A/N: i gave this as x-mas gift to my fren, Patrice S. Hoped you'll enjoy it.
My Weakness
The shop's door opened. She turned around to see who it was. Feeling a small chill around her spine. She didn't know why she felt that way though. Her heart was beating at normal pace. Slow. Fast. Jumping inside her, protesting. Could it be? Her face drew up a vague kind of expression and then she froze. At the very moment she saw his face, she remained static. She was too feeble to move.
His eyes, those evocative grey eyes were looking at her. It seemed to haunt her everyday for those grey pair never released her mind. It was hard to tell. It was either he was trying to search her for answers or that he was just scrutinising her. His stare was solid and too focused on her that it utterly developed tears on her eyes.
He was there standing, slowly dying inside. Just one glance at her and it gave him the searing pain of guilt. He would have been swollen with pride because he had cost her great pain but it backfired. It seems like he's the one that's suffering more. Seeing those tears lavishly rolling down her cheeks. He looked down. He was ashamed of the cowardly deed he had done years before.
He raised his head and both looked intensely into each other's eyes. No words were exchanging from both of them. They were both afraid. Afraid of what the other might say or not and afraid of what the other will answer in return. Words are too dangerous right now; silence is enough. By looking at each other's eyes, questions started to flood their minds and answers are still developing.
She stood firmly because she must. She doesn't want to break down. She did not expect him to come back so soon. She wasn't ready for this yet. Three years had passed. It was just three years but the wound is still fresh. The pain does not just fade away like the ink on papers woven by time. The heart does not forget so easily and it takes a lot of time for it to heal. Yes, she's not ready but somehow she must stop from crying. She meant to show him that she's strong. That she could prove to him that she's been fine without him. She is not weak.
Rose Weasley is not weak.
She's just vulnerable. If she was weak then she had given up in those three years but she didn't. She's just denying everything. Vulnerable because it's what falling in love is about. For her, there is a difference between those two words. With those two words comes the word called 'Love'. The greatest feeling in the world that wouldn't only make you feel good but could cost you a great deal of pain too.
"Rose…" Was all the only word he could produce from his mouth, it seems like everything that he wanted to tell her is hanging from the tip of his tongue. Those events that he had encountered in those three years were hard to forget and to elucidate. How he tried to obliterate her from his mind. How he was trying to run away from everything else when in truth that he is actually running from himself. He never did imply to hurt her this much. It was fear that made him do it and it was fear that's stopping him from talking to her right now.
"Rose…I…" He started all over again but he just can't. The door opened again. Forcing himself, nothing happened. Instead, a third party came to this picture of cowardice and stubbornness.
"Rose…" It was Albus Severus Potter. Rose's cousin and best friend. If his cousin is in a problem, he's always there for her.
As he went in the shop, he noticed not only his cousin crying but also the presence of Scorpius. This of course, infuriated him.
"WHAT ARE YOU BLOODY DOING HERE?" He took Scorpius by the collar of his shirt. This action caused a reaction to Rose but she remained on her place and didn't budge. Scorpius, on the other hand, didn't do anything. He deserved this anyways and knew that in one way or another, Albus will be out to get him.
"Didn't I tell you to stay away from her?" Albus wanted to hex him. Scorpius removed his gaze from Albus to the teary Rose to seek for forgiveness. Only this time, her eyes were now filled with resentment.
Rose doesn't feel any sympathy for what her cousin is doing to him. She wanted to go near him not to hug or kiss him or to tell him how she loves him so much. She wanted to slap his face. Making sure that he gets what he deserves. He doesn't deserve her, she knew that all along and Al reminded her during that night. She ought to have someone so much better. Someone who could never hurt her this much. Then again, nobody is perfect and the imperfections in life are the only thing that could let you learn from the mistakes the world has brought. Mistakes make you realise who you truly need in this world and could tell you its difference from a want. For Rose, the man that's about to get killed by her cousin is the person who doesn't and deserves her. She doesn't only want him. She needs him but not now. Maybe one day for her heart isn't at ease yet.
"Al, let's go. Leave him alone" She pulled her cousin. Albus followed his cousin's request and put him down.
"Rose…" Scorpius spoke again for the third time.
"I said don't talk to her. Can't you understand that simple thing?" Al snapped at him.
