. Merlin! Had he been that obvious? How could she possibly have guessed without some major hints? God, she was a girl, maybe she had some creepy mind reading powers some girls seem to have, or worse, maybe she was a stalker and had caught him staring at Rose or maybe, oh Merlin, maybe he had been talking in his sleep and she had overheard. No that was silly, she wouldn’t have been in the boy’s dorm and if he talked in his sleep his roommates would have murdered him already.
She smiled at his shocked silence, “I just think it’s really unfair. If I fell in love with someone my friends didn’t like I would stick by them because if they really were my friends they would stick by me…” She sighed, “It’s a shame neither of us have such friends…other than Albu- your Potter boy and he looks even more clueless than you.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed again when Scorpius remained blank and speechless.
“Don’t worry I wont tell anyone…I don’t wanna see your guts all over the halls, Miss Hardy will probably have to work through the night.”
Scorpius remained in complete denial while Henrietta went over to her sofa, sat down and began to read her book. He still couldn’t find out how she knew…maybe she could read minds…then he would have to be especially careful-
“I can’t read minds.” She said confirming his beliefs, “I told you before, I can read people. I’ve seen how you look at her and I can tell that is love.” He thought he could hear the slightest trace of surliness behind these words which made him open his mouth.
“Henrietta-”
“Hen.” She corrected him.
“Hen…” he said ignoring the annoying feeling he was getting in the back of his mind which he often got when a teacher was looking at him expectantly when he had forgotten to do his homework and he just sat there clueless until the teacher got angry and asked him where his two page long essay was. “Thanks for not telling anyone.” He tried to put some warmth into the words but his voice still sounded as shocked as his face still looked.
“Don’t worry about it. Just tell her before that Xeno kid gets to her.”
“What?!” He half yelled as he felt something sharp and cold stab itself into his gut shattering his happy mood in one swift movement. What on earth was she talking about? Rose said she hadn’t spoken to Xeno for months and he was staying away from her so how could Hen possibly think Xeno liked Rose? If he did what on earth was he going to do?
“Yeah, sometimes at dinner time I see him watching her and I know from Patt Bittelman that he dumped his girlfriend a week ago so watch out.” She said in a nonchalant way that made Scorpius’s gut twist in a very bad way. What was he going to do?

Just then he heard the boy’s door slam and they both snapped their heads towards the staircase. He could see Hen putting two and two together (even though it was more like one and one) and she hissed quickly,
“Go!” Just as the hurried footsteps began to descend the stairs. Scorpius didn’t wait to be told twice, he turned tail and bolted. If there was an angry mob of Slytherin in the room, more importantly a mob of Slytherin who were angry at him, he certainly wasn’t going to be in that room. He hurried down the dungeon corridor turned a few random corners and then made his way upwards towards the entrance hall.

When he walked through the hall doors the first thing he did was check the Ravenclaw table instead of his usual Gryffindor scan. Yup there he was…chatting up a Hufflepuff girl who was twirling her long brown hair at him. He sighed a little and allowed some stress to slide off his shoulders. He then looked to the Gryffindor table where Albus was trying to press a coat into Rose’s hands. He walked up to them and said,
“Morning.” As he had guessed Rose was not too keen on the idea of ‘going out into the wet coldness and catching something nasty when she could be warm in the library revising’ and was refusing to take the thick coat Albus was pleading with her to wear.
“Hi.”
“Morning.”
“Aren’t you coming out with us Rose?” Scorpius asked.
“No, I am not.” She said taking a purposeful gulp of pumpkin juice.
“Fine then we’ll leave you to study all alone.” He said winking at Albus and gesturing towards the door. “Don’t worry, we’ll leave some snow for you. We know how much you love it, but if you’d rather spend the weekend locked up on your own with your books then so be it. Miss out on all the fun.”
Albus grinned and got up as well.
“That is sooo not going to work on me.” She said taking another swig of pumpkin juice.
“What’s not?” Scorpius asked in fake confusion. “See ya.” They walked away from her, Scorpius counting under his breath. Five, four, three, two, two and a half, one…
“Ok, ok! Wait a minute.” She said pushing herself away from the table and catching them up. She snatched the coat from Albus who was grinning smugly at her and then led the way out of the hall as Scorpius knew she would.

