Loss of a friend
Albus Potter leaving the next generation Maurauders, as seen from his friend Arcturus Blacks Pov (oc).
Written for Flying lessons assignment 5 on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments). Second part of a three part series that is written by Red Roses1000 (Roses),who wrote the first part, Slytherin Buttercat (Butter), who will write the third part and me, who is going to write the second part now.
Disclaimer: As much as I sometimes wished to, I'm not J. K. Rowling and thus the Harry Potter series doesn't belong to me.
Sunlight streamed through the windows of the Slytherin common roomwhen Arcturus awoke. Ruffling through his thick, curly sandbrown hair he sat up and looked around, checking if his friends were already awake. He saw Scorpius, laying in bed with his grey eyes wide open and his white blond hair messed up from sleep. He searched for his other friend, Albus, but his eyes only cast over empty bedsheets, that were carefully made. Scorpius must have noticed this too as he was sitting up muttering.
"He went without us again, didn't he?"
Arcturus shrugged. Maybe their friend was just waiting in the common room for them. Getting dressed and making their beds with magic, like Albus had, the two friends hurried into the common room, looking for their third companian. However, upon entering, they were only greeted with 'Goodmornings' by older students who had woken up early to study, or were waiting for their friends to come around for breakfast.
"Looks like everyone is waiting for their friends, but him." said Arcturus.
"You know how he is. This isn't the first time he's done that. Now, come on. Let's get some breakfast. I feel like I'm starving." replied Scorpius.
Both students stepped out of the Slytherin dormitory and into the hallways. A few students lingered around, talking to each other, laughing and giigeling at whispeed jokes and secrets. It was great to be able to move through the hallways without anyone constantly pushing you their elbows into your side, which was unfortunately the case if you went through the school during class change. While walking some students greeted them occasionaly, however a majority, mostly Gryffindors sent them slightly despicable looks. Arcturus was used to it, so were Scorpius and Albus, they were used to students talking bad about them behind their backs and giving them weird looks. Sometimes he even belived they deserved them, with all those rumors about Scorpius going around and with a Potter and a grandson of Sirius Black in Slytherin, something everyone had thought would be impossible, people had some good reasons to talk bad about them or give them stares. Even his own brothers and cousins did it sometimes, but most of the time they ignored him.
"Arcturus, hey Arcturus, were you even listening to what I just said?" asked Scorpius impatiently. He must have called his name several times already. "I asked if you did our assignment for Care of Magical Creatures, you know, the one that was due to today?" continued theyoung Malfoy, upon seeing his friends confusion.
They both arrived at the entrance of the Great Hall, looking up and down the Slytherin table in search for their friend. Upon finding him they started walking towards him. Arcturus hesitated before tspeaking up to the younger Potter son: "Hey, you didn't wait for us." It was supposed to come out as a joke they all knew that, but something didn't felt quite right. Maybe it was the face Albus made. Normally he would have smiled brightly, but this time his smile seemed fake, like he was hiding something.
Maybe he just had a bad day.
Days after Arcturus was helping his older brother Lupus in the Greenhouses, something he had promised him for days now. His body did all the work, but his mind just wasn't on the task. No mather what he did it always seemed to set on his friend. Albus had acted weird before sometimes, but only for one day or two, however his house companion and childhood friend acted weird for a few days now. He went to classes or breakfast and lunches without them more often then he did in the past. He had never done this so often before. They usually went to classes together, unless they were in seperate ones. They were the new Maurauders after all and just like the old ones they swore to stick and do everything together.
An arm grabbed him suddenly, swinging him around so he was faced with a pair of eyes in the same ice blue as his. "Is everything, okay with you, Arcturus? You seem awfully silent and distracted today." came the question from his brother, sounding concerned and worried. And for a moment he wanted to tell his older sibling his worries, for a moment he wanted to give up his 'I - hate - my older - brothers' personality and just share his concerns with the older boy. But then he just shrugged of the hand holding him and backed away a few steps.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright. Just a little tired." he stumbled out. No way he would tell Lupus that his friend was starting to ignore him, he would only tell the rest of their siblings and they would tease him endlessly about it.
He gave his older brother a look, that said 'No more questions'. The older boy opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. "Just forget it. It's nothing, okay? Anyway, I've got to go now, I wanted to practice some charms with Scorpius and Albus at half past four and that's in a few minutes. I'll continue helping you another time, okay? Bye" he called quickly while he grabbed his school bag and ran out of the Greenhouse, before Lupus could say anything.
In reality they were going to meet for charms pactice at four, but he just needed an excuse to get away from his sibling. Lupus was a Hufflepuff and one of the best in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. He was 'sooo perfect', just like the rest of his brothers. That's why he loved the new Maurauders. When they were together it didn't matter that he wasn't as good as his older siblings, or what Scorpius' heritage was, or that Albus was the first Potter ever to be in Slytherin. They could be themselves.
He waited half an hour for his friends to turn up and finally they came. Or more like Scorpius came. His smile fell a little. 'Where was Albus? Did he get sick?' he wondered. But as soon as Scorpius explained to him the whereabouts of the Potter boy, he grew somewhat angry. Their best friend didn't want them around anymore? Fine then. They could play the same game as he did.
Hogwarts life was different without Albus around. Other students began to notice that something wasn't right with the new Maurauders. Albus spent his days with their other dorm mate. What was his name again? Charlie, Charles, Darwin maybe? Arcturus couldn't remember. The boy never talked much, at least not to them, he must have friends in one of the other houses. He and Scorpius spent their days ignoring Albus, only talking to themselves or other Slytherin friends.
It was a week later when they decided to confront their friend. Honestly, it was Scorpius' idea. Arcturus was still sulking at the Potter child. Once he held a grudge against anyone, it could take a long time, before he forgave that person and his brothers were the ones to feel this most of the time.
Scorpius began to talk; as the typical loner of them with barely any friends beside them, he tried to keep the few friends he had close: "I'm sorry Albus" he said then nuged his blue eyed friend to say something too.
He did and it came out more unfriendly then he intended: "I'm sure you have your reasons for acting different." and he was, he was almost sure it had something to do with Albus ' father. Harry had never liked that his son hung out with Scorpius.
"I do," said the Potter boy, "I mean, I don't have to hang out with you all the time, do I?"
This shocked Arcturus, the words ringing in his head, even after they were spoken. He barley registered Scorpius saying something about them having to stick together and being like brothers. He did however caught the answer of his other friend.
"I don't think you understand. Just leave me alone."
Leave him alone? Fine if he wanted that. They would leave him alone. Angrily the two former Maurauders stormed away, leaving their former best friend all alone. Arcturus regretted it a little bit, he almost wanted to go back, to talk this out, to be friends again. But his conscienss told him otherwise. Albus was a lost friend. A friend he and Scorpius would never get back.