"Rosie…" He doesn't care if Albus will hex him right now.
"Don't call me Rosie again. I don't need you anymore." Her voice was shaky but it was filled with spite. She left the shop bringing her cousin and her tears.
That just did it.
It hit Scorpius hard on the face. That night he was looking at his reflection on the mirror. He massaged his temples then looked at himself again. He traced the long scar on his face that stretched from the left side of his face under his eyes down to the lower right side near his chin.
The scar was still fresh from the time it was born five months ago. That encounter was the reason for all of this. The encounter that's haunting him everywhere he goes.
****
Greece, April 2026
Scorpius just had a lovely brunch in a café three blocks away from his flat. He was heading back home. He turned left to the next alley. The sky grew darker and grim. He felt a burning desire on his left arm. Unfolding his left sleeve, his eyes grew wider with fear and shock. The Dark Mark looked stronger.
"No way…" He whispered but black smoke appeared in front of him. "No…"
"Hello Scorpius…" Bellatrix apparated in front of him. Before he could take his wand out, two death eaters had caught him off guard. He wasn't able to resist them. Two death eaters against one wizard may be possible to anyone but it certainly isn't for him.
"What do you want?" He tried to escape from their grip but they were too strong for him.
"You know what I want…" She playfully grinned. "I WANT REVENGE!" She shrieked, drawing up her wand on him.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care. Kill me now," He bellowed.
"You sound too sure and brave. Wait 'til I tell you to whom I'm going to give my revenge" Bellatrix waited for another answer.
It took him how many seconds to realise what or whom was she talking about. "No. Spare her. Kill me but her. Please…"He pleaded.
"You…" She spat on his face. "Disgust me! Falling in love with a mudblood and a blood traitor's offspring! A disgrace to our kind!"
"Do I look like a give a damn? I love her and not even blood status could repel that," He answered back.
"Very well then, you leave me no choice. I shall kill you and your dirty blooded girlfriend. From now on Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy ceased to exist from this muggle inhabited world" She raised her wand. She was about mutter a curse but someone apparated.
Scorpius looked at his senior.
"Bellatrix" He said. "Do anything with my son but never kill him. He's the only one that's carrying the Malfoy name"
"Point taken but…" She conjured a silver dagger from her wand and faced Scorpius. "This will remind you and haunt you everyday of my coming revenge."
Scorpius didn't scream in pain but he could feel the prickling sensation. He could nearly almost taste the saltiness of his blood.
She made sure that they left him wounded and afraid.
****
"Here you go, cuz, something to make you feel better. It's not like Uncle Ron's but that's the best I could offer you right now" Albus took his cousin to the Leaky Cauldron after the confrontation in the shop. Rose took her rosemary tea and sipped it.
"Thank you" She softly spoke. "You know, I never expected him to appear sooner"
"I did only I thought he was going to bring an army of death eaters" Albus took a sip from his tea. "No worries though, Dad and James could take them down anytime" His brother, James, became an Auror like their father. He, on the other hand, is a Quidditch player like their mother. He plays Seeker for the Falmouth Falcons. "And you, of course. Since your one of dad's top Aurors" He added.
"Who do you think gave him his scar?" She ignored Al's last comment.
"Stop that, Rosie" He replied.
"Stop what?" She arched her eyebrows just like the way her mother does.
"Stop talking about him. Stop caring for him. Stop doing anything that has something to do with him" Al answered. "You have to stop this in order to refrain yourself from being hurt in the way. He doesn't deserve you."
Rose gave him a faint smile. She understood her cousin. He was just taking care of her. "It's hard, cuz, but you can't help it if you love a person this much. You could keep on reminding me but you could never persuade me to just forget about him"
"If I did then everything would be so much easier for my part" He smiled.
Scorpius was very weak now. He doesn't know what to do. Out of confusion, he knelt down and bended his head on the foot of his bed. Recalling how everything started. How his supposed 'happily-ever-after' was ruined and was turning into a life filled with demise and everlasting pain overnight.
****
Hogwarts, June 2023
He felt ecstatic. Today was their Graduation day. He could feel a rush of emotions going through him, he felt like he's about to explode. Everything will change after this day. A better life with his love, Rose Weasley, is waiting for him. He's going to make her happy and she will make him happy too. Nothing can stop them.