The grounds had already been churned up by the many kids running about in the snow screaming and shouting and throwing balls of cold wondrous mush at each other. Rose turned and gave both the boys a very –don’t-you-dare sort of look but Scorpius was already scoping out his environment. There was a grove of trees that had broken away from the forest to his left, a makeshift wall of snow and ice someone had abandoned after a snowball fight and an awful lot of snow on the floor. He swooped down to pick up a handful of snow but before he could righten himself Rose sent a wad of it smack onto the back of his exposed neck. He gasped, stood up and lobbed his snow blob at her. She screamed and ran behind Albus who threw his own snow ball at her making her squeal and reload her unprotected hands. Scorpius dived behind the snow wall and scooped up more ammunition and aiming carefully threw his snowball out from behind his snow wall. Albus retaliated and soon a snow war was going on with which Xeno soon joined in as well as the hufflepuff girl Scorpius had seen at breakfast and a group of their friends. They were all laughing and very wet by the time Rose ended it by levitating a huge mound of snow to fall onto the ‘boys camp’ collapsing their snow fort and forcing them to surrender.

Scorpius helped Albus out of the snow and walked with Xeno and Albus’s friend Forest over to Diana (the hufflepuff girl) Rose and a few other hufflepuffs.
“Truce!” Xeno called as the four boys held their hands up to show they weren’t holding any snow.
Rose threw one last snowball which hit Albus in the face and agreed.
“Truce.” The girls chimed as they skipped over to rub in their victory.

“So…” Rose said as they trudged through the snow to an area that hadn’t been touched over by the forest. “Albus and I sent owls home to ask.”
“Huh?” Scorpius asked as he plopped himself down in the crisp snow making a huge dent in the strange glistening flatness.
“About going to yours for Christmas?” Rose said in an annoyed voice.
“Oh…” Scorpius had a strange sensation between his stomach plummeting and his heart leaping as he tried to disentangle his emotions…was he happy? Yes, would he be happy? Probably not.
“What?” Xeno said pulling Scorpius back with way too much clarity. He zeroed his gaze on the young boy’s worried and disbelieving expression. “You’re going to the Malfoy’s for Christmas?” he said it in such a way that Scorpius no longer felt the comradeship he had felt for Xeno while being pummelled by snow and honestly wished he had let him get a bit wetter…who knows maybe he would have caught something nasty.
“Yeah, we are.” Albus said “…only…we didn’t put that it was your house we were going to…” Albus said a little uncomfortably.
“Why not?” Scorpius asked even though he knew it was probably sensible if they wanted to come.
“Just in case…” Rose said.
“Your dad is gonna flip!” Xeno burst out, “I can’t believe this Rose. You guys always come round for at least a few days over Christmas to help my mum with the decorating. Do you know how much I look forward to that? But now you’re gonna be god knows where frolicking with the Malfoys.”
“You say that as if it’s a bad thing.” Rose said suddenly cold and even though her glare wasn’t directed at Scorpius he still shivered…but that might be because he was so angry…or it might be because he was sitting in waist deep snow.
“Maybe it is.” Xeno said narrowing his eyes.
“That honestly isn’t up to you Xeno.” Albus cut in obviously trying to save Xeno from the tongue lashing he was about to receive…Scorpius was a little disappointed himself, “You can think whatever you want but if we want to spend time with our friend then we should be allowed to.”
“Well what does that make me?” Xeno said looking furiously from Albus to Rose while everyone else sat in silence flicking their gaze between the four of them.
“Well if you can’t accept and respect our decisions.” Rose said through her teeth, “Then maybe you’re not the friend we considered you to be.”
“Really?” Xeno said looking almost as angry as Scorpius felt even though his heart was soaring with the loyalty his friends were showing him he couldn’t help but battle as hard as he could against the injustice that was rising up in him. He kept his mouth clamped firmly shut for fear of saying something he was sure he would regret. Xeno turned his gaze on Albus. Scorpius thought this was very unfair because everyone knew Albus was the weaker of the two. “You feel this way too?” He asked sourly.
Albus just picked at his nails and muttered something not really looking as if he wanted Xeno to be angry at him but not really looking in disagreement either. Xeno gave the three of them one last glare and jumped up Diana and her hufflepuff friends followed and they marched up to the castle and disappeared through the doors.

