Author's Note: Just to let everyone know, this is my first gander at being the Seeker, so I'm going to try my hardest to get it in on time. But if I don't, quality over time :P A special thank you to Lucy for being so understanding about my sleepiness enough to hold a special head to head just for us Seekers. Thank you, also, for beta-ing my story! I appreciate that you've put in a lot of thinking to make this work :) Please read and review if you have anything to say!
Warning for DystopianMuggleFuture!AU and character death.
Title/Link: Out of Time
Team: Kenmare Kestrels
Position: Seeker
Extension Used: No
Season 6, Round 10: Write about a character winning the lottery and changing their identity because of it.
Out of Time by ValkyrieAce
It had finally arrived. The Gamble of Life.
A lottery event in which the "government" – or rather, what is left of it – chooses who dies to ensure that there would be enough food for everyone. After the inhabitants had suffered through the biological warfare of World War III, there were only so many people who still lived. Out of the 9 billion who had previously populated the Earth, only 1 billion had survived the war. And if that wasn't enough, the chemicals that made up the biological weapons in the War had soaked into the Earth, leading to massive harvests being corrupted and even the extinction of several vegetation. Only the foods that survived in extreme temperatures still existed.
On Earth, it didn't matter that the world wasn't overpopulated anymore. There wasn't enough food to ration amongst the survivors. And even if lack of food wasn't an issue, was it worth living when the imminent despair of human extinction loomed over everyone?
And so, the lottery was built. The lottery decided who exactly would die, yes, but they would die a speedy death. The pros? They didn't feel the pain of starving to death or being caught unawares at one of the more concentrated cyanide patches. This meant they could also have a few moments with their loved ones before death claimed them.
The cons?
Their significant others will have to live amongst the very people who killed their loved ones.
The winners of the lottery were being announced on destitute plains. Scorpius himself was standing on the edge of the plains, ready to bolt as soon as the announcements were over. Already, some of the lesser known members of the community had been called. Some had started crying at the news of their sons and daughters' impending deaths. The idea of giving up life sickened Scorpius, and he couldn't wait to get out into his safe haven.
The names that were announced didn't catch Scorpius' attention until a particular name was called.
"Teddy Lupin-Malfoy!"
Shock overtook his senses. The lottery was only supposed to choose from adults over the age of 35. He was about to stand up and argue that Teddy was younger than the laws allowed, when Teddy grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt. Scorpius turned and looked at his husband, hoping – praying – that the announcers were wrong.
Scorpius watched in horror as Teddy slowly shook his head.
In his shock, he remembered that Teddy hadn't celebrated his birthday for the past… seven years. It had been too long since they'd even thought about celebrating a birthday, so finding out Teddy had turned 35 shocked him to the core.
He felt as though his world was crashing; the love of his life was destined to die.
As soon as the announcements had ended, Scorpius leapt to his feet and ran, ignoring everything, even Teddy, as he went. He ran until he didn't feel like he was being swallowed up by the Earth anymore, and then he ran some more. Soon enough, he reached the building where both he and Teddy had been raised.
It was a dilapidated building. The surrounding area outside was potent smelling due to the chemicals that affected the grass, but the inside was protected by the windows that have yet to break apart, so the air inside was as pure as can be for their current environment. The building was coloured an unappealing brown with a mossy green undertone. To Scorpius, this decimated building was home and he wouldn't trade it for the world, especially if it was going to be the only reminder he had of Teddy.
It didn't take long for Teddy to find him. After all, it was Teddy's safe haven, too.
After walking up to Scorpius, Teddy sat next to him, his legs hanging over the ledge, wrapping an arm around him as they watched the sunset together. Teddy leaned forward to kiss Scorpius on the cheek and smiled. Scorpius wasn't surprised; there wasn't much that could shock Teddy anymore. He'd seen too much and lived through the worst of horrors.
When his parents had died in the war alongside Teddy's parents, the two eleven year old boys turned to each other. After the erosion spread through Earth, and the consolidation of the new government, Scorpius had stayed strong as Teddy watched half of his family die from cyanide poisoning, hunger or for striking against the government. He knew Teddy was still haunted by the image of Molly Weasley II lying dead in a field of sunflowers, her face blue, eyes wide with tears, and lips smelling of almond after the cyanide had killed her.
Shaking his head, he let Teddy lay his head on his lap, his face looking older than he'd ever seen it. Teddy's eyes looked haunted and tired, which was expected, now that the knowledge of his death came closer. Scorpius cleared his throat and focused on singing a little tune that his parents had taught him as he ran his fingers through Teddy's hair. It was beautiful but filled with sorrow, and it soothed both Teddy and Scorpius. They'd taken to singing in times of stress or pressure, and it still worked; comforting their souls, as if living in this world was simply an illusion.