"There you are" Rose was waiting for him outside of the Great Hall.
He approached her with a smile. "How are you?"
"I feel so excited." She wrapped her arms around his neck." We're finally leaving this place" There was a hint of gloom in her tone.
"Cheer up. It's life. Things change." He put her chin up and put one hand on her waist and the other on her hair, smoothing it.
"Don't change, Scorp. I want you to be the same Scorpius forever. I want you to be yourself. The Scorpius Malfoy that I would always love" She spoke it in a way a person would say to someone who is about to leave forever.
"If you promised to be my Rosie forever" He drew his face and kissed her.
It may last forever but someone interrupted.
"Are you guys doing that forever? We're going to be late. You're the Head Girl, Rose, you're suppose to show a good example to everyone and snogging your boyfriend along the hallways and before graduation isn't a good one" Albus smirked.
She broke off from Scorpius and glanced at him and her cousin. Scorpius raised an eyebrow. The looked at each other then laughed.
"Come on…everyone's waiting for the Head Girl's boyfriend and cousin" She pulled the both of them and led the way inside the Great Hall.
"Rosie? Are you finished? Al wants to leave and we're going to be late." Katie Longbottom, Rose's best friend, called out from downstairs. They are going to attend the yearly Graduation Ball
"I'm nearly done" She did some last minute retouches and left her room.
"Wow" Katie mouthed at her best friend.
"Scorpius is waiting for you outside, cuz" Al spoke and tugged Katie along with him.
Rose went through the portrait hole and found Scorpius grinning at her holding a rose on his left hand.
"A rose for my beautiful Rose" He moved towards her.
"Thank you. You look handsome as ever" She took the flower.
"I know. Did I mention you look so hot?" He grinned again.
"Are you two going to compliment on each other the whole night?" Al came back. "You sound so corny"
"Oi what you doing here, Potter?" Rose faced her cousin.
"I left my tie" He pointed on his collar. "And I temporarily live in this place so I can go back anytime I want to."
He went in the Common room then went out again with his tie on.
"Just to give you a tip before something serious happens between the two of you. GET A ROOM"
"Stop being a git, Potter" Katie came to get her date. "Sorry, bestie, don't mind this immature brute here"
Scorpius laughed. Albus scowled.
"Come on. We're going to be late…again" She dragged.
"Do you always drag people like this?" He asked but she ignored it.
"Hey mate" A black-haired Slytherin, like Scorpius, approached him by the punch table.
"Hey there mate" Scorpius replied at his friend, Alex Zabini.
"I have to talk to you in private" His eyes looked paranoid.
"Can't it wait? I'm waiting for my girl" Scorpius took a drink with his oak mead.
"Look, I don't give a righteous bloody damn about your mudblood girlfriend. Let's just go outside" Alex retorted.
"You're my friend, Zabini but it doesn't mean you could just insult my girlfriend like that. She means more to me than you do so back off before I hex your ruddy arse off!" He snapped.
"Sorry. Look can we just talk?"
"I'm giving you five to ten minutes ONLY." He looked at Rose who was talking and laughing with her friends. "I don't think she'd notice me gone for a few minutes"
"Al, have you seen Scorpius? Oops…sorry" She found Albus with Katie. His hair dishevelled as ever.
"No. I didn't see him. He's your boyfriend not mine. Now sod off, cuz" He spoke with annoyance.
"I think it's you who needs to get a room after all" Albus rolled his eyes. She opened the door of the Great Hall and decided to look for Scorpius outside.
As she walked around, she heard voices and footsteps coming. She hid behind the statue of Godric Gryffindor.
"…can't you feel it burn?" A voice asked.
"Yes and if you're asking why no one has seen it yet, I concealed it with a powerful charm that father taught me" The other voice sounded so familiar to her.
"Is there any way I could tempt to get you back in?"
"No"
"Come on you enjoyed it"
"I never did. I never meant to join in the first place I didn't want to be like my father and my grandfather or anyone in my ridiculous family"
"Rose?" Rose was taken by surprise. Albus came up from behind and covered her mouth. "What are you doing?"
Rose put on a silencing gesture and continued to eavesdrop.
"Look, she thinks she found a way that could bring him back" The first person spoke.
"Impossible. How can she do that? All his horcruxes were destroyed" The other replied.