Rose was looking upset and Albus confused and Scorpius honestly didn’t know what to do. Forest and the Gryffindor got up gave Scorpius what must have been a disappointed look and followed the hufflepuffs leaving him alone with his miserable friends. After a few seconds Albus said, “I’m gonna go catch Xeno…save me a space at lunch.” He said and sprinted after them.
“Hi Scorpius.” A light voice said from behind them.
Scorpius’s head whipped around so fast it cricked. His face paled noticeably. Hen was standing there in the snow her book still in her hands and a grin plastered onto her face. Oh god, oh god, what was she doing?
Rose was looking between the two of them registering Scorpius’s panicked look which he was hurriedly trying to rearrange into something that didn’t look guilty or suspicious. He was so unsuccessful Rose felt the need to ask what was wrong.
“N-nothing.” Scorpius forced out still staring in horror at Hen who was looking a little annoyed.
“Oh re-lax.” She huffed coming to sit down in the spot Albus had just vacated...this seemed to irritate Rose. “I just wanted to ask why your gryfin-losers ran out on you. I was watching from over there.” She pointed to the grove of trees Scorpius had noted earlier.
“They are not losers.” Rose said hotly her temper flying up again. Merlin, this girl had anger management issues…but he loved that about her.
“Whatever…why did they ditch you? You looked like you were having fun.”
“Its none of your business.” Rose snapped and threw Scorpius an accusing and questioning look. “Scorpius, who is this?” She asked.
“This is…er…Hen. Henrietta Barber. She’s in my house.” He felt a stab of irritation when Rose made no effort to hide her blatantly shocked expression.
“What’s wrong with that?” She asked opening her book. “I thought you guys weren’t as stuck up and fussy as the other losers in your house…or was I wrong?”
Scorpius blinked at her shocked. He would tell her to shut the hell up but what of she got all offended and blurted everything out of her abusive mouth? Plus, he would really be going backwards from mending his relationship with his housemates…so he tried to ignore the glares that Rose was now piercing him with as if to say it was his fault Hen was with them...which it probably was. It was torture to watch as Hen attacked her with spiteful words but he honestly couldn’t do anything about it. He looked helplessly at her.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, you guys must be alright but that bloke just now, the Xeno kid? He looked like he could have some sense whipped into him, has quite a mouth on him doesn’t he? Not surprised you hate him so much I don’t blame you really, foul temper.” She was waffling.
“We don’t hate Xeno.” Rose said with a shaking voice.
“Is he a Gryffindor then? You and your griffin-loser friends probably hold grudges for a maximum two second span so it’s not really surprising.”
“No, he is in Ravenclaw and yes Gryffindors hold grudges and stop degrading my friends or I will turn you into something that makes you look even more like a rockfish than you do already!” Rose said her voice rising as she failed to control her anger. “Honestly, just because you’re a Slytherin you think you can do whatever you want! You just don’t care about anyone do you? Only yourself! Well I’ll tell you what I think shall I?” She asked getting to her feet and brushing snow off her robes glaring furiously at Scorpius for just letting this happen. “I think the lot of you are spineless and good for nothing and should seriously reconsider your motives before you judge anyone else!”
Hen was staring at her dumbfounded, “Did you just call me a rockfish?” She asked deadly quiet.
“No.” Rose said rolling her eyes, “I said you look like a rockfish! Merlin I can’t believe you misheard that you must think it every day when you look in the mirror.”