He had no one else to hold onto, but Teddy still had family who made him happy. And for Teddy to be able to hold onto that happiness for a little longer, he would give anything.
He would give anything to make Teddy happy in this god forsaken world.
It had been instinctual to Scorpius, but Teddy wouldn't have believed it had it not been for the red rose on top of Scorpius' favourite book that laid next to him as he slept. Scorpius would never have left the book out in the open like that. Scorpius was gone, and he had a nagging feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong.
Sitting up in a flash, he got to his feet and threw on his old stained shirt before running towards the gates of the government's lead building of operations. Even a mile away, he could see Scorpius being handcuffed and lugged into the prison cells by the guards. Teddy yelled for them to stop, and when they didn't, he ran even faster.
Finally reaching them, Scorpius turned to face Teddy, his eyes withdrawn and his face pale, but smiling.
"I can't let you die, Teddy," Scorpius whispered. Teddy's eyes widened.
"What did you do?" Teddy screamed, storming up to Scorpius and shaking his shoulders harshly.
"I asked them to let me take your place instead."
Silence fell upon them for a few moments before Teddy broke it.
"How... Why?" Teddy whispered brokenly, his knees collapsing under him. Scorpius' eyes had widened at Teddy's question.
Scorpius knelt in front of Teddy and nudged his face up with his own. "It wasn't hard, love..." Scorpius started, "It would have been easier to let me die rather than you. There are people – family – here for you, who depend on you, and who want you to spend your time with them. But for me… there's no one but you."
Teddy's eyes widened this time, the answer bringing tears to his eyes. He grabbed onto Scorpius' sleeve.
"How do I live without you, Scor? I love you!" Teddy asked. Scorpius smiled softly.
"You will. I know you will," Scorpius said. The guard pulled at his handcuffs.
"Oh, is that really the time?" Scorpius asked. The guard nodded and tugged harder on the handcuffs.
"I love you, Teddy. Goodbye."
Teddy wanted to scream and protest, to rip through the guards and save both himself and Scorpius. But then Scorpius smiled brightly at him, as if the world wasn't going to end, and Teddy smiled back just as brightly. Teddy believed in his husband, because Scorpius was giving up on living for Teddy to have a few more days, if not years, to be happy. His smile shook, however, and tears slipped down his face in riverlets of salt.
Teddy turned, unable to bear looking at Scorpius being taken away, and started to walk in the opposite direct without a backwards glance. A few moments later, though, his steps slowed to a stop, his heart thudding against his ribcage heavily. A tenor voice echoed through the plains, singing Scorpius' song.
Teddy didn't turn, because it would have been too painful to leave him afterwards, but he did let go of all the tears and pain; each step he took after hearing the song reverberated with Scorpius' lifeforce and love. The song gave him minimal comfort, but he knew now that it would always remind him of his dear beloved. Wiping his tears with his sleeve, he looked up at the sky and vowed that he would stay strong until the day he died. He'd never take Scorpius' sacrifice for granted. He'd live his life to the fullest.
Fin
Word Count: 1,503
Additional Prompts:
The Golden Snitch - Through the Universe - (AU) 191. Terminator — DystopianMuggleFuture!AU
The Golden Snitch - Ollivander's Wand Shop - Cypress: Write about a Pureblood.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry – Term #9: Assignment #5 – Careers Advice: Director of Magical Security, Task #3 - Write about protecting something or someone.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry - The 365 Prompts Challenge - 350. Word - Illusion
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry - The Insane House Challenge - 738. Title – Out of Time
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry - Sewing 101 - (dialogue) "I love you.", (AU) Muggle, (character) Teddy Lupin
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry - Slash September - Scorpius Malfoy
Writing Club:
Character Appreciation, Hermione Granger - [Item] 3. Book
Disney Challenge, Themes - 4. Rules and Order - Write about someone breaking rules for a good reason. /alt/ Write about an Auror on a case.
Dark Lady's Diabolical Lair - 13. Molly Weasley II
Book Club, "Release" by Patrick Ness - Adam: (trait) focused, (object) red rose,
(word) corrupted
Showtime, Phantom of the Opera - 4. The Phantom of the Opera - (action) Singing
Count Your Buttons, Dialogues - 3. "Is that really the time?"
Amy's Audio Admirations, The No Sleep Podcast: Ep 1 - 9. The Murders that Follow — (theme) multiple people dying. Alt. Write about Tom Riddle.
Bex's Basement, Roald Dahl - 6. James and the Giant Peach - Write about a young person (under 13) losing their parents.