They said to write what you know, emotions and senses and experiences. Scorpius knew a lot of things.
Scorpius knew terror, the fear that comes with parents who fight. He knew the sound of things shattering on the walls and doors slamming behind people. He knew how his father looked when he sobbed in his desk chair in the middle of the night. Scorpius knew the taste of food that burned as its cook worried about her hair instead of her husband. He knew the flowery smell of his father when he came home late from the office, hair mussed and tie missing. He knew how it felt to be dragged from the house in the middle of the night by his father when his mother had been at the bottles for just a little too long.
Scorpius knew sadness, the loneliness that follows a death. He knew the sound of his grandmother's last breath. He knew how his grandfather looked when they laid him out in the coffin. He knew the taste of condolences, baked into the casserole from the neighbor and the roast from his aunt. He knew the smell of death, and decay, and the mouldy mansion that was rotting into a mere skeleton around him. He knew how it felt to hug himself in the middle of the night when he knew that no one else would.
Scorpius knew anxiety, the worry that the other kids would not accept him. He knew the sound of bullies mocking him for being a Death Eater's son. He knew how the world looked when he was hung from a hook by his pants because the muggle children thought he was weird. He knew the taste of dirt being ground into his face. Scorpius knew the smell of the stink bombs that were left in his bag by children unknown. He knew how it felt to have his father shove him onto a train of strangers so he could attend a school he had never seen with children he had never met.
Scorpius knew kindness, the thing he dreamed of receiving but almost never got. Scorpius knew the sound of a bushy haired girl introducing herself to him, the odd boy in the last compartment. He knew the sight of a green-eyed boy smiling at him as he offered a hand. He knew the taste of sweets shared between new friends, far sweeter than sweets eaten alone. He knew the smell of a hall full of food and strangers whose gazes were not as scary when he had someone right beside him, his messy hair in Scorpius's peripheral vision. Scorpius knew how it felt to have his friends clasp his hands before he climbed up onto a stool and put on a hat that placed him in Slytherin.
Scorpius knew curiosity, the endless quest for knowledge. He knew the sound of whispers in the hallway, murmuring his name. He knew the sight of people doing things they shouldn't be doing, caught in the act by Scorpius the prefect. Scorpius knew the taste of snacks in the kitchen, discovered when attempting to locate Al's Hufflepuff dorm. He knew the smell of a musty chamber located beneath a ghostly girls bathroom and a source of adventure for Rose who heard her father's tales of it too often to leave it alone. He knew the feeling of running for his life, his feet slapping on the ground and scary teeth snapping at his back, as he fled the Forbidden Forest with his two best friends.
Scorpius knew lust, the emotion that was ever present in a school of teenagers. He knew the sound of moans coming from the bed next to him, offering him nothing but frustration and tented sheets. He knew the sight of other kids being pressed again the wall and snogged within an inch of their life as he watched enviously. He knew the taste of his boyfriend, rich and decadent chocolate with a touch of something uniquely Al. He knew the smell of sex, the scent that clung to him after a long wanking session. Scorpius knew the feeling of a boy pressed against him, hard and smooth, and rubbing just right until all he could feel was ecstasy.
Scorpius knew joy, the fleeting emotion he chased with all of his might. He knew what it sounded like when the entire Great Hall broke into applause when he was given an award for having the highest NEWTS in decades. He knew the sight of his whole year gathered in the Room of Requirement for his surprise eighteenth birthday party. He knew the taste of firewhisky handed to him by his co-Aurors after completing his training. Scorpius knew the smell of his new house, a gentle oak scent with a touch of fresh paint, when he bought it with his partner so they could move in together. He knew the feeling of waking up next to the one he loved every morning and watching with a grin as the green eyes fluttered open.
Scorpius knew a lot of things. So, he wrote about them all.