“Yeah well at least I don’t come from a loser family who thinks that mudbloods are royalty.”
Rose puffed up so much she could have exploded. Scorpius was just looking sadly at the floor.
“Scorpius.” She hissed. He looked up to see her face bright red and her eyes filling with tears. She was staring into his eyes to avoid Hen’s smirk which Scorpius thought would probably push her over the edge. He tried to say something comforting but all that came out was,
“What?” He realised what he had said and flinched but Rose hadn’t done anything she was biting her lip and trying to force her tears back.
“I mean yeah I guess I get where their twisted beliefs come from what with your mother being a mudblood and everything but honestly to worship them like that is just plain wrong. Don’t get me wrong I am not trying to be mean or anything I have nothing against mudbloods but I just have to disagree with giving them equal standards of status with the purebloods and half bloods. I personally think that-” Zap, Rose had drawn her wand and shot a curse at Hen which caused her not only to shut up but to be lifted of the ground and slammed into the ice wall and tiny spots suddenly began to appear all over her body. Scorpius watched in complete and utter horror as she sat herself up and took in her spotty arms then she turned a furious glare onto Rose and opened her mouth to say something but Scorpius cut her off knowing what would spill out of it.
“Rose!” he said loudly standing up as well, “How could you do something like that?” he said improvising wildly, “She did nothing to you!” he said talking so fast neither of them had a chance to say anything, “I thought you were better than that. You know not to use your advantages against people just because you don’t like them. It’s unfair and mean and and…” He was making this up on the spot, “and not right, and disappointing and shouldn’t be tolerated. What would your mother say?” His face was going bright red with embarrassment and complete and utter misery as he was forced to rebuke his friend for standing up for her family when she had just bitten her one of her best friend’s head off for saying that he was upset she was going to the Malfoys house. He was such a coward…how could he. Rose’s face was completely wet now and Scorpius thought that his shame might just be the thing that killed him. He could feel his heart beating slower and slower even though his blood was pumping like wildfire through his veins…or was that because his heart was beating so fast he could only distinguish random beats from the panicked thrum inside his chest. Rose wiped her eyes her entire frame shaking with fury and pent up emotions.
“What?” She said in a choked voice as she tried to speak, “You…you…I…well now we all know don’t we! We know what a foul twisted evil person you really are! Oh Merlin I didn’t think anyone could ever make me this angry. You filth! You can’t honestly be sticking up for her after what you just heard her…how could you Scorpius! I thought you were different! I thought you were my friend! I thought you were Albus’s friend! What’s done this to you? Is it her? Has she done this? How could you be made into such an utter and total jerk overnight?” She shouted at him shaking her head so that her tears fell in scattered droplets onto the snow, melting it. “I thought you were decent!” She yelled, “I thought you were honest, and brave and generous! WELL I WAS WRONG WASN’T I! I’LL TELL YOU WHAT MY MOTHER WOULD SAY! SHE WOULD SAY I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU LET A MALFOY INTO YOUR LIFE! SHE WOULD SAY I TOLD YOU SO! AND I WOULD BE IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH HER BECAUSE SCORPIUS YOU ARE NO DIFFERENT TO THE REST OF THEM!!” She buried her face in her hands and ran back to the castle stumbling and tripping on the snow.