"Yes but come on. You must join us again. If you run away then you'll be killed. She'll get killed."
"That's not the life that I want, Alex"
"Come on, Scorpius. You were behind that ambush two years ago. If you can nearly kill someone then you could actually kill someone"
Rose couldn't believe what she heard. She peeked to tell herself that it isn't true that she's just hearing and seeing things.
She turned to Albus for affirmation. "I'm sorry, Rosie. I heard and saw him too. You're not imagining it" From that answer, she broke into tears.
"That's not the life that I want, Alex"
"Come on, Scorpius. You were behind that ambush two years ago. If you can nearly kill someone then you could actually kill someone"
There was a sound that neither came from both of them.
"What was that?" Scorpius looked around.
"Must be Peeves," Alex answered. "Look, take a look at my Dark Mark. It's getting powerful as ever. It's painful but it gives you this good feeling of satisfaction. Let me see yours, mate" Alex rolled his left sleeve to show him. Scorpius copied what he did.
While he was looking at his darkening mark, two shadows silhouetted against them. Scorpius took a glimpse. He could see an Albus with anger in his eyes and Rose filled with tears.
"What is that? How could you?" She pointed at his exposed mark.
"Let me explain, Rosie"
"I'm confused. Bellatrix is alive?" Albus forgot about his anger. The two Slytherins nodded at him. "Didn't Grandma Molly kill her?"
"She didn't." Alex replied.
"What ambush were you talking about?" Rosie was referring to Scorpius. He remained silent. "Don't tell me- Oh my god…no…I thought-"
"Yes. That was I who nearly killed your grandparents and uncle," He told her the truth.
Rosie fell to the floor. Albus helped her up. "You don't deserve this, Rosie" He told her and then glared at Scorpius.
"I request you leave right now before something bad happens to you. Your lucky my cousin loves you for that I'm sparing your arse"
"Rosie…" He ran out of words.
"Leave her alone, Malfoy. Never talk to her again or else." He threatened him. "Let's go"
****
Scorpius has no other option. It's the only thing he could do to save her. He must prevent the worst from happening.
He stood up. "I'm sorry, Rose" He spoke. As if, she was there in front of him.
"Anything wrong, pumpkin?" Hermione had noticed her daughter's disturbed behaviour throughout the evening. Rose kept her silence and didn't respond.
Rose had dinner with her parents tonight. She was helping her mum in clearing up the kitchen without magic. Her mum prefers doing so.
"Let me guess…" Hermione spoke again. "Scorpius?"
When she had spoken his name, Rose broke down into tears.
"Was it that obvious, mum?" She asked.
"I'm your mother, Rose. I know you. The only time I could see you this weak is when it comes to the man you love." She hugged her daughter.
"Why does he have to do this to me?"
"I'm sure he has reasons. Did you talk?"
"No. We didn't say anything. He was just there and I was just there. What am I going to do mum?" She questioned.
"There's one way. Go and talk to him. It's the best thing you two could do" She replied.
"Thanks mum." She smiled weakly. "Don't tell dad"
"Sure thing, sweetie" She assured her daughter.
Out of the corner of the kitchen's window was an owl.
"Who's that from?" Hermione asked. Rose move towards the owl.
She found an envelope attached to its talons. It had a familiar scrawl.
To Rose
It was a bright Friday morning. Harry Potter came to work early.
"Morning Mister Potter" The Ministry guard tilted his hat.
"Morning, Chris!" Harry cheerfully greeted back. He took the lift to Level 2, Auror Headquarters.
After ten minutes, he arrived on his designated level and walked to his office.
"Harry Potter?" Someone was already in his office room.
"What do you want? I heard from my son that you came back, Scorpius." Harry was clutching his wand.
"No need for your wand, sir. I'm turning myself in. Here…you could have my wand as proof" Scorpius handed out his wand.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes sir"
"Does Rosie know?" Harry asked.
"Yes sir I wrote her a letter"
"Do you really want to get yourself locked up in Azkaban?" Harry moved towards his desk.
"I'd do anything for Rose to forgive all of my sins" Harry could see that he spoke with sincerity.
"Dad," James came in. "What is he doing here?" He asked when he saw Scorpius.
"Turning myself in" He answered for Harry.