Scorpius just stood there numb and unfeeling…what had he done?

“That wasn’t too clever.” Hen said from behind him walking up to him rubbing her spotty arms. He just turned to look at her his mind frozen; he guessed that would help numb the pain when it finally hit him. He could imagine himself standing there like a moronic statue…

He was different to the others, he had been just as angry as Rose had been…maybe not that angry…but keeping quiet and letting Hen have her cruel sick twisted fun and then having to deal with Rose’s anger was worth it right? It was worth having her upset and angry so long as she didn’t know how he felt about her? No…it wasn’t…but he could never tell her…he would carry it to his grave…

“Well are you going to go after her then or what?” Hen asked from his side. He suddenly gasped as all of the anger and hatred and sadness and depression and the horrible empty feeling of loss rushed back into his body but above all others was the humiliating sense of shame that made his cheeks burn with heat which melted the remaining snow on his face and hair. He could hit Hen he really could, that was, if he wasn’t being stared at by everyone since Rose had started shouting and the odd tingling feeling he was starting to feel at the base of his skull….

There was a flash of blinding white and he knew he had feinted.
When he opened his eyes he was still laying in the snow…wow that was nice of Hen, to just leave him lying there to freeze to death. He was honestly starting to think he had gotten a very wrong first impression of her. She was sly and manipulative and he was so going to stay away from her…he seriously needed to work things out with Rose. Suddenly his arms moved to put his hands beneath him and he got to his feet and brushed snow off himself and then started to walk towards the lake where happy shouts were drifting towards him. What the hell? He tried to stop his legs from moving, he tried to turn his head, he even tried to open his mouth but he couldn’t move. Was he being imperiused or something? His dad had told him about stuff like this…maybe it was just another one of Hen’s cruel and life wrecking jokes. Merlin, what was she going to make him do? Drown himself? He sighed, the sun was going down and the lake looked beautiful as gentle flakes blew in soft flurries across his vision…well if it did come to that at least he would be drowning in a beautiful place…which was more than he deserved…and there were plenty of people about to stop him if Hen decided to make him do something stupid…there were a couple of students skating on the ice…well…more like fifty but it looked like a couple compared to the size of the lake. He searched his mind for the presence he knew should be there telling him what to do, just like his dad had told him, but there was nothing there in his mind apart from his very confused self and a lot of shame and worry. Great, he wasn’t being controlled by some evil guy so, was he in a dream? He shook his head mentally; his life was way too confusing. If he was in a dream then did that mean he was unconscious still? He decided that was the easiest solution and settled for that. He was probably still lying in the snow somewhere anyway…

He could see Sam and his cronies mucking about on the ice and suddenly his body turned so he was walking through the trees of the forest parallel to the waters edge. He wasn’t very far away…too far to hear what they were saying but not so far he couldn’t hear the low mumble and occasional shout the little posy was admitting…polluting the atmosphere with unintelligible words. He felt his jaw grind his teeth together and he felt his fists ball but he didn’t particularly know why…was Hen about? He went to turn his head but his dream-self’s purpose was focused entirely on the group of idiots down by the ice. He growled mentally, this was turning out to be a very boring dream. Just then one of the boys…maybe Perry, shouted something and a snowball hit the tree right in front of Scorpius. It hit a little knot on the wood just at his eyes height and the snowy muck slid slowly to the floor at is feet. Scorpius’s entire head had followed the snowball to the floor and he thought his dream-self was being a little slow…yeah…that is snow…it used to be a ball…get over it and start showing me some cool Black Wedding singers jumping up and down perhaps on the back of a giant snow dragon which has the face of someone interesting like….Miss Hardy.

Suddenly Scorpius’s head flicked around to the lake again where the slytherin’s were taking aim at him. His eyes slid over them though and searched the ice until he saw Rose and Albus skating on the ice kind of near the middle. Xeno was with them and they all still looked a bit upset but Xeno was definitely over the worst of it. Albus and Rose were being all droopy and non-living…probably because Rose had gotten angry and destroyed their friendship…not that Scorpius could really blame her…when he found Hen he was going to knock some serious evilness out of her and knock some serious sense in…and he wasn’t going to knock her lightly.

Without any warning whatsoever he began to sprint towards the lake. He inwardly braced himself as his legs began to move faster and faster as he slipped and slid towards the skaters. The slyhterins looked shocked and a little scared but that didn’t stop them from throwing snowballs at him and something he was pretty sure was a boot, but he ignored them, they missed him and he just kept running/sliding towards the skaters in the middle of the lake. He honestly didn’t know what was wrong with his dream-self…was there a Balck Wedding singer in the middle of the lake? Was there a Nitrous broom out there? Why was he running- he slipped and fell and he heard his dream-self swear rather loudly as he scrambled to get up again. He was on his feet in a matter of seconds though and continued to sprint towards the middle of the lake his feet slamming so hard onto the ice that he swore he could have fallen right through had the ice not been so thick. Ice skaters were twirling around him looking annoyed when he ran in front of them forcing them to change course or when he accidently bumped into one of them causing them to fall over. He wanted to shout at himself to stop or at least to slow down but his body wasn’t listening to his brain. A group of ice skaters passed in front of him at that moment and he had a clear view of what or who he was running towards. Rose and Albus of course were in the middle of the lake and Xeno and that Diana girl were skating around them in a huge circle and doing figures of eight and other fancy, and in Scorpius’s opinion boring, stuff. Rose slipped over unexpectedly falling hard on her bum. A loud crack rent the air making everyone skid to a halt. Scorpius was the only person still running and his panting panicked form seemed to be what drew every ones eyes. They stared at him as he hurtled towards Rose and Albus. Rose looked up, worried afraid and still a bit angry into Scorpius’s eyes but with the second crack the anger disappeared as everyone started screaming and hurrying for the shore. Why wasn’t he hurrying for the shore? Xeno and Albus each took one of Rose’s hands and tried to pull her to her feet but she was looking down her knees shaking. Scorpius looked down too and saw a thin crack running from him towards her in the ice. Now he began to run towards her with earnest, he could feel the ice shuddering underneath his urgent feet but he couldn’t make himself move fast enough…he wasn’t going to make it and it was clear and way too obvious Xeno and Albus hadn’t noticed the crack. He wanted to shout at them to move but even if he had had enough air in his lungs he had no control over his body. Diana was hanging off Xeno’s other arm tugging him towards the shore obviously scared. Xeno dropped Rose’s hand and took Diana’s and skated with her past him giving him a sneer full of contempt on the way. God, he didn’t like that kid. Albus was now however, on his own struggling to get Rose to her feet, her legs sliding everywhere as she tried to get her skates underneath her. Scorpius could feel the ice shifting ever so slightly beneath his hammering feet, his desperate eyes locked on Rose’s pretty, perfect, terrified face.

There was another loud crack and Scorpius’s scream was Rose’s as the ice beneath here gave way and she disappeared into the iron grey frigid waters. Scorpius skidded to a stop beside the crack in the ice. Albus had slipped into the hole as well and was clutching the rim. Scorpius heaved him up and out and then fell to his knees looking down into the water with cold fierce fear that was ripping at him like a hungry animal.
“ROSE!” He screamed into the water…nothing. He knew what he had to do but there was no way in hell he was going to like it. He quickly stripped of his cloak, jumper and top until he was just standing there in his baggy robe bottoms and without a minute’s hesitation jumped into the icy waters. So yes, his dream-self had lost its frigging mind. The water hit Scorpius like a thousand knives slicing at his skin with their deadly claws but he couldn’t spare a thought for the pain. This fear, dream-state or not, was real enough to be causing him more distress.

With his blurry vision he scoured the dark waters below him and made out a flash of red hair as Rose struggled against her dragging robes and skates. He tried painfully to move his frozen stiff limbs as he made his way towards her. He could feel his oxygen running out…what would he do if he lost her? He didn’t know what he would do. If she left him without knowing how beautiful he thought she was, how much he loved her, needed her… His eyes stung against the freezing waters of the lake as he kicked pitifully towards Rose as she sank further and further into the murky blackness….he needed her….

He knew he didn’t have much time left…his head was going dizzy from the cold and lack of oxygen…he needed air…he needed warmth…but he pushed them aside, trying to think, trying to move…but it was as if the air trapped in his lungs, keeping him alive, was chaining him to the surface…vainly trying to chain him to life. He looked down to the sinking head of red hair, how he loved that hair…he stretched out a hand for her but she was still too far away and the effort of moving made his chest hurt as the glacial lake waters turned his body numb…

He tried to shout her name but no words came out just bubbles…he couldn’t reach her and his head was starting to really hurt…He sank a couple of inches as he released another mouthful of bubbles. He could feel the cold water trying to force its way up his nose and into his mouth…he could feel the blackness on at the edges of his vision getting more intense…he couldn’t think straight…lights were popping before his eyes…he was going to feint…he was going to lose her…he was going to let her down…


TBC



soz, I ain't updated in a while but here it is. I am still sick! even with Dyana's amazing chicken soup!Anywho, please leave me feedback it might help me get better.

luff u guys

em
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