"You actually believed the rubbish he's trying to rub on you? After what he did to Uncle Bill, Grandma and Grandpa?" James looked at his father.
"Yes I do" Harry replied and James understood his father. "I could still save you but you have to tell us everything about the Bellatrix and her death eaters"
"You'd do that, sir?" Scorpius felt a shufti of hope.
"Anything for Rosie"
A knock came. "Uncle Harry?"
Rose couldn't believe it. She had read the letter over several times now. She must do something.
Dear Rose,
I must do what I have to do. I will turn myself in. I have to do this because I have no other option. I figured out that this is the only thing that I could best do in order for you to forgive me.
From what had happened three years ago and earlier, I knew you wouldn't forgive me anymore. I know you're forever going to hate me but even so, I will still tell you all the secrets that I had kept from all of this past few years.
I'm a death eater and you've found that bit out three years ago but I swear to you that I was just forced to join them. Bellatrix threatened me that she'll do the most unpleasant thing and so I decided and was forced to join during our Fifth year.
After that, she gave me a task to prove my worthiness as a death eater so she commanded me to kill anyone from the Weasley clan. I planned the ambush of your family but then I knew in my heart that I couldn't kill anyone especially from your family and so I planned it to fail. I thought that wounding them a bit would be satisfying enough for my great aunt. Well, it did but I never knew how it affected you. Therefore, after seeing you crying, I swore to myself that I'd never be a death eater again.
The rest, you have seen and heard three years ago, was indeed true but I never intended to rejoin them. Alex was trying to influence me back but I objected to it.
Please understand me, Rosie. Everyone knows my family background and I'm trying to stay away from the so-called legacy of my father, grandfather and their forefathers. I never dreamt of becoming like them; I wanted to be myself. I'm doing this for you because I love you, Rosie and I know you feel the same way about me too. All I ever wanted is your forgiveness and nothing more.
I just wished I were a Gryffindor so that I could have the moral fibre to talk to you instead of writing this letter.
Scorpius
Rose folded the letter again and kept it in her bag. She was rushing off to her uncle's office. She must stop Scorpius before it's too late. She knows that her Uncle Harry would understand her and save him.
"Uncle Harry?" She knocked the door. Her cousin James opened it but she was already too late. Scorpius was already there.
"Hey there, Rosie" Harry greeted casually. "James, take Scorpius and file the necessary papers"
James followed his father's order and took Scorpius. Scorpius gave her a smile as they passed-by.
"Uncle Harry, please don't lock him up!" She hugged him, crying.
"Don't worry, Rosie. I'm not locking him up"
"You're not?" She locked up.
"Yes" He used his thumb to wipe her tears off, "You know I couldn't bear to see my favourite niece in tears"
"Thank you. Can I talk to him?" Harry nodded and headed towards the door.
Scorpius came in.
"Rose…" She doesn't know what to feel and neither does he.
"Scorpius…" She quickly wrapped her arms around him.
"Forgive me for everything" Their faces drew up closer.
"I already did. I just wished I gave you a chance to explain everything. None of this would have happened" Her tears of sorrow turned into tears of joy.
"We shouldn't blame on each other"
"Why did you do this? Why did you turn your back against your family?" She asked him the question that rummaged through her mind. "Apart from the fact that you love me"
"Because Rose Weasley," He tucked her hair under her ears. "You're my family now and you are my weakness. Even if I'm in my most powerful and triumphant moment there's always a resistance that would always make me weak and it's you. It'll always be you, Rosie" Scorpius placed a light kiss on her forehead, followed by a light kiss on her cheek. He felt her shift in his arms and then felt a soft brush on his neck as her lips lightly grazed him.
Rose could feel the ardour that has been with her since then. Nothing could break them apart anymore after all those things that had happened to both of them. Scorpius was her weakness and she was his. For her, it is enough to make them both contented with their life.
"HEY!" Harry and James came back in. Scorpius and Rose untangled from each other's embrace and turned red.
"Err…sorry about that. We'll just wait outside" Harry closed the door.
Rose laughed.
"Ever had the feeling that a Potter always interrupts us?" Scorpius commented.
A/N: HAPPY CHRISTMAS, PAT!! Sorry this is late. :D Hope you loved it though. This is what I could write for now. 23 Dec. 08